Panacea Festival
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Panacea Festival

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“It was one of those things where people have creative ideas but they don’t know where to express them – it might be hard getting off the ground, or they don’t want to go through the whole process of organising something like an entire festival to showcase their work,” says Foster. “I wanted people to know that if they had ideas, small or large, they could get in touch with us. It’s a start on the ‘Just say yes’ idea; just to take notice of everything in terms of what people are saying. I think these things get successful with people power above everything.”

The festival promises to deliver music, art, yoga and mad vibes. Foster gives us an idea of what sort of things will contribute the mad vibes. “I’ve had people who say that they love horticulture and are moving into floristry and plants,” she says. “They want to create an installation based around that by doing this huge amazing art that is completely living. She’s calling it In Bloom.”

Foster’s previous achievements include running a series of fundraisers at The Espy in St. Kilda. She’s got a knack for rallying passionate people together for a good cause, and she’ll continue this tradition at Panacea by using the event as a fundraiser to benefit the Peter Mac Cancer Research Centre.

“I think that people get caught up in the side of the industry that’s all about money and generating income,” says Foster. “But if you really look back, the majority of people working for it, at the end of the day you’re in it because you love music. I’ve found it’s a great way of bringing people together. It’s one of those things where if you don’t ask, the answer is no. That’s how I got started. I had absolutely no idea – I’d played in bands and thought I’d do a little fundraiser with Rock for Relief where I got my band and some friends bands to play. I took over The Espy for 12 hours straight, all three stages. I was trusted to do that and I was barely 20 years old.

“If you put it out there to people, people generally want to help. The way how I run things is trying to pull people together, listening to what people have to say – always know that there’s something to learn, you’re never going to know everything – and getting that ego out of it. Not treating people like, ‘I’m the boss and these are my worker bees’, making it a collaboration.”

There’s an obvious link between Foster’s roots and Panacea’s just say yes policy. This aspect of the festival essentially provides the platform for someone who shares Foster’s gung-ho attitude to get into the music industry, much in the same way she did when she was starting out. It’s no surprise that one plucky student has already jumped at the opportunity.

“He emailed me early on and said, ‘Look, I’m at JMC, I’m doing event management and music business, but I really want to get involved in some things’. I loved the initiative and it reminded me of how I was at that age, just learning on the fly and building bridges with people to make things happen. I had a big conversation with him over the phone and realised what his passion is was what my passion was – putting great bands on stage. I gave him the role of local music co-ordinator, because I’m up to my head dealing with agents and bands.

“I trust in him – someone who wants to put himself out there and show that initiative. I don’t think he could fail, and he hasn’t. He’s got some more bands on the bill I wouldn’t have even thought of.”

BY THOMAS BRAND