Alice Mac - VFMF Security Coordinator (retired)

Alice Mac is an innovator in the field of festival security and has made a name for herself as a leader in the use of gentle security measures. Her approach, which emphasizes communication, empathy, and conflict resolution, has been highly successful in creating a safe and welcoming environment at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

Interviewing Alice Mac was an amazing opportunity to hear more about her approach to festival security and how it has evolved over time.

As the coordinator of the security teams at one of Canada's most popular music festivals, she has a unique perspective on the challenges of keeping festival-goers safe while still maintaining a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

One of the most interesting aspects of Alice Mac's approach to security is her emphasis on gender diversity. She has made a point of recruiting and training mostly women for her security teams and believes that this approach creates a more empathetic and communicative environment.

As a coordinator of the Neighbourhood committee for three years, I had the honour of sharing a walky-talky channel with the Security teams. Hearing firsthand the work of Alice’s teams and watching the way she and her co-coordinators shared duties and enjoyed downtime helped me to learn how to experience the festival even more deeply.