Over the past few years, Sunderland’s Boundaries Festival has quickly gained a justified reputation as one of the best places at which to encounter the UK’s DIY underground – the best of New Weird Britain (you can read our review of the 2021 instalment here). This year’s festival takes place on 21 and 22 November, and features Quietus favourites including Aja Ireland, Rhodri Davies, Sly & The Family Drone, Felicia Atkinson, Dawn Terry (pictured) and many more – full details of this year’s line-up can be found here. Founder Graeme Hopper describes running Boundaries as “a labour of love”, adding that “I cant imagine not thinking about every day and night.” He adds that he’s motivated by “the need and desire to bring the best exciting experimental artists to Sunderland”, pointing out that while we these sorts of events are rare in the UK compared to across the EU, Sunderland has all the infrastructure and space to hold the festival. He also keeps ticket prices low and affordable, recognising that experimental music festivals can be a luxury item in the cost of living crisis. A one-person operation, he describes the intensity of putting Boundaries on. “There are so many moving parts to get right, so everything clicks and flows,” he explains; “organisational logistics, production costs, poster and website design, travel, getting all venues free on the same day, hotels, catering, staff, accounts and booking artists. Doing this all by myself really opens up a lot of emotions, that’s for sure.” The line-up is picked on a philosophy of not “trying to be cool and complicated,” but “focusing on a good mix of exciting emerging talent and artists who have been pushing their ideas and methods for some time.”
Part of the motivation for setting up Boundaries was to bring music to Sunderland that might not ordinarily get booked in the city’s venues, and to give something back to the town. “The festival has been amazing for Sunderland, watching it grow from an upstairs gig in a pub to now five venues with top international performers is pretty wild and hugely inspiring,” Hopper enthuses; “The festival brings so many people together, hearing the vast array of accents and the inbox of emails from folks across Europe asking hotels etc is great fun to read and reply to. The event supports local businesses and shines a light on the city in an incredibly positive way. The feedback from audiences often mentions they would never have dreamed of travelling to Sunderland if it wasn’t for Boundaries while outpouring their love for the City and the coastal locations – it’s so nice to hear. Performers too have all noted how much they enjoyed their shows and their visit in general. Arnold Dreyblatt didn’t want to leave.”
Another motivation, says Hopper, is encountering the warm response that Boundaries receives, and the connections made between Sunderland and the rest of the musical ecosystem. “There’s this energy and community built around the festival too, it sounds corny but it’s true,” he says, “people travelling from all across the UK and Europe, from all backgrounds hanging out, exploring new sounds and feeling comfortable, its the best buzz feeling that collective excitement, it genuinely makes all the hard work worthwhile. It’s about having fun, being inspired and creating moments that people will remember long after the weekend is over.” You can find out more about Boundaries and buy tickets here.
