Insight Interview Series No.3

The lovely Jen Howard Coles, Sustainability Co-ordinator, from Shambala Festival is the third interviewee in our Insight Series.

Pioneering, intimate and truly innovative, Shambala Festival is an award-winning green event in a secret location in Northamptonshire every August Bank Holiday weekend. It beautifully blends music, creativity, theatrics and spectacle and has become one of the most anticipated festivals in the festival calendar.

Thanks Jen for giving us an insight into your camping past and present!

1.     Do you own a tent and if so how long have you had it?

I do have an old, much loved one but I must confess to being a van-dweller mostly these days.

2.    Where is your favourite camping spot and why?

Ooo that’s a tricky one. I love the Gower because it’s so easy to get to and so beautiful with amazing beaches. And when I lived in Edinburgh my favourite spot to camp out was another beach called Tynninghame, between North Berwick and Dunbar. Wild and empty beaches with sheltered folds in the cliff for sleeping out, or up above beautiful tent spots in the low, dry, mossy woodland.

3.    Apart from Shambhala are there any festivals you look forward to over the summer?

Knockengorroch in Dumfries and Galloway, usually the 3^rd weekend of May.  I haven’t missed one for more than 8 years. Scotland’s best kept secret.

4.   Why do you think the UK embraces outdoor festivals and as a result has an enviable leading festival scene?

Optimistically because we are culturally and creatively diverse and forward-thinking. Pessimistically because we are desperate to escape the rat-race in these densely populated islands!

5.   Does Shambala have a problem with discarded tents and camping equipment?

Not a big problem really. We get a few.

6.   From a festival that doesn’t have a problem with abandoned tents does it surprise you that 1 in 5 people leave their tent behind after each festival and most of them end up in landfill?

It’s something I’ve looked at quite a lot and considered, but yes, 1 in 5 is shocking.

7.   Why do you think people leave their tent and camping equipment behind?

They are tired and feeling lazy. It might be dirty and they can’t face cleaning it up when they get home. They bought it cheap and they don’t care about it much. It’s slightly broken sometimes maybe?

8.   What makes the Shambala audience so keen to pack everything up at the end of a long weekend of partying and yet other audiences feel as if it is someone else’s responsibility to clean up after them?

We attract a lot of responsible people who care about the environment. It’s a lovely site and we all want to keep it that way. We have a great waste management team who make sure that bins don’t overflow and litter is kept to a minimum, so I think people realise if they leave a mess it really shows. 

9.   What do you think can be done to change people’s behaviour and to value their possessions and the environment more?

Very difficult question. No one approach will work on everyone. Education, encouragement and making it really easy and intuitive are key. Less cheap crappy tents in supermarkets!! Tent mending service on site.

10.   Do you have a funny camping story?

Yes but I can’t think of an appropriate one! Camping is almost always hilarious.

11.   What are your top three tracks to listen to around the campfire?

They’d all be reggae songs.

12.   Any top camping tips?

Wellies. Tupperware. But most of all a sheepskin rollmat. Mine’s chocolate brown, 6 ft long, Hebridean and fits in a stuffbag.

13.    In your experience is there anything festivals can be doing more of to make it easy for punters to take everything home with them?

Trolley lending, cycle couriers, make sure fire lanes and gaps in tent rows are maintained for easy exit, smaller carparks/pick up points nearer to individual camping areas. Also, people bring less stuff when they travel on public transport.

14.   What do you think of the first cross-festival waste campaign aimed at campers, Love Your Tent?

I like it!

Shambala Festival is on from 22nd-25th August and you can buy your tickets here