Simon, if you're offended by the mere suggestion that a folk festival is a left-leaning event, I guess it's a cultural difference between UK and North American folk festivals. In both Canada and the US, that's a given for the most part at established large folk-festivals, even though I know of none named after working-class martyrs. (except perhaps the Stan Rogers Festival).

"Besty at work", get someone to help untie your knickers, would you please? "The problem in all this, was booking this person in the first place and giving away good sponsorship money"...you don't know the first thing about Dan Berner (great writer, funny as hell, obscure and talented and doesn't care what you or I think) or the Winnipeg Folk Festival, evidently, so I doubt you are qualified to pronounce on "the problem".

Mitch Podolak OTOH is better qualified than probably anyone else to comment on the history and values of the Winnipeg Folk Fest, and this is part of his response, following Tim Harrison's great post as quoted above. (thanks Winnipeg)

"Tim Harrison's comments are the most articulate explanation of how and why corporatism has been impacting folk festivals that I've heard. In the case
of Winnipeg specifically, Trudy Schroeder's comments, as outlined by Mort Goss in his Maplepost contribution to this discussion, about artists taking shots at sponsors is biting the hand that feeds, runs counter to all the traditions of the folk community. The job of contemporary folk singers is to take shots like Geoff Berner did when confronted by ugliness. "Display" cars on the Winnipeg Folk Festival site, never mind Volkswagon, what is this a folk festival or the Ex? What are we going to have next, Ginzu Knives, weight guessers or the Bearded Lady?"

Mitch goes on to offer some more pointed criticism of WFF's outgoing exec director, Ms Schroeder, whom he apparently does not much care for, at least on the basis of conflicting philosophies.

W-O