It's been interesting to watch the evolution of British, summer, music festivals over the last few years- perhaps it's to do with us desperately seeking a better work/life balance, but these days people seem to rely on having one or two weekends of the summer to see all the music and culture they haven't had time for during the rest of the year. Festivals like Latitude have led the way with the inclusion of a wider programme of arts and culture alongside the music stages- programmer Tania Harrison has booked over 750 acts for this year's gathering, including theatre, film, dance, comedy, spoken word, literature and performance art. We chatted to her about how she achieves this epic task and how, this year, she's bringing important discussions about identity to the fields and forests of Latitude.

KA: What's been the inspiration behind your programming of the festival this year?

TH: Well, I think this year I'm looking at the idea of 'what defines me?' I'm really fascinated by neuroscience and the whole idea of what defines us and the argument over whether our sexuality is defined or nurtured. I'd seen this programme on TV about this group of professional gay-curers in the US and I thought it was quite horrifying so I wanted to bring the subject into a mainstream festival.

KA: Have you seen the movie 'But I'm a cheerleader'?

TH: Yes! I noticed even the other day, a comment on the Guardian website on the topic of gay marriage; it's quite interesting how people think our sexuality is defined and where it comes from- it's not for me to say of course, but what I'm more interested in is the freedom to express yourself and accept each other- I think we're heading in that direction, there's much more space for conversation; but there's a real part of society that's obsessed with labelling and compartmentalising people and I think that's to our detriment, it's stifling and it represses the individual.

KA: The weird thing is we're one of the first generations to be quite so obsessed about defining people's sexuality- you look at cultures like Ancient Greece where basically pretty much everyone is bi.

TH: Absolutely- they were bi. And your sexuality was something you had a freedom with- if you look at Arabian art from hundreds of years ago, it's very much about embracing sexuality- they had 29 words for the vagina!

It's not just about sexuality, the whole neuroscience thing is about everything that defines us- I've asked lots of artists and neuroscientists and authors and poets to explore that subject and obviously people have very different understandings and expressions of this- the hub is in the faraway forest and I've worked with the Wellcome trust very closely on the installations there- and at night I'm going to turn the faraway forest into Amsterdam with a feel of 1970s New York, because I really feel like the Amsterdam motif acts as a shop window for expression and escape.

KA: Things like mental health still have such a taboo surrounding them when, particularly in the creative community, this is something we all deal with, we all know someone facing these challenges.

TH: And where better to bring it to a mainstream audience than at a festival? We've got such a diverse audience too- there are all age groups at Latitude. It'll be interesting- I'm not trying to preach anything just explore the idea and start a conversation. We have some incredible work; from Marcus de Sautoy and James Holden's Consciousness to Dickie Beau and The Famous Lauren Barri Holstein exploring sexuality and how we perceive pornography- she's done a lot of vagina based work- she's a really inspiring artist, so I was really pleased she's going to present work.

KA: There's an amazing line-up at Latitude on all the stages- what would you say to people who normally stick to the music stages at a festival to encourage them to try something new?

TH: Well I think that all of us are interested in many things- I don't think many people are interested in just one specific genre, the beauty of Latitude is that it's all there for you to try- you don't have to buy a separate ticket- part of the joy is the whole cultural adventure of trying something new. I would definitely recommend the theatre this year if I was going to try something new- there are some really beautiful shows; funny and clever shows. There might not be as many big, recognisable names but I think our audience are intelligent and discerning and will try it anyway, it doesnt need to be a big west end musical, so I've deliberately taken a few more risks this year...

KA: Well, that was going to be my next question- there are lots of very obvious national treasures in the line-up, but you're always so good at scheduling some undiscovered gems- who would you recommend people check out for future stars?

TH: Daniel Kitson would obviously be one to try- the queues will probably be massive, but he is doing 6 different shows- for anybody who hasn't seen him, it's a must. In the theatre you must see Made in China. Ben Moore's new work is just phenomenally clever and funny. Curious Directive, The Wrong Crowd, they're really glorious, an amazing imagination. For comedy- rising stars would be Luisa Omielan who's bringing her show 'What would Beyonce do' to the festival- she really takes you through it emotionally, and either side of her The Eggs Collective; they're really funny, girls from Manchester. Lucy Beaumont- I think she'll do incredibly well, she's a comic from Hull, I really like her. 

KA: There's been a huge surge in the popularity of alternative literary events like Literary Death Match, Salon London and Festival of the Spoken Nerd who will all be at Latitude, as well as an entire area dedicated to Neuroscience? Will the Geek inherit the earth?

TH: I think they have inherited it! The discoveries neuroscientists are making at the moment are transforming what we understand about how the brain works- I don't think we've had anything like this since Freud really and the development of psychoanalysis. It's definitely the era of the Geek now. The celebration of being intelligent is fantastic- I'm so pleased we're moving away from the celebration of the WAG.

KA: Do you ever get to relax and enjoy the festival or are you usually rushed off our feet with last minute stuff?

TH: Very much the latter- I think it's really funny when people say to me, 'ooh, do you get to go?' Or, 'what are you looking forward to?' I've got around 750s different acts on at Latitude- so I'm generally running around, saying hello to everyone, making sure everythings alright- basically you're just problem solving. And with that many people and that many shows, there are always going to be problems- you're constantly checking up on everything- I think I've only ever watched one full show from beginning to end- I am aiming to go in and see one of Daniel Kitson's shows and I'll turn off my radio and to hell with what happens! Now I'm tempting fate, aren't I? I can't say it's massively enjoyable... but then there are wonderful moments when you see people discover something amazing, but by that point I'm just so tired, I end up crying, I'm so happy everything's worked.

KA: Quite a cathartic way to end a job though- something you've worked on for so long, it must be quite good closure, seeing the results, seeing people enjoying themselves?

TH: Yes, and when people try something different and I see that happening- my most favourite moment was seeing all the Mumford and Sons fans leaving the stage having watched them, and just stopping dead to watch ballet on the lake. I immediately thought there must be a problem- there were thousands of people just stopped- so I climbed up on the literary arena to see what had gone wrong, but I stood there and just burst into tears because all these people were transfixed by this ballet, something they would probably not have intentionally gone to see.

KA: Do you ever go to festivals yourself to have that enjoyable relaxation that other people get at Latitude, or is the festival atmosphere something which you now associate with work?

TH: Yes-it's very strange- I suppose like an actor watching a show or a plumber looking at a bathroom- you can't help but look at it within your framework of what might go wrong!

KA: Where do you go to discover new talent outside of the festival season?

TH: I go out about 5 nights a week, all over the country and all over Europe in fact, and I've even been to the States to look for things. I'm constantly on the look out, and constantly reading papers, magazines and seeing what people are interested in. That's your job really, as a booker, to work out what people are after, what direction it's going in. And each year at Latitude everyone expects something even more impressive so there's always an intense amount of pressure to deliver the goods.

Book tickets to Latitude 18th-21st July 2013 here.