It was Phil Ochs who famously sang about "Changes" but, at least as far as the 14th Annual Ottawa Folk Festival is concerned, it's Tamara Kater who has made them a reality.
Kater is the new face behind the Fest, which opens this Thursday, August 16 and runs 'til Sunday the 19th. She's the National Arts Centre trained executive director looking to inject some pep in a festival that, while still successful, has been suffering from such depleted vital signs as over-familiarity, political rancor and audience stagnation.
So, what's Tamara's prescription?
Firstly, she has cemented the Festival's relationship with longtime artistic director Chris White, the well-connected, much-loved man behind the acts. Hitherto, White had only been servicing the Fest on a part time basis; now, he's free to devote every waking second to the procurement of both name and up and coming artists.
Chris has wasted no time, by the way, in stitching together an impressive tapestry of diverse performers, from headliner Kris Kristofferson to folk diva du jour Oh Susanna - with plenty of interesting obscuria, as always, weaved in here and there.
Kristofferson, in fact, unlike headliners past, will be around for the duration of the Fest, performing his own set on Friday, Aug. 17 and participating in song circles, workshops and an all-star salute to Woody Guthrie on Saturday, Aug. 18.
In addition to prioritizing the line-up, Kater has helped to establish a stronger relationship between the front office and the board of directors, an age-old tug of war that has proven exhausting for both parties. The results of the change are already measurable; an uncluttered singularity of vision radiates from every aspect of life behind the scenes, from the Festival website to the spanking new appearance of the flagship offices.
Even the site venue, ever scenic Britannia Park, has undergone visible changes: a realignment of architectural mainstays - from the performer check-in to the food court.- as well as the welcome addition of an outdoor dance floor (if you think folk is just music to sip coffee to, you haven't been to a festival yet.)
Lastly, there is that dreaded bugaboo every Festival is suffering from: lack of youth. How do you to convince the coming generation that acoustic guitars, penny whistles and mouth organs are as stimulating as Facebook, MSN and YouTube? By placing a premium on the procurement of younger volunteers, says the Fest, and increasing the effort to show them a good time, through such tantalizing perks as a closer relationship with the artists and a kick-ass, post-Fest volunteer party.
All in all, whether you're a regular goer, a newbie, or an eager volunteer, the 14th Annual Ottawa Folk Festival is offering up some attention-deserving changes.
