Give the current economic climate, and the fact that employment figures lag behind those in the South of England even at the best of times, the North West has recently seen the numbers of homeless people in the area sky rocket. The timely arrival of Hope Fest, a 3 day charity music festival aimed at providing the basics of living for people who have no homes, takes the novel approach of having punters bring the items themselves rather than entrance money in order to access a venue or obtain a wristband. Working with a number of local organisations, such as The Whitechapel Centre, The Big Issue in the North and The Basement Advisory Centre, the donated items are distributed to those most in need. The festival, which only started last year, has already carved its place into the bedrock of the Liverpool live music scene. I asked Anna Grace Henney a few questions in the lead up to the festival, which takes place on 18 – 20th September 2015.
1. How long have you been part of Hope Fest?
I am the founder and director of Hope Fest and we are just over a year old. The first event took place in March 2014 and it has grown very quickly from a two venue/two day event to a huge 15 venue event spanning three days! Very exciting!
2. The festival features some excellent local bands. Has there been a lot of interest from bands wanting to play at Hope Fest 2015?
Yes we have been absolutely inundated with submissions so far this year! Literally hundreds of bands, local and national, have asked to play. There are around 190 slots available so there is great opportunity for many of them to be successful... we have only announced a small amount of acts so far, so if you haven't been confirmed yet, don't worry there are lots of spaces left.
3. An immense amount of work obviously goes into pulling the festival together. What volunteering opportunities are available, and how can people become involved?
You're right it is incredibly hard work, very stressful but also really exciting and rewarding helping people in need. This year we are running training programmes and offering work experience for people affected by homelessness, who will have a major role in staffing the festival. However we are also looking for volunteers from all walks of life. From stage management to admin to promotion. If you might be interested please contact via our website, Facebook page or email me directly on annagracehenney@gmail.com
4. Was the idea for Hope Fest influenced by any other festivals of a similar nature, or is its form unique? Have there been any copy-cat festivals springing up using the same idea?
The idea of Hope Fest just occurred to me one evening last year as I was volunteering with a homeless organisation at the time, and as I am a singer songwriter with lots of musical contacts, I realised there was an opportunity to tie the two together. There have been similar events popping up, and I think that's great. The more help the homeless get, the better! We are expanding to other cities next year and will be spreading the word even further, although Liverpool will always be our HQ.
5. I'm looking forward to seeing bands like Go Fiasco, The Jackobins, Steve Thompson and the Incidents and the Mono LPs, to name but a few. Have you any other top tips for must-see bands at Hope Fest?
All of the bands playing the festival are fantastic and I am really honoured that they want to support the festival. Some of the local talent we have in Liverpool is phenomenal! Off the top of my head, I really excited to see Black Seasons play, as well as Xander and the Peace Pirates, Western Promise, Beatnik Hurricane and Manchester boys Alias Kid who are Alan McGee's new protégés. I couldn't possibly name all of the bands I'm excited for, as it would take me all day. There are still lots of bands still to be announced though, including some exciting headliners... but you will have to wait for those!