Eleanor Rigden: Producer of Festival of Small Halls By Essie Valmadre Like many of the wonderful humans that hustle and bustle Woodfordia’s halls, Eleanor Rigden never intended to end up there. She studied law alongside a Media & Communications degree, eventually specialising in immigration law. Eleanor was admitted as a solicitor to the court of Queensland and was practicing for about nine months before being made…
Gavin Ryan: Woodfordian Artist in Residence By Essie Valmadre Anyone who has attended Woodford Folk Festival in the last ten years will recall with great delight Gavin Ryan’s phenomenal posters. Each one is a vibrant visual feast that proffers a jaw-dropping amount of detail, usually taking him up to four months to complete. Much like the festival that…
By Essie Valmadre There were a few low-hanging clouds over Woodfordia on Saturday the 25 May, kissing the valley with their cool, misty air. It was a fresh morning and when the clouds lifted, the sky was blue and the sun was warm against rosy-cheeked faces. Citizens trickled into The Duck, some having camped out the…
Rita McMorrow: Founder of The TreeHuggers By Essie Valmadre “Mum, you’ve gotta come! You and Dad would love it.” It was these words that started Rita McMorrow on her Woodfordian adventure over 20 years ago. Her son had been attending Woodford Folk Festival for some three years and decided that his parents needed to come along. After a little umming and ahing,…
By Essie Valmadre A little over two months ago, Woodfordia was filled with folks big and small for three days of tunes, tasty treats and tinkering at the 2019 Planting Festival. Friday night’s Welcome Ceremony brought smiles to all faces and tears to more than a few eyes. Wrapped in their winter woollies and each other, Woodfordians…
With one season of Woodfordia’s formal internship programme complete, it’s hard to say who learned more from the experience, the interns or the staff. Suffice to say, it was a successful experience for everyone involved, so much so that staff are committed to round two of the internship programme for the early part of 2019.…
Woodfordia’s Environmental Projects Officer, Dr. Sandra, interviews new Woodfordian Costa Georgiadis. Sandra: Tell us about your favourite moments at your first Woodford Folk Festival. What has inspired you most? Costa: Given that I had no idea of what it‘s actually like, what inspired me the most, is that it is such a massive event that is so incredibly orchestrated. To have so many people…