Ian Smith became the Festival MC in 1994 and fulfilled that role till the 30th Anniversary Festival in 2010 – 14 editions in all. He was an Honorary Associate of the NRLA and presented performances and talks at previous editions.

Ian’s untimely death in August 2014 was met with an outpouring of love for the man and praise for his work. All who knew him agreed he was a creative, quirky, warm, lovely man who influenced and encouraged colleagues and others in his field of work, and whose contribution to art was remarkable and will live on for a long time.

Full biography of Ian’s remarkable career: IAN SMITH