IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
For Boomtown Fair head of production Lana Elsworthy, joining the team at the festival was something of a homecoming – it was the first festival she attended and the impression it left went beyond mere memories. Here, she outlines her career path and flags the key people and moments along the way.
What was the first major live event that you attended, and did it have a lasting impact? I grew up on the coast of South West Wales, a beautiful place, though not exactly a hub for major live events. My family didn’ t really have the means for travel or big ticketed shows, so those experiences came later on for me. Early on, my memories are of Brecon Jazz Festival, agricultural shows, Celtic Blue Rock, and the odd hippy free party as a teenager. So, funnily enough, the first ' proper ' festival I ever went to was Boomtown in 2011, and it had a huge impact on me. Back then it was a fraction of the size it is now, but already this bizarre, beautiful, immersive world. After that I went back every year, and at 18 even ended up with a very questionable drunk tattoo on my shoulder that said BOOM Town. Luke, my director, still doesn’ t know about it( although he’ d probably love it if he did). It’ s been lasered off now, to the disappointment of my friends who thought it was hilarious, particularly when I started working at Boomtown.
What led to your first role in festival production? Like a lot of us I started out volunteering whenever I had spare time. Then I moved into small coordination roles, working with amazing crews and saying yes to everything. Freelancing different roles gave me the chance to figure out what I wanted to do, learn on the job and build relationships. I moved to London and then I was offered a full-time production role, which I ended up choosing over an artist liaison manager offer from a major London club. I knew greenfield production was where I wanted to be, so despite the lower salary it was the right choice. I do sometimes think about how different my life would be if I’ d taken the other route.
Who or what has played the biggest part in supporting your career progression or inspiring you? Rebecca Fitzgerald, creative production manager at Team Love, was one of the first people in production to really look out for me, so she’ s always the first person I think
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