Last weekend saw this year’s big Ladyfest
event take place at Islington Mill. Ladyfest has been on my radar for
several months and, from what I gleaned from social media, would be a
bold, informative and creative event.
Ladyfest isn’t unique to Manchester; similar
festivals take place in other UK cities, and a quick Google shows festivals
happening across the pond. The common ideology is to showcase work by
women and others who might experience barriers to sharing their work, from
trans, non-binary and intersex artists or mothers juggling childcare, offering
a supportive environment away from the generally competitive nature of the
creative industries, where money and contacts can be everything. However,
Ladyfest Manchester aims to give visibility to Manchester-based creatives in
particular, evidenced in the line-up of musicians and comedy performers sourced
from an open call-out.
Workshops on offer included Sex Workers’
Rights, Bike Maintenance and Screen Printing. I attended a workshop
entitled The Art Of Consent, billed as ‘exploring body language, verbal
communication, gender stereotyping, 'grey areas' and barriers, laws, and the
value of challenging our sexual assumptions in an interactive, creative
setting’ - which seemed a huge task for an hour long session. I went on
my own, feeling a little vulnerable and awkward sitting alone at a table,
whilst the other table was occupied by a group of friends. Thankfully, I
was soon joined by others who had rejected the remaining empty table - unlike
most other everyday situations - with another solo woman joining us minutes
later. And this was indicative of the whole workshop: friendly and open
in an atmosphere where it felt ok to share. There was no pressure, no
expectation. The workshop’s leader Chelsea Murphy - a local consent and
sexual violence researcher - and her facilitators were clear that we need only
talk about things with which we we felt comfortable. We discussed and we
got our thoughts and feelings down creatively through working together on a
collage. I left feeling positive, not
because we’d changed the world or come up with definitive solutions - how can
you with such a difficult, provocative subject? - but because I’d been in a
room with people who wanted to address the subject of consent and those who
wanted to support that discussion.
Of course, that particular workshop isn’t
going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but the sense I got was that it was
indicative of the whole day. Speaking to
Carly Lyes, one of the event’s organisers, it’s clear how central the idea of
community and being supportive is to Ladyfest.
Everyone there, whether organising, running a workshop, running a stall
or performing, was a volunteer. Ladyfest
Manchester is self-funded and self-organised, the only money coming in from
ticket sales. People are involved
because they want to be, because there is a need for this kind of event and
community and because the inclusivity it aims to create seems to be successful
- the event sold out well in advance.
When asked about future events, Lyes is ready with the plans: a larger
festival next year spread over a longer period of time and different venues,
more participatory workshops and the possibility of branching out and having
their own stage at the big festivals.
From my time there on Saturday, the Ladyfest Manchester clearly has a
relevance, a community willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen
and an audience who want to participate.
Words: Julie Burrow
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