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London Creatives: Vault Festival Interview

Vault_Festival_Directors_LR

We caught up with the Directors of the Vaults Festival: Andy George, Mat Burt and Tim Wilson at the start of the Vaults Festival which is now in its 4th year!

Bringing you 6 weeks of entertainment and adventure at the Waterloo tunnels.

1. We are happy to hear the Vaults festival is back for the 4th year and hosting again at the Waterloo tunnels, what attracts you to the tunnels?

TW: Transgression, both geographical and spiritual. The underbelly of Waterloo, as a scene, is the antidote to the routine and regulations of life. This Festival is about exploration and discovery of the unknown. Risk a night with us and you’ll see sights you never dreamed of.

MB: It’s a blank canvas, too – when it’s empty, those tunnels are the most boring place in the world. But stick a creative mind in there and you’ll get everything from an enchanted forest & the highways of Nevada through to a dictator’s mansion and a haze-filled nightclub.

AG: When you enter the tunnels, you disappear. The outside world becomes insignificant as you escape from the shackles of life above. Time passes as quickly or slowly as you want. You’re in control. Or out of control, but the important part is that it’s your choice.
The tunnels are also full of energy, history and character; they sigh and breath just like the rest of us. Much like a character from “Labyrinth” would, as you wind through the vast tunnels on an adventure of discovery. Plus it’s 32,000 square feet of empty space in the heart of London – what isn’t attractive about that!

2. How do you narrow down what performances and pop-up bars / restaurants feature at the Vaults festival?

TW: If you can be said to narrow something down to a six week programme that defies convention or categorisation, then what we look for is originality and risk. Real risk, genuine danger of falling heavily on your nose, not the bullshit kind of risk you find being touted around by some state-backed organisation.

AG: We look for shows that have ambition, creativity, and spark. A lot of the shows we programme don’t exist yet – many are brand new specifically for the space and venue – so we look for is what sits at the heart of their idea.  We specifically look for the “new” – new artists, new writing, new work.

We programme about 60% of the shows through open application – this year we had over 450 applications for about 90 slots and the remainder is through invitation and selection. Embracing the culture and ethos of the festival is as important as anything in deciding which shows we programme.

 

3. We are excited about the new addition of the film festival, what three movies would you recommend?

MB: Is it rude to mention the movie that we’re producer’s on, Over My Dead Body!? That was made by some very talented friends of ours and we’re really proud of it. I’m particularly excited to see Frau Im Mond because I love space; and Lashes too because I think Christine Sherwood, the director, is really cool.

AG: Catching Fireflies – by Lee Whittiker is the first film on our opening night of the film festival
Shards of a Broken Promise by Jonell Rowe is a World Premiere and a London based filmmaker  – 14th Feb
Over My Dead Body byJames King & James Carney – which plays on Sunday 28th Feb. It’s brilliant.
All details can be found here http://www.vaultfestival.com/film/

4. What cool spots do you hang out in London?  

TW: I like hanging out in Two Brydges, a very small club in the West End.

MB: Anywhere you can put boardgames on a table. Most often, the Hackney Brewery.

AG: The new STYX space near Tottenham Hale run by RIFT. And of course, The Vaults themselves.

5. What building would you like to be locked in overnight?

TW: The Kremlin

MB: Is the International Space Station a building? If not that, then Sega World, Trocadero, circa 1996.

AG: The old “mail rail” or London Post Office Railway. It runs from Paddington to Whitechapel underground and has 8 abandoned stations, since it was mothballed in 2003. Who wouldn’t want to explore those tunnels!

 

 

6. Best piece of advice you have been given that you would like to share?

TW: Helen Marriage of Artichoke said to me: ‘You choose what level you play at’.

MB: “If you always do what you say you’re going to do, you’ll be more reliable than nearly everybody else.” My dad told me that – it’s an important thing to aim for when you’re dealing with so many different people on a festival.

AG: Every idea or project has a single thought or concept at the heart of it – don’t lose track of what that nugget is, that is what will carry you through when you need to make big or small decisions.

 

7. What do you love most about your job?

TW: Dreaming big but retaining (with a little help from my friends) the knowledge that it really doesn’t matter.

MB: There is no feeling better than watching an artist/group of people pull something crazy off and knowing you were a small help in their story.

AG: Every day is different and no challenge is ever the same. We’re working with over 200 artistic entities – each with their own needs and requirements – in a site specific venue that is ever evolving. Nothing is a given. Every day a challenge, but that’s what gets me up in the mornings and keeps me going at night!

 

The Vaults Festival

The Vaults , Waterloo, London

27th January – 6th March 2016

http://www.vaultfestival.com

 

Written by Claudia. S. Sowaha
Photography by Nyla Sammons