Charlotte Church’s Utopia
Swapping the mic for the clipboard, Charlotte Church has curated the final night at this year’s Festival Of Voice. Charlie Cottrell asks her all about Utopia.
Charlotte Church is enjoying herself. Touring with her Late Night Pop Dungeon brought her to the stage in the guise of a genre-spanning cover band. Now filming documentaries and recently married, Church is evidently comfortable and happy. Her latest project – curating her own night for Cardiff’s Festival Of Voice – sees her bringing unparalleled diversity to the capital.
What’s Utopia going to be about and how the night is going to take shape?
I’m curating an evening of delights, all centred around the voice. There’s Fatoumata Diawara, a Malian singer [pictured below], and a guy called La Gateau Chocolat, who’s a drag artist. We also have Joanna Lee [one part of iamamiwhoami] as well. So I’ve booked a lot of stuff I really want to see! We’ll have DJs and party into the night, and I’m going to sing a bit as well.
Do you think it sends a positive message, having such female-oriented diversity within the festival?
I think we’re in dire need of some connection and some understanding, but also joy. I think that women – not exclusively, I do think there are many men who do this as well – but I think women have that real sort of healing vibe, and I just think that audience members need it currently, what with our world being how it is.
Having spent so much time on the stage, how is it being behind the scenes as a curator?
This is my first time doing it. When I’m organising things, I’m always trying to scale down my vision into something affordable! I’m going to get some set-pieces from Welsh National Opera. They let me go into their storeroom, which is amazing, and let me pick out pieces and have a little play. But it’s alright – we’ll keep it nice and tidy.
You were in the limelight from a young age. Have you seen positive changes in how women are perceived by the media? Or is there still a lot of work to be done in that area?
Well, the traditional media as we knew it before is not so much of a power any more. What’s happening on the internet with social media is what’s difficult. In some ways, people are becoming more open and understanding, trying to be a bit gentler and a bit kinder to each other. But then you’ve got this other extreme with things like the alt-right rising up. It’s a double edged sword really. I gave up my smartphone about two or three months ago. It’s really helping. I think I was pretty addicted.
For those young people who are disenfranchised with social media. What kind of advice would you give them?
I think the best thing to do is to go out and socialise in real life. Go to gigs! Absolutely go to gigs. It’s such an aesthetic experience, where you are fully present and actually in the moment. I think arts and music is absolutely essential.
You said you were going to perform on the peripheries of the show at Festival of Voice. Are you going to be go back out there and record a new album?
I’ve always just followed my nose in my career. But I think I’ve been stuck in a little bubble of fear for a while. After turning 30, I was just like, ‘oh my god, who am I? What am I doing?’ And so it’s just taken me a little bit of time to build myself back up, bat away that fear, and just express and create. So yeah, I’m working on an album currently, and it’ll be my first album in about 10 years! It’s exciting. I just want to help heal people, really. That’s what I want.
Charlotte Church: Utopia is part of the Festival of Voice
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 16 June. Tickets: £20. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.festivalofvoice.wales