A chat with Brunswick Music Festival music programmer Emily Ulman
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27.02.2019

A chat with Brunswick Music Festival music programmer Emily Ulman

Words by Greta Brereton

Summer might be coming to a close this week, but festival season is still going strong in Melbourne, thanks to the return of Brunswick Music Festival. 

Kicking off this weekend, the mammoth 14-day event is a live music extravaganza, transforming the northside suburb into a bustling hub of tunes and community vibes. They’ve had some pretty epic lineups over the years, but with new music programmer Emily Ulman in the driver’s seat, 2019 is looking better than ever.

A musician herself, Ulman is no stranger to the vibrancy of Melbourne’s live music scene. She’s spent years as a venue booker too, bringing a great deal of experience to her newfound role on the BMF team. Ulman admits that putting the two-week program together was a challenge, but one she embraced with enthusiasm.

“It was my first festival program that I’d put together like that, so it felt massive and kind of overwhelming, but also like a kid in a candy shop,” she reflects with a laugh. “Like ‘here, create your ideal festival’ – it was the most fun I’ve ever had.”

While putting together her dream festival involved pooling her favourite musicians, it also allowed Ulman to take things in a slightly different direction, showcasing the true heart of Brunswick and its community.

“In the past the programs haven’t been reflective of current Brunswick,” she explains. “I felt like the council sort of wanted to shake things up and have the program resonate with people who currently reside, play, live, work and love in Brunswick now.

“I just wanted to make sure that as much of the community was engaged, so that people felt involved and had ownership, as opposed to a program that doesn’t necessarily reflect what people are wanting, or what people are involved in.”

Brunswick is a progressive suburb with an eclectic community, and this is the spirit Ulman aimed to incorporate into her programming. She’s included artists across a range of genres, from hip hop and jazz, to folk and punk, as well as venues that have been somewhat overlooked in the past few festivals.

“Because of my venue background, I just really wanted to showcase and celebrate the venues that are operating 365 days of the year,” she explains. “Like using the Moreland Hotel which has never been used before and Estonian House and the Venues 3056 event; that program of having all free shows and opening up venues that work so hard.”

But possibly the greatest feat of all in Ulman’s programming has been her ability to curate something so incredibly diverse and inclusive. There’s a huge representation of artists from various cultural backgrounds, as well as musicians from differing ages, plus venues with disability access, and plenty of free, family-friendly shows. Furthermore, about 75 per cent of artists on this year’s program are non-male, or bands with at least one non-male member – and that’s not even including the support acts for headline shows.

“To be honest; it wasn’t difficult, and it wasn’t conscious,” says Ulman. “People are like ‘oh, you obviously had a quota’ and I’ve seen some funny comments about that, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Music in this city is pretty wildly amazing, and it just so happens that there are non-males playing in a lot of our bands.”

While Ulman hopes that one day this kind of inclusivity in programming will just be the norm, she’s aware that we aren’t quite there yet, and is realistic about what we need to do until we are.

“I don’t accept all male lineups, I never have and I never will, but it’s hard for me to know how other people program,” she says. “If it means being conscious of it and making sure that there’s at least fifty percent representation, then make it conscious until it’s not, until it’s something that comes without even thinking about it.

“I think that giving non-males, or people of colour and disabilities, that example, and seeing people that look like them up on stage means that they will know that that’s possible for them, and I just think it’s a non-negotiable.”

Brunswick Music Festival kicks off on Sunday March 3 with the Sydney Rd Street Party, and runs until Sunday March 17. Check out the festival website for the full program.