Access All AreasThe Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has hired event sustainability specialist Bryonie Mathews to acts as an advisor to its members.
AIF said Mathews’ role forms a key part of Step Change, a new sustainability initiative launched to support festival members as they prepare for the 2027 summer season. The Step Change programme is supported by Ticket Tailor’s Earth Invest, and the association said it has been created to drive practical and incremental environmental improvements across the independent festival sector.
With a background including sustainability roles at Shambala Festival, Kendal Calling, and Hope Solutions, Mathews says the new role will see her focus on making sustainability accessible, achievable, and actionable for teams across the industry.
“As an industry we’ve had incredible frontrunners researching, leading the way, testing solutions, and sharing knowledge for a long time – we know what works, and what needs to happen,” she said. “Next is to make sure everyone has an equal understanding of, access to, and confidence in the strategies that exist.
“The Step Change programme offers the blueprint for a just transition in our industry, allowing us to scale the reach of proven climate strategies and activate as a collective. I’m so glad to see this being offered and I believe together we can see an industry where sustainability isn’t an exclusive feature, but a collective response to a collective challenge that provides hope.”
AIF CEO John Rostron said, “We’re delighted to welcome Bryonie to AIF, embedding sustainability not only into our team but also offering our member festivals hands-on support to shift things forward that they’ve wanted to do but been too lacking in resource to deliver.”