The Big Chill interview - Katrina Larkin

United Kingdom | | 20 February 2008

Opting out of the annual festival race as to who can pull the biggest headliners, Katrina has built up The Big Chill’s reputation by following her own instincts, and booking the acts that she enjoys. Since its humble beginning in Islington’s Union Chapel as a Sunday all-dayer, The Big Chill has since grown to a 35,000 capacity event at Herefordshire’s tranquil Eastnor Castle. Yet through word of mouth, the festival has stuck to its roots, managing to retain its intimacy and ambience.

Truly unique, The Big Chill offers a mixed bag of musical variety, comedy, dance, film, art and workshops, while its open minded approach to music, visuals, art and life in general is reflected in the festival’s community spirit. This year, the event is further expanding its artistic horizons, forming partnerships with four prestigious creative media companies, making way for even more additions to the site.

We caught up with Katrina, to talk organic egg and spoon races, and what’s in store for the magical lands at 2008’s bash.

Virtual Festivals: I don't mean to jinx this year’s Big Chill Festival, but why is it always sunny?
Katrina Larkin: “You know what, I won't answer that! I don't know why, I don't like to talk about it. When it was sunny last year, I was walking around just looking at the blue sky and pointing my finger. I just couldn't believe it, I thought I must be doing something right. I was very very chuffed, especially after the weather throughout the rest of summer.”

VF: Obviously when you started the festival, it was on a smaller level, did you ever think it would get to the size and scope it's become?
KL: “Not at all, there wasn’t even a plan to. We’ve always just enjoyed doing what we’re doing. Looking back, building a festival of 500 people was quite incredible and I was just a lucky girl to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve met so many fantastic people, the characters that helped out on that first one were just so helpful. Then you do one event, you really like it, you learn a little bit, then you do the next one, and it’s been going ever since. Sometimes I think maybe I should give it a break, but what else can I do?”

VF: Which year did you think ‘i’m past the point of no return here, i’ve got to keep doing this?’
KL: “Probably at Lulworth Castle which would have been 2001. My mate elbowed me and said “you did that!” and I just suddenly looked at all these crowds jumping up and down, and thought oh my gosh! I love what I do, I couldn’t imagine any other role in life where I get to meet so many different people. It’s like being a Jack of all trades running a festival, it’s just wonderful. I really love building it. I feel very jealous on the weekend just seeing so many people having such a good time. If i could put a wig on and sit out for 24 hours, I would love it.”

VF: Does it feel like work when you’re actually there?
KL: “Yes and no, in that it’s the best job in the world. You’re having a real laugh and if the sun is shining, it’s an added bonus. It’s fantastic to watch so many people enjoying everything you’ve done, but it seems to go so quickly. Suddenly it’s the event again, and it feels like no time since the year previous, and then it’s gone. I’m planning everything at the moment,  such as our new partnerships, which include the ICA, Roundhouse and BFI. This year, there are more people inputting to the creative side of The Big Chill than ever before. It’s incredible, it’s just rolling along on it’s own!”

VF: Are there any of those partnerships that you’re particularly excited about?
KL: “It’s an absolute honour to be working with the ICA. To have another creative organisation working alongside our own, and adding in their own ideas, is fantastic! When I was a kid my dad used to take me to the Roundhouse, so that’s a very personal one. I remember arriving the first time, seeing this big round theatre, and just thinking it was magical with all the lights. I’ve always had this really emotional attachment to that building and so I really wanted to work with them. It was like coming full circle back to your roots."

VF: And then there's the BFI..
KL: "The BFI is absolutely brilliant for us. They are going to be choosing films for our outdoor movie screen in the village green field. It’s not just our festival, never has been, and it’s great to share it with others. People always contribute from the chilling stations that we run, that’s where snail racing was born! There are already people submitting ideas for this year.”

VF: Can you reveal any good ideas for this year?
KL: “The organic egg and spoon race made me chuckle! We’re also doing a Victorian fair, where we’re also going to be doing drawing classes and pottery work shops. It’s developing into a large space. There’s a lot going on in the heart of the festival and sometimes you just want to step out, so it’s going to be like a little festival on the side of a bigger festival.”

VF: You’ve released a few acts and two of the highest profile ones are comedy acts; The Mighty Boosh and Bill Bailey. Was that deliberately done to highlight the comedy side of things?
KL: “Victoria and I are both mad fans of The Mighty Boosh, and have been for years, and I think if they hadn’t said yes, we would probably have started stalking them. We’ve seen some of their live shows and thought they absolutely summed up The Big Chill; You don’t know what you’re going to expect, but you know that you’re going to have a really good time. We felt that if we could persuade The Mighty Boosh to come down it would just be great. They're really good as a first name. Other festivals are tending to announce all these big music line ups, but we didn’t want to do that, we wanted to say a little few things that gave a flavour of the festival, and The Mighty Boosh really do give a flavour of the festival. They’re playing exclusively for us, which is brilliant, and we hope it will be an ongoing relationship with them. We’re also fans of Bill Bailey and he said yes, so that’s great!”

VF: You’ve always been keen to shy away from the idea of headliners, is that still the case?
KL: “Yes, we like to choose music that we like and enjoy, and that’s not to say how many records that person has sold. We have about 8 stages throughout the festival, there is folk, there is world music, there is dance music, there is drum ‘n’ bass. We don’t want to be so led by the bigger names, we want to concentrate on developing the whole site. New areas have been added for this year and it’s actually like a mini magical land that we’re building. We could get rid of the magical land and maybe just put one big stage in the middle and have lots of main acts, but we don’t. I’m not saying that we won’t, but if we do it will be because that person wants to play at The Big Chill and we’d really like them to play at The Big Chill.”

VF: Last year featured The Guillemots and The Go! Team, and i wondered if that was the start of a trend to introduce more popular acts or if they were just two that you liked?
KL: “I went to Glastonbury and saw The Go! Team live and thought they were absolutely fantastic, so I nagged the programming team to book them. It’s a very personal thing sometimes but you also have to work out if they'll fit in with the festival and both of those did.”

VF: It’s a bit of a family thing isn't it? You’ve got a lot of the same acts coming back year after year, and there’s a big collective feel to it.
KL: “Yes there is. The festival came out of a birthday party 14 years ago for one of my best mates. That was the first Big Chill. We collected all the names and addresses of everybody who came and we mailed them, to invite them to the next event. We still have a huge database of everybody who comes and they’re always the first people to know of any line up announcements or anything that’s going on.”

VF: So what makes people come back?
KL: "There are a lot of festivals out there now and they’ve chosen to come to ours, so we want to make sure they get hot showers in the morning, that there are enough loos, and that the food choice is good, that you really would want to eat everything there. If you’re not feeling like dancing, you can go and find some chilled spaces to go to. It's the variety I think.”

VF: Who have been your favourite acts over the years?
KL: “When Isaac Hayes played last year, that was pretty special. I’m definitely a big fan of Kruder and Dorfmeister, and the last few DJ sets have been absolutely magical, especially in the club tent in the enchanted garden. There’s been so many. Norman Jay is perfect for us, it’s a moment when everybody comes together.”

VF: For somebody that hasn’t been to The Big Chill, how would you explain it?
KL: “Firstly, the music is really important at the festival. It’s a chance for everybody to get out into a really beautiful field, it’s Eastnor Castle, it’s a deer park, it’s got lakes, it’s got woodland. We have a huge decor team, unlike many other festivals, to come in and make it as magical as possible. So much planning goes into it. It’s also about having a lot of fun and enjoying life, having a celebration, getting out and being looked after. It’s like we’re throwing a party for people. People come in really big groups as well, it’s just brilliant. We never intended it to get bigger, but people told friends, and I prefer it now than ever before. The site’s fantastic, and it gives us a lot of chance to play around, add new things, create intimate spaces and try new things. It’s just absolutely brilliant for us at the moment.”

VF: Pete (former partner and founder) recently announced that he was leaving to pursue other interests. I imagine that’s made a few long term plans wobble a bit. Is the future of the festival in jeopardy?
KL: “No it’s not. It’s never been Pete and I doing it all on our own, and nor am I doing it all on my own now. There are more people involved than ever before.”

VF: There are lots of other festivals on the scene now following a similar model to The Big Chill. Does that put pressure on you and do you worry about that?
KL: “I worry for how much the festival market can support. I worry about people starting festivals who have got the idea that it’s really easy, because it’s not. It takes a lot of work and you have to passionately love what you do. Latitude have come along, they’re doing their own thing. Quite a few people came back and i was asking what it was like, and it didn’t sound very much like The Big Chill, it’s doing its own thing. Then there's Bestival but we’re on the beginning of August and they're six weeks later. There’s room for both of us and we’re both doing something unique. I’m not worried, people are buying our tickets. I’m more worried that every year we can deliver, that all the energy and enthusiasm we have in us at the moment, and passion for what we do, doesn’t fade because we love it a lot. That’s the day i’ll start worrying.”

VF: Do you think the festival market in itself is in any danger of imploding at all, or do you think people’s hunger for festivals is as much there as it has been over the last five years?
KL: "I think that the hunger for festivals is still there. I’m just worried about how many more festivals are going to start up. We’ll have to see what happens this summer."

VF: What other festivals are you interested in? Are you going to any this summer?
KL: "Last year i went to Glastonbury, which I hadn’t been to in years, I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I go to all different kinds of festivals, but it’s too early to say for this year, I haven’t decided yet."

VF: Last year you had your first ever festival in Goa. Happening again?
KL: "Hopefully it will be happening later this year. But it’s difficult, we’re based here, and it’s a very different set up. You never know, but we’d like to."

The Big Chill 2008 takes place at Eastnor Park, Herefordshire, from 1-3 August.

Thanks to Louise Humphrey