Timber Festival takes place this July, so we donned our warmest woollies and caught up with Creative Director Rowan Cannon to see how planning is going
Morning Rowan, tell us a little about Timber
Timber Festival began back in 2018 with a partnership between Wild Rumpus CIC (the non-profit arts organisation who produce the festival) and The National Forest Company. The aim was to connect people with the local landscape, once scarred by years of open cast mining, but now a thriving newly planted forest! Timber is a weekend-long festival, which encourages those who visit to rethink their relationship with nature, and to unplug and recharge under the trees. This year’s festival will be so special, we’re already looking forward to July!
We see that your ‘office’ isn’t your normal 9–5 set-up
Ha, yes, the Wild Rumpus team work from a beautiful woodland workspace where our connection with nature is quite literally at our fingertips, influencing every planning meeting and programme decision. As an organisation, we’ve grown and developed in surprising and interesting directions, with each team member shaping the festival in their own unique way, from the recycling stations to the Saturday headliner. The event is curated by people who care deeply about each element, and that shines through.
Wow, your passion really shines through
Oh, I hope so. One of the things we’re most proud of is ensuring we work in a sustainable way, we’re passionate about positively influencing our supply chains to offer greener options themselves. Everything that comes onto the festival site first has to get past Aileen Ging, our Sustainability Lead, from the power we use, to waste management and toilets. And it doesn’t stop once we wave off our final festival goers. In fact, last year’s solid waste from the composting loos travelled just 14 miles and is almost ready to be used to nourish local soil!
After an eventful few years, how has Timber evolved?
Timber had a joyous origin, and we really celebrated trees and nature during the first two years. However, post-covid, the community that comes together at the event feels so much more connected, more urgent and more caring. I really believe that the festival goes beyond celebrating the National Forest and our connection to nature – it explores how we interact with the world and each other. It really is a place where, through music, art, circus, workshops and wonder, we can start to imagine a hopeful new world.
That’s powerful – what sort of impact do you think the event has on its festival goers?
Timber is all about hope. Looking joyfully to nature, trees and forests while exploring what a regenerative future might look like. This, for us, is the source of all passion, from seeing families enjoy time together in the outdoors to facilitating breathtaking outdoor theatre performance, and encouraging festival goers to dance, craft, eat and experience the restorative power of nature.
Tell us a fun fact about the festival
It takes place on an old coal mine! Walking the Feanedock site is testament to the power of nature and how it can regenerate and grow in the most unexpected of places. Over the past 30 years, more than eight and a half million trees have been planted throughout the 200 square miles of the National Forest – now, if that’s not a story worth sharing, we’re not sure what is!
And what puts the biggest smile on your face after all the hard work over a year?
We work hard to create a weekend that welcomes, inspires and enthralls those who call Timber their festival home, so the greatest thrill comes from seeing hundreds of people leave the festival feeling energised and restored, and ready to take on the world!
Timber Festival takes place 5–7 July 2024 at Feanedock, The National Forest. For more info and to buy tickets, visit timberfestival.org.uk or follow on Instagram: @timberfestival.
“Timber encourages those who visit to rethink their relationship with nature, and to unplug and recharge under the trees”
