WHY THE WORK MATTERS

There's no hiding that our society is founded on patriarchal, capitalist, colonial, white norms.

What does this have to do with events and festivals though? Festivals and events are not created in a vacuum, they are a subset of society - a mini society if you will. And when creating a mini society, you have to recognise what the norms are and what you want to push against.

Mainstream festivals today are not actively reflecting on the systems they are operating under. Too often, companies are headed up by white men who get a large share of the profits. See how this reflects on the foundations of our society?

For social change to happen, we need to recognise the intersection where we want to see change and how to leverage that change - whether it’s acting in direct opposition, or acknowledging sections where your privilege stands, and using that as an opportunity to lift someone else up.

So, how are we acting in light of the patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism?

In prioritising and centring women, NB, and GD voices and giving them the opportunity to work in a non-patriarchal, non-hierarchical workplace, we are actively rejecting patriarchal norms and creating an inclusive environment. We are giving women, NB, and GD event workers and artists the opportunities to grow in jobs they've previously been told they are not qualified for.

When it comes to capitalism, we're still working within the constraints of needing money to operate, but we are going against the hierarchical, competitive nature that capitalism often encourages. Our structure and measures of success are not defined by raking in hella money to line our pockets. Instead, our measures of success are defined by community building, training and growth.

Addressing colonialism and white norms - we acknowledge that this business is founded by a couple of white women. We acknowledge our privilege and are actively seeking and prioritising other voices to join the conversation and pass the power we hold to.