Secret Garden's Programmer Speaks Out On Blackface Incident Over The Weekend
29 February 2016 | 4:01 pm
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Staff Writer
"If the best outfit you can come up with is a lazy provocation aimed at adding to the marginalisation of others, you shouldn’t be there."
When the sold-out Secret Garden Festival took to a farm in Camden, NSW over the weekend, people were expecting good times and the feeling of unity between music-lovers — but not someone rocking up in blackface.
Two punters were reportedly dressed up as rappers when Secret Garden's festival programmer, Adam Lewis, confronted them directly and told them their behaviour was not welcome at the festival.
"Secret Garden is a place that’s about expression and inclusivity," Lewis says.
"I can’t tolerate anything that undermines that, and costumes or behaviour by any of our punters that makes the people around them feel uncomfortable or marginalised is completely at odds with what we’re about. Franky, it just isn’t welcome at our event.
"There’s infinite possibilities in dress-up, and so much room for imagination and creativity. If the best outfit you can come up with is a lazy provocation aimed at adding to the marginalisation of others, you shouldn’t be there."
The festival, in its eighth year in 2016, uniquely only reveals their line-up after the event has sold out, with this year's event featuring Gang Of Youths, Raury and many more. The festival is also known for encouraging costumes and creativity, with the event's Friday night party asking that punters dress as 'space cowboys'.
"As for how we deal with it in the future," continued Lewis, "I think it’s important that we (and the festival industry as a whole) work on being better prepared for this kind of thing, and that we work with our community and punters to make sure that everyone understands and celebrates what it means to have an inclusive atmosphere."
The incident is perhaps the third similar case in as many months, with Briggs and Thelma Plum speaking out extensively against two punters in Ballarat dressing up as indigenous Australians.
Check out the review of Secret Garden 2016 here.
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