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Ladyfest Stuttgart-Esslingen 2004

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Ladfest Stuttgart-Esslingen 2004 happened 29-31 October, Germany

Statement:
The Ladyfest Stuttgart-Esslingen is a feministic, non-commercial festival in the region around Stuttgart and Esslingen from October 29th to 31st. It is organized by a group of artists and people engaged in the cultural sector from around Stuttgart.

The Ladyfest is a platform for art, especially music, film, literature and theatre as well as for theory and practical experience of self-determined thinking and acting apart from usual male and female role-models. The goal of the Ladyfest is to create a public space free from sexism, racism and anti-Semitism in which different people can come together and spend a few days sharing experiences and strengthening the network.

The idea of the Ladyfest was born in Olympia, Washington in 2000. Activists there found it necessary to oppose the reduction of feministic issues to a few commercial slogans. Already in the early 90ties a growing scene of musicians, artists, authors, DJs and other activists formed there connected through a broad network.
The goal of this “Riot-Grrl”-movement was to do something against the lack of presence of female artists in public. Following these goals the idea of the Ladyfest was created. Starting in Olympia it found its way over Jakarta, Amsterdam, Belgium, London and Melbourne to Germany. Hamburg, Berlin and Leipzig celebrated Ladyfests last year.
goals

The term Ladyfest implies a development of the Riot-Grrl idea: In this regard a Lady is a woman demanding respect and being aware of her skills. She no longer needs to fight for acceptation. Keeping that in mind, the Ladyfest Stuttgart-Esslingen addresses itself to people of all ages, origin, culture or sex who share the idea of a self-confident feminist movement in art and activism. After making the attendants aware of the manifold forms of privileges and oppression in society those can be criticised. The centre point here is the overcoming of the assigned role for women in art: women are
mainly noticed as “pop-accessoire”, for example as consumers, dancers in front of the stage, fans, groupies, background singers and at all events as interpreters.

The Ladyfest Stuttgart-Esslingen creates opportunities for women to unfold their political, artistic and organisational abilities and encourages them to become self-confidently active in their personal and social environment. The Ladyfest also should establish and strengthen networks on all levels between people who share this common positions and so help to create the basis for a further exchange of ideas and further actions. Another goal of the Ladyfest is the recognition of the of the polarity female/male as a sociocultural
construct to establish a hierarchical society and the deconstruction of it.

Location

Stuttgart-Esslingen
Germany
48° 46' 14.4192" N, 9° 10' 24.9024" E
Date: 
10/29/2004
Image: 
Topic: 
Ladyfest