Port Fairy Folk loses Founder/Director
Jamie McKew, founder and Director of the Port Fairy Folk Music Festival on the Victorian coast, has announced he is retiring. The 40th festival in March will be the swansong for the 66 year old.
He has served as a President, Programmer or Director for 38 of the festival’s chapters. In between, he puts in 20 hours a week at his “other” job as a doctor in Geelong.
President of the festival committee, Bruce Leishman, said, “Jamie’s passion for the event will not be surpassed and, in all his years, every festival has been sold out which is testament to his skill and knowledge of the music industry.
“The reputation of the festival has been built upon by Jamie’s enthusiasm and creativity. Many artists have been given a chance by Jamie to perform at the festival. I would hate to think of the number of acts, artists, performers that have graced Jamie’s laptop.”
Under McKew, the festival grew from 400 patrons attending the inaugural event in 1977 to a globally recognised that draws 15,000 artists, volunteers and patrons a year to 500 programmed events.
During that time, it moved from Australian folk and traditional Irish to a wider blues, roots and world styles, boasting some legendary sets by the likes of Paul Kelly, Weddings Parties Anything and this year’s headliner Sinead O’Connor. It also helped raise the profile of indigenous artists, particularly the team of Archie Roach and the late Ruby Hunter.
Once describing the festival’s evolution, McKew said, “We were once a tiny event focused on local Australian folk music. Now we are recognised worldwide as one of the big internationally known folk and roots festivals with a broad program and in a unique location. Agents and acts from around the globe track us down and know that it’s a sought-after gig on the late-summer festival circuit out here.”
McKew will relinquish the role in June, and remain in a mentoring role for the 2017 incoming festival Director.
The position will be advertised from this weekend to December 11. Interviews will be held in early January with the position expected to be filled by the end of the month.
Next year’s event is staged March 11 to 14. Artists announced so far are Steve Earle & The Dukes, Archie Roach, Ash Grunwald, Colin Hay, Eric Bogle, Luke Bloom, Steve Poltz, Katie Noonan’s Vanguard, John McCutcheon, Kate Miller-Heidke, Robert Forster, Nicky Bomba’s Bustamento, Raised By Eagles, Roison O, Tinpan Orange and Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha.
It also marks the farewell of Ireland’s Mary Black who is retiring, and the 50th anniversary of the Bushwackers.
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