What happens when Australia's biggest music and arts festival becomes home to a community of dreamers, builders, and storytellers?
Join comedian Harley Breen as he uncovers the wild stories behind the biggest festival you just might never have heard of. Broadcasting live from Woodfordia: A 500-acre regenerated dairy farm on Jinibara Country that's hosted the Festival for the past 30 years.
Expect cracking yarns from the visionaries who built this cultural phenomenon from humble Maleny beginnings, plus the artists whose careers launched from this hidden Queensland valley, just an hour from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
There are familiar faces and unsung heroes who come together to produce something many have experienced as a rite of passage. Like everything at Woodfordia, from the 136,000 trees planted, to our chai tent (one of the first places to serve chai in Australia), this podcast is unfolding, growing, expanding the Woodfordia Universe to invite more of us in.
Many arrive at all ages of life and say 'I've finally found my people'.
This is an invitation into the lives of our people who might just become yours too.
To learn more visits www.woodfordia.org or www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What happens when Australia's biggest music and arts festival becomes home to a community of dreamers, builders, and storytellers?
Join comedian Harley Breen as he uncovers the wild stories behind the biggest festival you just might never have heard of. Broadcasting live from Woodfordia: A 500-acre regenerated dairy farm on Jinibara Country that's hosted the Festival for the past 30 years.
Expect cracking yarns from the visionaries who built this cultural phenomenon from humble Maleny beginnings, plus the artists whose careers launched from this hidden Queensland valley, just an hour from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
There are familiar faces and unsung heroes who come together to produce something many have experienced as a rite of passage. Like everything at Woodfordia, from the 136,000 trees planted, to our chai tent (one of the first places to serve chai in Australia), this podcast is unfolding, growing, expanding the Woodfordia Universe to invite more of us in.
Many arrive at all ages of life and say 'I've finally found my people'.
This is an invitation into the lives of our people who might just become yours too.
To learn more visits www.woodfordia.org or www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"It's not their dream to be a touring musician because they're working hard on their farm, but there's so much soul and heart in their music and those stories are incredible."
In this episode, Harley sits down with Izzy Bartlett, the producer of Festival of Small Halls, Woodfordia's regional touring project bringing world-class artists to some of Australia's most remote communities.
Izzy's first Woodford was in her mum's belly, so she's a genuine Woodford baby, one of many who grew up in the Chai Tent, made lifelong friendships, and eventually found her way into making Woodford's magic happen behind the scenes.
From her family's connection to the Toowoomba orchestra to having a hand in the producing of 47 touring shows across 13 years of regional Australia, Izzy's work is about far more than just bringing acts on the road. It's about access, community resilience, and the radical idea that people in towns of 500 or 5,000 deserve world-class art just as much as city dwellers.
The conversation gets real about funding, regional touring costs, and why government support for arts isn't a luxury—it's essential infrastructure. They discuss the power of small venues, intimate performances with under 10 people, and how a show in a flooded community becomes about collective healing.
Plus, Harley and Izzy get unexpectedly philosophical about craft. Who would have thought?
This episode is for:
Dive in to hear about why:
Keen to bring your kids to Woodford to maybe meet their new best friends who might become friends forever - https://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
Keep up to date with Festival of Small Halls here: https://festivalofsmallhalls.com/
FOR MORE:
Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/
CREDITS:
Host: Harley Breen
Guest: Izzy Bartlett
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 Jinabara Country
#RadioWoodfordia #WoodfordFolkFestival #FestivalOfSmallHalls #RegionalTourning #IzzyBartlett #CommunityArts #AustralianCulture #RegionalAccess #WoodfordBaby #ArtsAccessibility #RegionalAustralia #CommunityResilience #CraftMatters #HarleyBreen #WoodfordProgram
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.