Our monthly 'Meet the Haymaker' series shares stories of the change-makers at the heart of Hay Festival and the impact it has had on their lives. This month, get to know trumpeter and composer Aaron Diaz who leads this summer's 'Make Hay' residency programme at Perry Wood Primary School.
What does Hay Festival Global mean to you?
For me, Hay Festival is a place where people come together to share ideas, stories and different ways of seeing the world. It offers a chance to slow down for a while and step outside the constant noise of the internet and social media, creating space for curiosity, conversation and new perspectives.
I've followed the festival from afar for years through podcasts, videos and recordings of its conversations, so being involved through its schools outreach programme has been a real privilege. Spending time at the festival itself is still firmly on my bucket list.
What's your favourite Festival memory?
I'm involved for the second year running in Hay Festival's outreach programme, bringing the spirit of the festival to schools across the Welsh Borders and the West of England. Last year we worked with the children of St Thomas de Cantilupe School in Hereford, and this summer we're preparing for a week of creative activity with Perry Wood Primary School in Worcester.
In Hereford I had the privilege of working alongside an incredible team of artists, writers, dancers, poets, makers and musicians, all bringing their own craft and imagination into the classroom. Over four days we explored stories, music, movement and making together, before the festival marquee and deckchairs suddenly appeared on the school field. It genuinely felt as though a little corner of Hay Festival had landed in the playground.
On the day of the final performance, a flotilla of thirty children on tricycles, decorated with colourful garlands, led families around a joyful celebration of everything they had created together. It's an image that has stayed with me ever since.
Have you ever changed your mind on something having been to a Hay Festival event?
Working on the outreach programme has reminded me how much creativity grows through collaboration. Spending time with artists such as Sonja Sabri, Alex Wharton, Toni Cook, Sarah Morton, Landing Mané, Liv Preye and Steven Camden, each bringing a completely different creative practice, has been a real lesson in how many ways there are to tell stories and connect with people.
Even MORE inspiring have been the children themselves! Primary school classrooms are wonderfully multilingual and culturally rich places, and watching young people confidently share their languages, experiences and imaginations has reinforced my belief that everyone's story has value. As a musician, I hope to be as fearless as them in the stories I want to tell.
Sum up Hay Festival Global in five words or less…
Stories that unlock new worlds.