Roskilde Festival is more than just music. A lot of people work to make the festival a community, where everyone is welcome. Different areas are created for the audience in order to make everyone feel welcome. The camping areas on the festival are getting bigger and bigger. Most of us know these areas are filled with tents, trash and constant music from the camrs, where a lot of the guests hang out. The camping areas have their own status within the festival. Here you live and party with your friends. But this year, the ‘oldies’ or those of us who can’t stand the constant partying can live at the Clean and Silent Camp.
The two designers, Joy and Laura, work every year on the festival creating decoration for the audience to enjoy and this year they designed the signage for the Clean and Silent Camp. These girls have done almost everything you can do at Roskilde – get to know more about them here:
Laura is a multidisciplinary conceptual designer with musical talent. Alongside her impressive work as a designer and teacher at the Royal Danish Academy of Design, she plays the bass in various bands.
Laura Rathschau
#1: What is your relationship with the Roskilde Festival?
I’ve been at Roskilde since 1998. So Roskilde and me go way back! I’ve been working for the festival almost every year, so for me that’s a perfect tradition.
#2: What is your must see this year and why?
Connan Mockasin!! I can’t wait to hear him! The music is very weird in a way I just love! I´m sure he will perform in a nice eccentric way.
#3: What is your best Festival memory?
I think it must be from my first years at Roskilde. I remember dancing a lot to exotic music inside the Ballroom stage tent (so sad it no longer exists).
#4: Any tips and tricks for the perfect festival?
Check out the program – so you don´t miss any important act! Bring dry shampoo and warm clothes for the cold nights….Oh and earplugs!
#5: Tell us a little about the work you do at Roskilde Festival.
The last 3 years I have been a part of a team, decorating certain areas at Roskilde. We often build up stuff in wood, as sculptural decoration or as hangout elements. This year we made a pretty simple project, for the “Clean & Silent” camp! We recycled parts from some chairs we made last year, and redesigned them as logo signs for the area. It ended up pretty “spacy” with pastel colours, stencil colouring, and pyramids. It is always fun and cosy to build up stuff at the festival before it all begins.
Joy Sun-Ra Pawl Hoyle
Joy is flying around Roskilde Festival each and every year with her colourful spirit and cool style. Born and raised in Roskilde, she has been at the festival all her life. She knows something about festivals. She has been in front of the stage as an audience, on the stage as back-up singer for Junior Senior and back stage as a designer creating colourful environments for the festival guests. Joy has just received her MA in design from the Royale Danish Academy of Design and she is ready for some fun after 4 months of hard work.
#1: What is your must see this year?
Hmmm you will definitely find me getting all hippie happy in front of Avalon, when the Danish acid rock band called Spids Nøgenhat = Liberty Cap, goes on stage Saturday evening. And I am so excited to see Stevie Wonder again – he always makes me smile.
#2: How have you seen the festival develop since you came here as a child?
Well I am happy to say that I still feel the same vibe at the festival now as when I started going 21 years ago. An open mindedness and a freedom to be who ever you are. The biggest change I see now is that the audience seem to be more Danish than when I was younger. Then I felt like I met more people from all over the world. But maybe it´s also because I don´t hang out in the camping area any more, where I used to meet a lot of people.
#3: What is your best memory?
Uhh I have a lot of good memories from my years on Roskilde, but one that stands out is the first time I saw Radiohead perform on Orange stage, I think I was like 13 years old, I had never heard about them and by accident my friends and I ended up at the show a rainy afternoon, and I just remember that I was completely blown away! This little weird man (Thom Yorke) he brought so much energy to the stage. I was hooked.
Then I also want to mention the unity that was formed between the people at the festival after the tragic loss of 9 lives during the Pearl Jam concert in 2000. At the camping areas you could cry on the shoulders of people you had never meet, and it really helped staying at the festival talking to other people there about the accident, and in that way work through the sadness.
Last but not least – take a look at Joy and Laura’s work at the festival.
Christina, Nanna & Tine.
