Why signed peer notes beat star ratings for independent culture
Why star ratings feel wrong for small rooms
A five-star score works for a taxi ride. It does not tell you whether a poetry room listens, whether a first-timer will feel welcome, or whether the sound lets a quiet voice carry.
- **Stars flatten everything:** a 4.2 says nothing about the kind of evening you will have.
- **Anyone can rate:** most review sites cannot tell a guest from a stranger.
- **Screenshots get lost:** artists keep kind words in WhatsApp chats and Instagram stories that vanish in 24 hours.
What a peer note looks like
A peer note is a short, signed sentence or two from someone who was actually there: a performer who played the room, an organiser who hosted a night, or a regular in the audience.
- **Signed:** the writer's name appears with the note.
- **Relationship shown:** performer, organiser, collaborator or audience.
- **Approved first:** nothing goes public until the artist, collective or space says yes.
The numbers sit beside the words
Next to the notes, Turnout shows counts it can check: shows held, guests who actually checked in, collectives a space has hosted, and how guests reacted in Stage Memories after the show. Percentages only appear once enough people have answered, so one reply never looks like a verdict.
How to collect your first notes
- **Ask after a good night:** the best time is the evening of the show, while it is fresh.
- **Ask people who saw you work:** hosts, co-performers and regulars write the most useful notes.
- **Share the link on WhatsApp:** your profile has a button that writes the invite message for you.
- **Approve what is true:** you choose which notes appear, and you can hide one later.
For audiences
When you are deciding where to spend a Saturday evening, read the notes from people who played and hosted the room. They will tell you more than any star score.
Frequently asked questions
- **Can I write a note for my own page?** No. Notes only count when they come from someone else.
- **Do I need an account?** Yes, so every note is signed by a real person.
- **Can a page owner edit my words?** No. They can only approve or hide the note.