Canal Street Online Manchester

Canal St chats to Hazel OKeefe

Canal St chats to Hazel OKeefe

Since it’s inception just three short years ago, Manchester’s Women in Comedy Festival has quickly built a name for itself as one of the best comedy festivals in the UK. With the likes of *deep breath* Susan Calman, Maxine Peake, Jo Enright, Isy Suttie and Jo Caulfield as patrons, it’s safe to say, festival organiser Hazel O’Keefe is doing something very right. 

As the 2016 festival kicks into action this week, it seems we have a single sexist comment from a comedy promoter back in 1998 to thank for it. O’Keefe explains that this jarring remark spurred the formation of her first female-centric comedy venture, Laughing Cows;

“I founded Laughing Cows Comedy in 1998, after a London comedy promoter inadvertently threw down the proverbial gauntlet; we were discussing female comics and I asked why there's never more than one female comedian on the bill. He said, ‘oh we wouldn't take that risk.’ Running female dominated line ups was my natural feminist response, proving the point that a comedy night with more than one female could be successful. Laughing Cows Comedy shows now run all over the UK and the shows are always well attended.”

With Laughing Cows a success, O’Keefe had the idea for the Women in Comedy Festival as a way to celebrate and evidence the growing number of women in comedy. A festival which would not only showcase, but encourage promoters and agents to attend and scout for talent. Three years ago, it seems, was the perfect time to launch her passion project, perfectly coinciding with a huge surge in female comics bursting to the forefront;

“Over the past couple of years the comedy scene has changed for the better. I use to be able to confidently name most of the female acts in the UK. That’s not the case now; there are so many females involved in comedy that I probably only know 20% of the artists.”

Considering the sheer volume of high quality acts on the bill for this month’s festival, it’s encouraging to think there is plenty more female comedic talent out there. But if O’Keefe could bag any dream headliner, who might that be?

“We have been very lucky to work with a lot of big names such as Jo Brand, Gina Yashere, Sarah Millican and Zoe Lyons. I’d like to work with Sandi Toksvig, especially with the influence the Women’s Equality Party has and is building on. But to be honest, my favourite line ups are the bills with emerging talent, like the wrap party on Sunday 30th October - the acts who are just on the cusp of really making it big.”

As with organising any sort of festival, the current climate poses challenges, naturally in the form of funding, as O’Keefe explains;

“The festival continues year on year due to the energy and commitment of our amazing crew who offer their time on a voluntary basis. The Women In Comedy Festival is unfunded and 100% volunteer led, so without the crew and commitment of the performers we really would not exist. So funding is the main issue, we don’t have any, and we have been unsuccessful in every application we have submitted. A lot of that is to do with comedy not be considered an art form.”

The popularity of the festival seems to demonstrate otherwise and 18 years on since her encounter with that promoter, how much change in attitude has O’Keefe seen in the comedy world?

“A lot has changed since Laughing Cows comedy was founded in 1998, but we are still not quite there. A few years ago it was just unfounded, sexist generalisations and boring circular conversations about women not being funny. At least now we are debating about what needs to change on personal, institutional and societal levels. Some women are funny, some women are not, just the same as our male counterparts. Our focus is to continue to work with people who recognise that and want to help make the positive changes we need to ensure equality of opportunity.”

By Hayley-Jane Sims for Canal St Online

More info on the festival can be found at the link below.

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Published: 20-Oct-2016: (3944)

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