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| Jon Vincent photo |
Doing it together
With so many festivals happening this summer and you haven’t found one to go to yet – maybe this is the one. The Shout Back! Festival is an anti-capitalist, DIY, feminist, punk festival happening this August 7-10. It is organized by and for gay, trans, queer, people of colour, indigenous and/or women artists and is a celebration in smashing patriarchy. The Shout Back! Festival is a full weekend of workshops, art, live music and an anarchist book fair. With around 50 performers and bands coming as far as Texas (Thingy) and locals like Channel 3X4, there will be something for everyone, (all ages gigs using mostly venues that are accessible spaces) well, almost everyone.
“Everyone is welcome! But no jerks!” explains Selina Crammond, one of the organizers of the festival. “Shout Back! Festival started in 2012 when a couple of friends and I were standing around after a local show talking about how many rad all female and non male-identified bands there are in the city. We are also big fans of Girls Rock Camp Vancouver and thought, hey we should celebrate this growing movement and carve out more safer spaces for folks who feel uncomfortable performing and organizing shows. In addition to empowering folks who aren’t represented in mainstream music/media, Shout Back! also acts as a sort of antithesis to the growing corporatization of many arts and music events by operating on a pay-what-you-can and volunteer-run model.”
Shout Back! Fest relies on its volunteer organizers. “As a new organizer, everyone is very welcoming to new ideas, and is just very friendly in general,” tells volunteer Idris Plum, and lets on her favourite thing about the festival. “I really enjoy learning about all the new local and out-of-town bands making really, really amazing and innovative music.”
Join Shout Back August 7-10 and for more information about tickets and locations check their web page here!
- Tanya Van
