The 36th Woodford Folk Festival is living up to its reputation as a crowd-pleaser, with fan favourites, outstanding cultural experiences, quirky acts and internationally recognised artists again taking the stage.
More than 400 organisers, committee members, producers, staff, volunteers and friends gathered last weekend to launch the 120-page, 2023/24 program of the eclectic festival, from December 27 to January 1 at the 200ha (500 acre) Woodfordia.
General manager Amanda Jackes told supporters by email that the launch was “a joyous night”.
“We are now super excited to deliver our ever-ambitious and diverse program,” she said.
“We encourage you to explore our artists and presenters online or browse through our program book.”
Billed as the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia, more than 2000 local, national and international artists, musicians and presenters put on over 438 acts to an audience of an estimated 132,000 people across the six days and nights each year.
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Use the 2023/24 program online or the printed version to find your must-sees, filtered by the days you are attending or various artist category genres ranging from Circus Cabaret, music performances and workshops and Meditation in Motion to Talks and Ideas, children’s entertainers and On The Street performers.
The Woodford Folk Festival aims to create a deep, rich and colourful experience for everyone attending – no matter their age, background or interests.
It is based on a vision of inclusive and creative community, culture and tradition passed through generations, expressed through story and ceremony.
Jumping out of the page this year amid the mighty mix of music performers are musical powerhouses Kate Miller-Heidke, Ben Lee, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham from The Waifs, Kasey Chambers and Karise Eden.
Also on the bill are 2016 X Factor winner and Australia’s representative at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest Isaiah Firebrace and 2016 Triple J Unearthed and Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition winner Gretta Ray.
The Ukelele Death Squad ticks all the boxes for the weird and wacky factor, while the mesmerising music of the Nyatiti harp – played the African Luo tribal way – just might transform you into Otenga, the majestic guide of ancient skies, at the Dance Of The Majestic Eagle workshop.
Or perhaps head along to provocative, sexy-comedy-indie band Bad Sext as it laces up a performance of original music with theatrical skits and storytelling, using unique humour to tackle taboo subjects and transform them into thought-provoking content.
Among the educational gems, the ABC’s Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis presents Connected Communities: Transformative Change In Action – outlining innovative food programs, seeding and nurturing projects, habitat regeneration and waste reduction ideas that are changing the way we connect with nature.
In Man-Made: How The Bias Of The Past Is Being Built Into The Future, Walkley Award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Tracey Spicer details the bigotry embedded in technology through artificial intelligence, and what we can do in our homes and workplaces to beat the biased bots.
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And Canadian storytelling artist with a passion for traditional crafts, Dr Skye Morrison takes her audience on a magic carpet ride around the world in Graphic Novels In Cloth, discovering textiles that tell a story.
The festival begins each year with the Opening Ceremony and closes with the spectacular showcase, the Fire Event, on New Year’s Day.
Woodfordia – a former barren dairy farm-turned-revegetated subtropical rainforest with orchids, ferns and sedges planted as habitat for butterflies and wildlife – is transformed into a village that becomes Australia’s 67th-largest town, hosting more than 25,000 daily patrons, performers, stallholders, volunteers and organisers.
At the beating heart are thousands of volunteers across 162 departments contributing to the organisation, set-up, day-to-day running and pull-down of the beloved festival.
The 2022/23 Woodford Folk Festival welcomed a crew of 2500 volunteers, who contributed about 30 hours each over the course of the festival week. The majority of
the crew was from Queensland, 30 per cent came from interstate and another 70 individuals were from overseas.
Buy tickets here and see the program on the website.
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