Help and Support

Welcome to February Folk Day Online 2021!

If you are unfamiliar with using Zoom, there are a couple of things you can do in advance:

Download Zoom from http://zoom.us – You can do this on desktop, mobile or tablet. You will need this for most of the events.
Familiarise yourself with Zoom. Quick start user guides for Windows, Linux and Mac can be found at https://support.zoom.us/

Below is some information to help you get the best out of the day

All Visitors

General advice on using Zoom can be found here. It is not necessary to have an account to join an event but you might find it easier to download the app to your device. You are strongly advised to ensure you are using the latest version of Zoom). For more details go to https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697

If your internet connection drops, leave the event and re-enter on the same link for the event.
We will use a waiting room prior to an event and allow entry about 5 to 10 minutes before an event starts. Entry during events will be timed for the end of songs to minimise disruption.
You will be able to mute & unmute yourself in order to show your appreciation. Please mute yourself during songs if you intend to join in or if there is likely to be any extraneous noises from you or your household. If necessary, the host may mute you.
If you use Speaker View instead of Gallery View, you will see a larger picture of the person who is performing/talking. On a mobile or tablet, swipe left and right to change between views.
Events will be run with Zoom co-hosts who will handle technical issues. If you have any problems, please use the chat function to communicate with the Zoom co-hosts. The ability to chat to everyone at once will be disabled in Zoom events. You will still be able to chat directly to the Zoom co-hosts and MC.
If you wish to ask a question in a Chance to Meet or perform in a singaround/music session/folk club then please send a chat message to the MC or raise your hand (“Raise a hand” in Zoom by clicking on Reactions in the menu bar then clicking the “raise hand” button).
All participants under the age of 16 should only use their first name on their Zoom profile.

For those who want to play or sing – Folk Clubs, Music Sessions and Singarounds

Make sure you have updated to the latest version of Zoom.
Please amend your settings to optimise the sound quality for people listening to you. You need to enable the option to preserve original sound and then turn it on in the meeting. For more details, see https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115003279466-Enabling-option-to-preserve-original-sound
Folk Clubs, music sessions and singarounds will be run with an Event MC who will ask people to take part. The MC will give a song/tune’s advance notice so performers can prepare.
If you wish to perform in a singaround/music session/folk club then please send a chat message to the MC or raise your hand (“Raise a hand” in Zoom by clicking on participants in the menu bar and clicking the “raise hand” button).
If you are asked to take part, you will be unmuted so that people can hear you.
When you enter the event you will be given the option by Zoom to check your audio. It is worth doing this to ensure everything is working correctly.

Troubleshooting

If you have any problems accessing any events during the day, here are some things you can try:

Restart your laptop / PC / Phone or tablet.
Check you are connected to the internet and your WiFi or mobile internet are working – connection problems can sometimes be solved by connecting directly to your router with a wired connection.
Make sure your volume is turned up on your device and your speakers are plugged in or turned on.
Check for others in your household taking up bandwidth.

If none of these have worked you can email the team on info@chesterfolk.org.uk