Artist says beach rave accusations are 'insulting'
Geograph/BBCA high-profile artist and campaigner has called accusations that "poorly managed" events ended up in unofficial beach raves "personally insulting".
Anna Mudeka - who is also the deputy lieutenant of Norfolk - was at risk of having two temporary licences for music events she has held annually at Waxham Summer Camp on the North Norfolk coast blocked.
An environmental protection officer for North Norfolk District Council urged councillors to halt them next month due to past complaints.
But Mudeka, who has won awards for her contributions to the arts, hit back at the allegations, insisting they were "untrue". She was ultimately granted permission.
Stephen McKay/GeographThe British-Zimbabwean musician has owned the site at Poplar Farm since 2021 and has held two annual August events there.
One, focused on electronic music and DJs, is planned for 8 August, while the other, marketed as a world music festival, is planned for 29 August.
Nathan Lawn, an environmental protection officer, objected to her application, saying concerns had been raised about "alcohol intoxication and the potential for illicit drug use".
He also claimed "unofficial raves" had spilled on to the beach, damaging the dunes - and that the events had a history of exceeding finishing times.
At a licensing sub-committee, Lawn said there had been 10 complaints involving the farm and campsite since 2023, including reports of cannabis use and music overrunning into the early hours.
Mudeka questioned what evidence the council had, saying she gained "absolutely nothing" from letting the events overrun.
Waxham is a public beach and Mudeka suggested some of the complaints could have been caused by groups using the area unrelated to her site.
She told the committee she had dedicated 25 years of her life to serving the county through music, community engagement and the arts and was appointed the deputy lieutenant of Norfolk in 2025 following extensive vetting.
"I take the allegations made against my professional reputation extremely seriously and feel personally insulted by these allegations," she said.
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Lawn said the complaints the council received appeared to coincide with the dates past music events had been held there.
But despite the accusations, councillors unanimously decided to allow the events to go ahead.
Peter Fisher, a Liberal Democrat councillor and chairman of the meeting, said the claims were "largely based" on complaints which could not be fully verified.
He added that they appeared to relate to activities taking place outside Mudeka's premises.
The two events are planned to take place on fields designated for activities on the campsite, which is only in operation for five weeks of the year.
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