"Every time you visit Woodford you leave a different person."

This episode was recorded live from the Woodford Folk Festival as part of First Wine of the Day. Harley Breen and co-host Nikki Britton open with one of the most quietly beautiful moments Radio Woodfordia has captured — the story of a she-oak walking stick, a stranger's generosity, and a carving made from a sapling found during a wilderness rites of passage ceremony. It's the kind of story that reminds you why Woodford exists.

Poet Nick Grivas then takes the room by storm with his searing and uncomfortably accurate slam piece Chasing Cheap Dopamine, Bobby Alu plays the song that soundtracked the birth of Harley's first child, bars manager Linus Wilson finally explains what orange wine actually is, and the Beddy Rays close out with their very first Woodford performance.

This episode is for:

• Anyone who needs to feel something real today
• People who've ever been handed an unexpected gift by a stranger
• Anyone who's checked their phone at least once while listening to this

Dive in to hear about:

• A she-oak walking stick, a family heirloom, and a gift returned
• Chasing Cheap Dopamine — slam poetry for the accidental cyborg in all of us
• The truth about orange wine (and why sediment is your friend)

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival and FWOD next year visit: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE:

Bobby Alu: https://www.bobbyalu.com

Nick Grivas Liquid Lyrics: https://www.instagram.com/liquid_lyrics

Beddy Rays: https://www.beddyrays.com/

Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

Nikki Britton: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibritton

CREDITS:

Hosts: Harley Breen, Nikki Britton

Guests: Nick Grivas, Bobby Alu, Linus Wilson, Beddy Rays

Producer: Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Executive Producers: Benny Wallington, Georgia Shaw

Artwork: Hannah Rose

Social Media: Eliza Cowan

Assistant: Madeline Corcoran

Town Cryer: Ché Pritchard

Camera Operators: Amelie Barham, Ben 'Tofty' Toft

Editing: Amelie Barham

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #BobbyAlu #NickGrivas #BeddyRays #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #NikkiBritton #SlamPoetry #LivePodcast #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded live from the Woodford Folk Festival as part of the 'First Wine of the Day' and might just be better to watch on youtube if you can (not while driving please)

Harley Breen alongside his cohost Nikki Britton, who arrives fashionably late after spending 12 hours on the Bruce Highway, light up the Piano Bar delighting the crowd with lots of cracking guests. fruity wine and funnies to keep you giggling. The ep features a custom-built pram vehicle (featuring trap doors, LED lights, an underground esky and a nutty contraption). We introduce a man described as 'Woodford', Costa Georgiadis, who as no beef with his new mate Brett Blake, and a surprise musical performance from the spectacular Jen Wynter.

Costa shares why Woodford lit a fire in him that hasn't stopped burning since Bill first extended the invite. The importance of building mud pie kitchens in the children's festival to performing covers in Greek while wearing a silver unitard at 2am, Costa embodies the playful, joyful spirit that makes Woodford wild and special and weird in the best kind of way.

Settle in, you might learn a thing or two about wine as well from Woodford's wine connoisseur and Bars Manager Linus Wilson. Muck Yeah!

This episode is for:

• Anyone who needs a bloody laugh
• People whose friends went to First Wine and feel FOMO they missed it
• Anyone who's felt isolated by modern technology
• Parents looking for ways to pass on childlike wonder
• Festival-goers who understand why Woodford feels like coming home

Dive in to hear about:

• "Worm alerts"
• The Bruce Highway and muck in the bottom of fine wine
• How to build a multi-purpose Radio Woodfordia promo vehicle
• How to play Scrabble and give nil f*cks about a live show right next to you. Awesome.

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival and FWOD next year visit: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE:

Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

Nikki Britton: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibritton

Costa Georgiadis: https://costasworld.com.au/

Jen Wynter: https://www.jennywynter.com/

Brett Blake: https://www.brettblake.com.au/

CREDITS: Hosts: Harley Breen, Nikki Britton

Guests: Costa Georgiadis, Brett Blake, Jenny Winter, Linus Wilson

Producer: Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Executive Producers: Benny Wallington, Georgia Shaw

Artwork: Hannah Rose

Social Media: Eliza Cowan

Assistant: Madeline Corcoran

Town Cryer: Ché Pritchard

Camera Operators: Amelie Barham, Ben 'Tofty' Toft

Video editing: Amelie Barham

Music by: The East Pointers

Special thanks: Linus and the Piano Bar team Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #CostaGeorgiadis #BrettBlake #JennyWinter #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #NikkiBritton #GardeningAustralia #Woodfordia #LivePodcast

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Why can't we just live at Woodfordia? And why isn't this just how we all live?"

In this episode, Harley sits down with Katie Noonan. It's Katie's 30th year at Woodford, and she's just finished her 30th studio album - serendipitous! 

Katie's Woodford journey started in 1995 when she won the Woodford band competition (prize: a ticket to next year's festival). That hook worked, and she's been back every year since, volunteering, performing with her band george, performing solo, with her family, and now with her new album "Alone But All One," which she's premiering at the festival.

But this isn't just a musician's story. It's about growiing up with the opera-singing mum and witnessing the super talented Jeff Buckley at 18, before deciding to become a "musical weirdo." Katie now runs the Eumundi School of Music to provide children with free music education and still references Woodford as her church.

This episode is for:

• Musicians wondering if they can survive making art in the streaming era
• Parents trying to explain to their kids why music matters more than money
• Anyone who's ever left Woodford wondering "why can't life be like this?"

Dive in to hear about:

• Taking on Jeff Buckley's five-octave range (the ultimate artistic challenge)
• Brisbane's unique 90s music scene 
• The joys and struggles of Woodford camping

To learn more about Katie Noonan: https://www.katienoonan.com.au/

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Katie Noonan

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Georgia Shaw

Video editing: Amelie Barham

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #KatieNoonan #George #WoodfordFolkFestival #JeffBuckley #AustralianMusic #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You can still dream. And I think that's what keeps me coming back."

In this episode, Harley sits down with Chelsea, the circus programmer who's been shaping what happens under the big top at Woodford for the past decade.

She's someone who's seen the festival from every angle, first as a punter drawn in by friends working the pedal-powered juice bar, then as a performer touring her own contemporary circus company (Scotch and Soda, Cantina), and now as the one deciding who gets to step into that big top circular space at Woodfordia.

Chelsea's story is about choosing creative freedom over institutional validation.. These days she splits her time between programming aerial acts and teaching the fundamentals of being human to five-year-olds, and somehow both jobs make perfect sense.

This episode is for:

• Programmers and curators navigating the messy reality of building festival programs
• Circus artists wondering what it takes to start
• Parents who build carts for their kids and are looking for tips

Dive in to hear about why:

• The buggy meet is a legitimate highlight of the festival where families line up to discuss their carts like hotted-up cars
• A 16-year-old aerialist who came as a punter five years ago, stayed in the circus tent the entire festival, and is now performing at Woodford
• Programming is a puzzle where "it still seems a bit out of order and I'm a bit unsure... but it all kind of works"

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

To learn more about the circus programme: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/programme/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Chelsea Mcguffin

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #CircusProgrammer #TrashTestDummies #Astrodinotto #ContemporaryCircus #FestivalLife #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Never play for exposure is a big piece of advice that we've taken... It makes a big difference."

In this episode, Harley sits down with three members of Dizzy Days (Aisling, EJ, and Bridget – with Mikaela absent in Melbourne), Brisbane's disco-dance-pop-band, who came together through unlikely connection: a mysterious Facebook post and an awkward audition.

The band is a unique blend of each member's cultural influence, but the artists have found cosmic chemistry in their unlikely network. The trio shares their stories through the years, and how they've mastered the art of staying in haunted prisons and national park bungalows to keep within tour budget.

They're aware about what it takes to survive as emerging artists: never playing for exposure, making the most of resources provided (airport bikkies), and accepting that being a musician now means being an influencer, whether you like it or not.

This episode is for:

• Emerging bands learning the economics of touring
• Musicians wondering if formal training helps or harms creativity
• Artists navigating the pressure of algorithms

Dive in to hear about how:

• You should accept that random friend request
• Post-COVID crowds have changed
• Playing for exposure doesn't pay rent

To learn more about Dizzy Days: https://www.instagram.com/dizzydaysband/?hl=en

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guests: Dizzy Days (Aisling O'Byrne, Bridgette Dabinet, EJ Carey)

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall, Georgia Shaw

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow, Amelie Barham

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #DizzyDays #AustralianMusic #DIYTouring #EmergingArtists #WoodfordFolkFestival #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"There's something magical here. If you don't believe in magic or serendipity or whatever, you will by the time you leave."

In this episode, Harley sits down with comedian and old friend Jen Wynter, who is a mother of six, a grandmother, and a Woodford veteran since 1998, back when she was throwing mud with hippies.

Jen's story is about trust, timing, and the cosmic connections that so many Woodfordian's have experienced from the festival. From losing her wallet (and getting it back with extra cash) to having her mum's folk music legacy unexpectedly intersect with a stranger's memory, Woodford has given her lifelong memories that defy logic.

Also, Jen shares her incredible story of meeting a British mum in a children's sandbox at Woodford, who just happened to be childhood friends with comedian-musician, Bill Bailey. Fast forward through years of friendship, and a wild leap of faith, now Jen is writing a TV show starring her comedy hero.

This episode is for:

• Comedians navigating improv, standup, and live performance
• Woodfordians with a festival connection story
• Artists wondering if they should pitch their heroes

Dive in to hear about how:

• Improv saved Jen's sanity when she was raising her children
• The kindest heckle she ever received was "improvise!"
• Woodford is the only place you'd lose your wallet and expect it back with more

To learn more about Jen Winter: https://www.jennywynter.com/

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Jenny Winter

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall, Amelie Barham, Georgia Shaw, Eliza Cowan

Video Editing: Amelie Barham

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #JenWynter #JennyWynter #BillBailey #WoodfordFolkFestival #ComedyMagic #Serendipity #HarleyBreen #Woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think the thing that has struck me the most is that if you just trust yourself and do the thing that feels the most honest to you, it always goes better."

In this episode Harley connects with Georgia Mooney, who landed in Brisbane just hours before this conversation after a 60-hour journey from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

She's a solo artist now, but you might know her from All Our Exes Live in Texas, the band that graced Woodford's stages and toured relentlessly for years.

Georgia's story is about transformation, from studying jazz at WAPA (where she encountered the rigid, male-dominated world of jazz school), to finding her voice in a four-piece harmony band, to now stepping out on her own with her debut solo record, Full of Moon and her follow-up on the way.

She's someone who's done the work. The unglamorous reality of being a touring musician, the loneliness of hotel rooms, the immediate consumption of complimentary biscuits, the strange intimacy of band life that's part marriage, part small business, part creative collaboration.

This episode is for:

• Musicians navigating the shift from band to solo work
• Anyone interested in what the reality of touring feels like
• People curious about the Festival of Small Halls
• Artists wondering if formal training helps or hinders finding your voice

Dive in to hear about why:

• Jazz school taught Georgia music theory but she had to unlearn the rules to find her creative voice
• Regional audiences bring something to a performance that city crowds simply can't replicate
• The stage is the one place you absolutely cannot fake it and that might be what saves live performance from AI

To learn more about Georgia: https://www.georgiamooney.com/

To come to the Woodford Folk Festival: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/

To keep up to date with Small Halls Tours: https://festivalofsmallhalls.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Georgia Mooney

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Jack Tindall

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #GeorgiaMooney #FestivalOfSmallHalls #AllOurExesLiveInTexas #AustralianMusic #RegionalTouring #harleybreen #woodfordia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a heads up: There's going to be some chainsaw action, tree-dropping sounds and reversing of a crane thing during this chat. An arborist decided mid-interview was the perfect time for some timber work above our heads. An example of living and working on an ever-evolving site in the middle of a valley.

"Everything we do in a modern society is to pull us away. So we forget how much we're just truly... a piece of the puzzle."

Harley sits down with Joe H. Henry, a Métis musician from Nova Scotia who's returned to Australia for the Festival of Small Halls tour after falling in love with Woodfordia at our last Folk Festival.

Joe's story is steeped in the Red River Valley, where his grandparents walked 260 miles with oxen and Red River carts to settle. He grew up between two worlds – his father's Métis community of fiddle music, trapping, and self-sustaining bush life, and his mother's world of horses. Music isn't just what Joe does; it's "the Henry curse," running through generations of riders, singers, and instrumentalists.

He left home young with just his dog and his guitar, busking outside liquor stores and bars to survive. But that transient lifestyle was embedded in his DNA – the Métis people were always the storytellers, carrying songs and poems from community to community.

The conversation moves between the profound and the practical, from raising five kids (aged 17 to 3) without screens dominating their lives, to the trapping industry keeping remote communities alive, to why we all need to feel our insignificance in nature.

Joe explains why Woodford showed him the consciousness level of all Australians, how technology is changing the valley he once knew, and why he makes music.

This episode is for:

• Anyone who needs reminding that we're magnificently insignificant
• People interested in Indigenous culture, storytelling traditions, and how communities preserve identity
• Parents navigating the wilderness of raising teenagers in the digital age
• Musicians and artists wondering if following their frequency is actually a viable life choice
• 
  

Dive in to hear about why:

• Feeling small in nature might be the most important thing we can do
• Woodford just might be proof of who we all can be in the "real world"
• Sometimes the best parenting advice is "be water" and ALSO know your kid's best friend's parents

Keen to come to Woodford: https://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For more Joe H. Henry: https://joehhenry.com/

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Joe H. Henry

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #JoeHHenry #MetisMusic #FestivalOfSmallHalls #IndigenousStories #metis #canada #novascotia

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I love being surrounded by people that know about all this stuff - soil scientists, regen' people, and learning myself. That's how this place sort of works, isn't it? You get involved. You get pulled in."

Harley sits down with Chris "Shervo' Shervey, Woodford's Site Manager, who oversees 500 acres with a team of five full-time staff and conservation land management trainees. It's a conversation about sustainability, slowing down and the surprising way a metalhead punk rock folky ended up finding purpose in his work at one of Australia's most ambitious environmental projects.

Chris first came to Woodford as a patron in 1997 and returned as a volunteer before bringing his background in construction and bridge building to complement his passion for trees, plants, and regenerative land practices.

He's the guy who can turn visionary dreams into timber, steel, and working infrastructure. His journey mirrors Woodford itself: someone who arrived for the music and stayed for the mission.

This conversation digs into the philosophy behind a 500-year plan, the challenge of being patient when you want to fix everything at once, and why the best infrastructure is the lives on well after you.

This episode is for:

• Anyone curious about what happens at Woodford when the festival isn't on
• People interested in regenerative land management and large-scale sustainability projects
• Folks who wonder how festivals actually work behind the scenes
• Anyone considering volunteering or working at Woodford

Dive in to hear about why:

• A 500-year plan makes more sense than trying to fix everything tomorrow
• The best role isn't always being the visionary - sometimes it's being the person who can find the timber
• Kids building three-story pallet forts with power tools is actually good parenting
• Leaving things better than you found them is part of the essence of Woodfordia

Learn more about what's on this year including hearing Chris on a sustainability panel: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/programme

Jag your tickets here: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/tickets/ 

FOR MORE:

Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guest: Chris Shervey

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Video and audio: Coeur Visual 

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #Sustainability #RegenerativeLand #FestivalLife #SiteManagement #thankyouforyourshervice #shervology 

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Excuse the microphones at the start. Small Malfunctions, appreciate your patience.

"My passion is the environment, and plants and the animals and everything. So each venue (at the children's festival) has a different feel to it, and I place artists in the space that match that feel."

In this episode, Harley sits down with Becky Wandell, who's been running the Children's Festival (now Tin Lids) for 34 years, and Kate Day, a storyteller who first performed at the festival when she was 19 and is returning this year.

Becky's journey started in the Burnett River Folk Club in Bundaberg in the 1980s, where she and a group of friends created a space for people who didn't quite fit anywhere else. That germ of an idea grew through the magical mystery tours and folk festivals, eventually becoming what we now know as Woodford Folk Festival.

She's been there since the very beginning, working from the bottom up literally cleaning toilets at Maleny before helping to shape what the Children's Festival has become.

Kate represents everything the festival nurtures. A theatre student with dreams of changing the world through art, she walked into Woodford as a young performer and found a community that believed in her storytelling when she didn't yet believe in herself. Now, she's a public servant and teacher who return to remember she's an artist at heart.

The conversation gets beautifully personal about mentorship, legacy, and what it means to see potential in people before they see it in themselves. Harley and Becky reflect on the importance of people who sit behind the scenes, the facilitators who recognise talent and create the conditions for it to flourish. They explore the structure of the eight-venue children's program, the magic of creating spaces where kids feel genuinely respected, and why Professor Wallace's return to do Punch and Judy is such a big deal.

This episode is for:

• Anyone curious about what goes on in the Children's Festival and why it's unlike anything
• People interested in mentorship, legacy, and how communities nurture artists
• Parents wondering if Woodford is for families
• Performers considering getting involved in kids entertainment

Dive in to hear about why:

• The Children's Festival is structured chaos, eight venues all with different feels, each place strategically curated
• Sometimes the best moments happen when someone believes in you before you believe in yourself
• Kids are brutally honest critics who can smell inauthenticity from a mile away

Keen to bring your kids to Woodford—https://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

Learn more about Tin Lids Kids: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/programme?genres=TinLids

FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

CREDITS:

Host: Harley Breen

Guests: Becky Wandell & Kate Day

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jamieson

Video Editing: Nicholas Haddow

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

Recorded on Jinibara Country

#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #TinLids #ChildrensFestival #FestivalLife

Join the Woodfordian Citizens:

Perks -

- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.

- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.

- Bonus podcast content

- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets

- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk Festival

Visit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizen

More information at www.woodfordia.org

For the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

For Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/

Credits:

Host: Harley Breen

Producer: Benny Wallington

Executive Producers: Cameron Scurrah & Bree Hickson-Jameison

Audio mastering: Kieron Atkinson

Music by: The East Pointers

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