The Illawarra Folk Festival will be back from January 19-21 with a line-up of 87 international, national and local acts at Bulli Showground.

Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriters Wallis Bird and Andy Irvine, young Scottish fiddle maestro Ryan Young and his countrymen, celebrated Celtic band Tannahill Weavers and the Scottish/Irish quartet Dallahan head a strong international line-up, while national acts range from National Living Treasure Ted “The Drover’s Boy” Egan to singer-songwriter Alana Wilkinson, Jordan Ireland from Queensland Indie band The Middle East, and Indigenous performers the Stiff Gins, Jessie Lloyd and Pirritu.

One of the many local performers returning to the Folk Festival is Maurie Mulheron of Austinmer, formerly head of NSW’s teachers union and handy with a stringed instrument. What will he be playing and will his banjo workshop be back?

Thanks to Maurie for taking the time to answer these questions and more.

You recently took part in The Times They Are a-Changin', hosted by the Illawarra Folk Club, reflecting on the Dylan album of the same name – how did that go?  

It was a privilege to gather together some wonderful musicians to re-imagine the songs that made up Dylan's third studio album, his first with all original sings. What surprised everyone was just how relevant and powerful these songs still are. The audience loved the show too – with lots of folks singing along. Last year's Illawarra Folk Festival publicist considered our Dylan show to be in his top 5 picks of that festival.

We look at the tragedies unfolding in the Middle East and wonder ... are the times really changing these days, or is just more of the same heartache? 

We'll always need songs of peace and songs of hope that lift the spirits of those suffering oppression. I wrote a new verse to the song The Times They Are a-Changin' which we included in the show. It goes like this: "It's sixty-odd years since we first learned this song / Sixty-odd years and still things are wrong / There's war, hunger, greed and there's hate / The wealthy few still decide our fate / But don't get discouraged, keep rattlin' those walls / For the world still needs changin'."

In 2024, will you be reprising your banjo workshop you did at this year's folk festival? 

I certainly hope so. There's a good friend of mine from Vermont, USA, who will be performing at the festival in January. His name is Rik Palieri. Rik's a wonderful banjo player and we hope to perform some banjo tunes and songs together. I'll also be roping him in to help out with the banjo workshop. For that, he'll get free bed and lodging at my place!

What will you play when you play at the folk festival – a mix of old and new? 

Sure. I plan to do a mix of old folk favourites from the '60s because people, young and old, know them and sing along. It doesn't get much better than to hear a crowd join in a chorus or two. But I'll also be performing some new original songs that I've written.

You led the NSW Teachers Federation between 2012 and 2020 – what's your current professional capacity these days? 

I still do work for the union  on different projects. At the moment, I'm working with a coalition of music industry groups, the MEAA, musicians, Alberts the music publisher, researchers and music educators on a campaign to improve the quality of music education that we provide young people, particularly in our primary schools. We're currently planning a national seminar on the issue to be held in Sydney next March. 

So Australia finally got a Labor federal government last year – what's the main issue affecting Australian unions currently? 

The cost of living. Wages and salaries have been capped and suppressed now for years, and many workers are struggling. Yet, company profits have soared and sit at historical highs. We know what's causing inflation and it's certainly not workers' wages.

What's the main issue affecting teachers?  

Funding. Funding. Funding. No public school has received the amount of funding required to meet the nationally agreed Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) as determined in the Gonksi Review 12 years ago! Yet virtually every private school receives public funding in excess of the SRS. Teachers are doing an extraordinary job in our public schools. Just imagine what could be achieved if they received the resources they need to do their job.

The Illawarra Folk Festival returns to Bulli Showground from January 19-21. For more information, visit the website