Sandra Butel, the artistic director for the Regina Folk Festival, has a lonely position for part of the year: she’s the one keeping the list of artists under lock and key until the official announcement. (You can view the lineup here.)
“Prior to that point in time, I’m the only person that knows,” says Butel. “The person that writes the cheques sometimes figures it out, but other than that, it’s kept pretty secret.”
She had a sweet way of letting some people know the lineup this year.
“On Monday I had a board meeting, and I baked up a cake, and put all the names in a cake. They ate cake and found the names. They got told, but they only got told three days ago.
“It’s kinda this thing where, I always tell them I want to present them with the whole cake, not just the ingredients to the cake. And so, I decided I should take my metaphor and make it literal.”
Kinda like T.V. spies, who have to eat their orders to keep them secret?
“I was kinda telling them, now you have to eat the names. The names will self-destruct.”
It’s a bit of fun for Butel, who’s spent months putting together the lineup that was announced today. The work continues – she still has to confirm which Saskatchewan performers other than Jeffery Straker will be appearing, as well as a few more visiting artists – but now she’s past the anticipation for the lineup announcement and onto a whole other level of preparation.
“It’s kinda a crazy time for me. I’ve been working on this for months, and I’ve known what’s been happening for months. There’s a little bit of a nervousness and excitement. You know, ‘What are people going to think? Are they going to be as excited as me?’”
