Episode 80: Paul Northup on 50 years and the future of Greenbelt Festival
"Ramshackle, DIY and deeply Christian" - that's how Paul Northup describes Greenbelt festival in the first few years of it's 50-year life so far. It's also a pretty good description of this podcast.
Paul is Director of Greenbelt Festival, a "place to believe in" that seeks to embody a Newbigin-styled 'no splits' Christian event that engages deeply with faith, arts and justice.
Paul takes time (at the worst possible moment in the year, one month out from the festival), to talk to Jonty and Laura about how Greenbelt started (with a little help from the Jesus People coming out of the Hippie movement), the times when it lost support from churches and the potential for growth in the future.
Following on from our last two episodes about Mike Pilavachi, we ask Paul to compare attitudes to Greenbelt versus those to Soul Survivor at a pivotal time, as well as what people who had profound spiritual experiences can do with those experiences now.
The tensions of holding a progressive festival next to betting offices (in the past) and on land owned by a feudal lord (now) also make an appearance, and we talk about the spiritual impact of Greenbelt on at least one of our hosts, as well as many, many other Christians.
Greenbelt has, as Paul tells us, always been a refuge for those who no longer feel at home in the traditional church. With Deconstruction growing in evangelical spaces, is a new audience about to discover this wonderful festival?
You can hear whether the festival Big Dog thinks the deconstruction movement could find a home at Greenbelt, and what his top five music picks would be, in episode 80.
You can listen to Episode 80 anywhere: in a festival toilet while singing ‘portaloo’ to an Abba tune, lying on the grass in the sun/rain/shade while nursing a pint, or ill-advisedly drowning out the sound of Beer and Hymns at the Jesus Arms. You can find it on all major podcast platforms and, of course, right here:
Get your ticket now for Greenbelt festival 2023 (24-27 August) - if you do you could have a drink with us. More importantly you could see the wonderful Ezra Furman!
CORRECTION: Paul wanted to clarify and correct a few things on listening to this episode. Here’s what he wanted to add…
I say that the founding crew grew up in Soham Baptist Church in Suffolk whereas it should have been Earl Soham Baptist Church. (Which has now moved to Framlingham – where most of the founders lived at the time – and some still live.)
The farm that the festival first took place on was Prospect Farm, at Charsfield, close to Framlingham. I also say “You’ve got yourself a farm, you got yourself a festival” for that Kim Palossari quote. Whereas it should be: “You’ve got yourself a field, you got yourself a festival”.
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Beer Christianity is an anti-capitalist, pro-BLM, pro-LGBTQ+, post-post-post-evangelical (and apparently republican) podcast where we drink a bit and talk a lot. Our aim is to be real, to be helpful and entertaining.
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We don't really want to preach at you, but some people like to know what we believe. It's this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to teach us a better way to be while reconciling us to God and each other in a way we could never do without Him. He also changed water into wine. Nice.