Amidst the spectacle of soaring surpluses, Tamara Kater, the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s new executive director, has promised a return to what made Folk Fest one of the top three in North America.

“I want to return to the grassroots, community feeling and energy that gave rise to the Winnipeg Folk Festival,” Kater said, while refusing to criticize her predecessor’s policies.

Many will remember the criticism last year’s festival garnered thanks to the corporate logos prominently displayed on the main stage and throughout the festival.

“There was criticism from one of the performers regarding one logo. Based upon our experience last year, we will be more thoughtful about placement of logos but we still depend upon partnerships with our sponsors – many of our partners are not corporations. We are mindful of the sensibilities of the performers and the audience in terms of the visibility of our partners.”

Kater realizes Folk Fest has grown into one of North America’s premier folk festival events, and must be managed as such; she wants to merge the big with the small, or “get people through the front door while remembering to say ‘Hi!’ to them when they enter.”

Finding balances between competing interests is Kater’s strength.

She comes to the Winnipeg Folk Festival from two years at the helm of the Ottawa Folk Festival, a position she obtained without any prior experience with folk festivals other than as an avid fan. Prior to that, she had worked with the National Arts Centre. This, combined with her gumption and chutzpah, got her the Winnipeg Folk Fest job.

Kater’s interesting childhood has affected her approach to the festival.

Her mother was a community activist who headed up a group to establish a day-care centre in those days when day-care centres weren’t fashionable.

This socialist bent was passed on to Kater, who worked in soup kitchens as well as arts organizations and theatre groups.

Her father was an instrument builder.

“He believed that in order to build an instrument for someone, he had to get to know the performer on a personal level,” Kater said.

Thus, Kater grew up with musicians frequently staying with her family while their instruments were built.

“During warm days, my father would bring a harpsichord outside and set it on the lawn. I remember several times falling asleep on the lawn listening to impromptu concerts.”

It was this that inspired her love for musicians and music, particularly roots. She began attending folk and bluegrass festivals where she devoured the music.

At 32, she began writing regularly for Bluegrass North magazine out of Vancouver.

Two year later, she started representing one folk roots artist. She attended the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance conference, emerging with contracts to represent several more musicians. Thus, she began her own management and booking agency, Northern Routes, in Wakefield, PQ.

At 36, she began work at the Ottawa Folk Festival.

And now, at 38, Kater is looking forward to putting her “passion for the interaction between people, music and a community” into action.

Starting this year, there will be a Manitoba artist on each stage during the last hour of the Friday afternoon workshops.

Thanks to Kater, the spirit of volunteerism is returning to Folk Fest.

“On Friday and Saturday evenings, the volunteers are being requested to bring their instruments and join in jam sessions with the musicians featured that day,” Kater said.

This had been a major attraction for the volunteers in past years and was an effective way for the Folk Fest to recognize volunteers’ contributions to the success of the festival. It hasn’t happened for several years.

Published in Volume 63, Number 28 of The Uniter (June 18, 2009)