Interview: Susannah Stevenson of Canterbury Festival

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Hi Susannah, what was your first exposure to festivals (or live performance)?

It’s hard to know, really, because I was very lucky and was taken to concerts from a young age because my parents wanted to go, and I was too young to be left at home with my brothers. I remember I was allowed to have a packet of Chewits in the interval of the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra’s concerts in the Central Theatre in Chatham in exchange for being well-behaved - and that bribery led to me begging to learn the violin, becoming the leader of the Medway Youth Orchestra and eventually playing in Berlin.

But it wasn’t all classical music: I also did lots of ballroom dancing too and my teenage years took me to the Reading Festival on repeat. One gig that’ll always stay with me was Muse playing there in 2006; just thinking of it makes me hit play on Black Holes and Revelations.

If you were planning a sunny Sunday in Canterbury (your own mini-festival!) what would be on the itinerary?

I have young children, so we’d be up and out early for a bike ride around Blean Woods, head into town for a croissant at Café St Pierre and a noodle round The Beaney, before heading home with a fresh haul of library books in time for the necessary naps.

But if it were a Sunday during the Canterbury Festival (e.g. 26th Oct), we’d be off to see Hugh Bonneville talking about the magic of children’s stories in the morning and then heading to scrawl all over the floor of the Westgate Hall, making a giant Matisse-inspired drawing for The Big Draw.

You’ve now been the Canterbury Festival’s Festival Director for a year; what has been the biggest learning so far?

There is an incredible number of passionate people making brilliant things happen, both here in Canterbury and in Kent, so there’s a wealth of opportunities to connect and work more with them. I’ve been really enjoying meeting not just the local cultural groups but also a wealth of business owners and active volunteers who all care deeply about seeing and supporting their community come alive with culture.

For example, when I was growing up in Medway 25+ years ago, there was barely anything going o,n and now there are loads of new venues and initiatives making it a vibrant place. And this was a real inspiration behind founding our “Made In Kent” strand in the Canterbury Festival programme, which shines a spotlight on homegrown artists and local histories.

What’s your philosophy and process like for forging artistic partnerships (regional, national, or international)?

Be curious about what people are doing and view any overlaps between you as golden opportunities. I love working in partnership with other artists and organisations because you get the benefit of having twice the passion and expertise, with the added bonus of sharing costs.

Plus, working in the cultural sector, it’s literally impossible for any one person to know everything about what is new or exciting, so be generous with your own recommendations and hungry for others’.

What is inspiring you in the UK (or Kent) culture scene right now?

I was lucky enough to go to Edinburgh over the summer, where I saw a frenzy of different things, from circus to brand-new plays, beautiful classical music to dance for children, not to mention comedy that leaves you whimpering.

Later this week, I’m going to see OHIO at the Young Vic, one of those word-of-mouth shows of the Fringe that have been blowing audiences away. It’s hard being an artist these days, with everyone struggling with costs and funding, yet here they all are, making a feast of great work. And that’s truly inspirational.

Learn more about Canterbury Festival here.

Follow Susannah on Instagram here.