Fiona Stewart, the Managing Director and owner of Green Man festival, speaks with Luke Owain Boult about challenges in the festival industry and what to expect from this year’s festival.
What can we expect from Green Man this year?
I’m really excited about James Blake, Belle and Sebastian and Warpaint – all talented, amazing acts and their performances on the Mountain Stage, with the dramatic backdrop of the Black Mountains, will be magical. Music is at the heart of the Green Man but the arts and other content have become so extensive that there is something for everyone.
Green Man is located in a truly beautiful place. During the day the varied music stages, science, talks, theatre, yoga, holistic therapies and family fun create a really special vibe. After dark this moves to a more hedonistic place; the bonfire is lit, music is played well into the morning and late night bars, secret performances and arts installations come to life.
How do you find working in a predominantly male dominated industry?
The majority of the time I am not aware of any problems, but in the past I have experienced issues relating to perception and communication. The music industry is a very social work space where relationships matter greatly. Where some men are used to an all-male environment, and have never done a deal with a woman, their normal cues for moving the conversation along may inappropriate and often make discussions a little clunky. You can get over that, and the more it is done the less likely that the barrier will exist. For most of my life I have been the only woman in the room, and that has changed over the years but it’s still very much a male industry particularly in senior roles. I am the only woman in the UK to have controlling ownership of a national festival, and it’s a bit absurd that in 2016 this is still the case!
You are the only woman to have won the Award for Outstanding Achievement to UK Festivals, and to be a Board Member of the prestigious Concert Promoters Association. How does that make you feel?
I was very grateful to be given the Outstanding Achievement Award. To be included with the likes of John Peel, Peter Gabriel and Michael Eavis is a massive honour. Right up to the point where I was given the award I kept feeling that someone was about to tap me on the shoulder and say ‘Fi, don’t be daft, of course it’s a mistake!’ The Concert Promoters Association was started in 1986 to lead the live events industry in lobbying for better outcomes. The other board members come from more traditional music industry backgrounds, and we are also all in competition with each other. But we have common issues which are better presented in unison. When I first joined the board there was a massive reaction in the music press. That soon settled which was good because it normalised it, and I am sure other women will join the board in the future.
Green Man was highlighted by Oxford Economics as part of the Music Tourism Report for UK Music as ‘driving music tourism across the UK,’ and a major contributor to the £95 million generated in Wales though music tourism. How do you feel about Green Man being such a large part of the Welsh economy?
Green Man is proudly Welsh so it’s great to hear that it adds to the economy. Part of our ethos is to try and bring in businesses opportunities where we can, without detracting from the enjoyment of the festival experience. The Settler’s Pass is a subsidised ticket which extends the festival site into a Welsh holiday. Over 1,000 people are employed at the festival and many more are employed by external businesses to deal with the influx of visitors, or to produce the extra supplies, goods and equipment the festival requires and festival attendees purchase. It is the associated promotion of Wales through the brand which raises awareness, and interest in visitors.
Green Man Festival, Thu 18 Aug-Sun 21 Aug. Tickets: £60-£175