The Woodford Files: Speakers & Presentations

Woodford Folk Festival is always home to a great lineup of musicians and performers, but you'll be missing out if you don't check out its diverse and truly world-class roster of speakers. This instalment in The Woodford Files takes a look at just a small portion of the presenters at this year's festival.

2009 sees many familiar speakers taking to the stage covering a wide range of environmental, political, social issues.

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke will appear three times at Woodford Folk Festival. He'll be up bright and early on Sunday 27th with Martin Pearson at The Muse. He'll be back on Monday for a session with Kerry O'Brien at The Concert Stage at the all-too-appropriate time of 7:30pm. He follows that up on Tuesday at Midday for a presentation at The Grande (a venue typically reserved for musicians that'll bring in large crowds) for a presentation entitled "Political Bigotries and Statesmanship".

The 7.30 Report's Kerry O'Brien will be appearing on Sunday 27th at 8:30pm and Monday 28th at 7:30pm for "Kerry and the Couch", interviewing a wide range of personalities, from the aforementioned former PM to musician (and Woodford performer) Toni Childes.

At 5:15pm on Monday 28 December the "Great Green Debate" takes place. This year's topic -- "The Media CAN be trusted" -- will surely live up to the spectacle of past years, with a lineup of speakers including media personalities, newspaper editors, lawyers, performers and academics including Professor Ian Lowe.

Professor Ian Lowe can also be seen presenting Monday through Thursday at various points around the festival.

If you're interested in the festival from an organisational and financial perspective and want to see something a little difference, on the last day Woodford's festival director Bill Hauritz gives a rundown on the year of organisation and week of festivities. At the end Hauritz opens the floor up to questions, and there's no shortage of excitement and drama at this point. If you are that way inclined, drinking games (facilitated by the adjoining bar) involving every mention of the phrase "back in the Maleny days" are a sure way to drink your way through a New Year's Eve-induced hangover. This year the Festival Director's Report takes place at the Bazaar at 2:30pm.