LOTL speaks with Amy Broomstick about the festival, community, and female empowerment.

First and foremost, we’d like to know where, when, and how much this event would cost. In what type of venue is Grrl Fest held?

For the past two years, Grrl Fest (GF) has been held in underground warehouse venues and changes every year. Currently, I am in negotiations with the KO-OP and on the brink of confirming an amazing, huge warehouse in the CBD! Two stories, big dance floor, art rooms and workshop spaces. As the venue is almost confirmed I can’t give away the date yet either sorry! But mid-Feb is definitely when Grrl Fest will be returning. The event itself is an all-day and night event for just $15/$20.

What types of activities can participants expect during Grrl Fest? Music? DIY activities? Food stalls? 

Where do I start! Grrl Fest is a multi-platform arts event. So you can expect a great variety of music, ranging from punk to soul, and booty to garage. Last year Reverse Butcher curated a spoken word stage, and Emile Minx was the sparkly MC of the sensational late-night cabaret. We will be holding an art exhibition, showing works from local and interstate artists such as Tiera Boo. Grrl Fest is also an event that is designed to engage with local communities and encourage networks. So having a stall market, zines and workshops are a very important aspect of that. And catering to a diverse range of people is also a very important and challenging aspect!

Last year we had Casey from Knit Your Revolt teaching her unique counter-culture knitting tactics, alongside the “Wheel of Kink” – a (PG) Dominatrix run, interactive game. We hope to incorporate more community-led workshops in the future.

What inspired you to produce Grrl Fest?

There were a number of factors contributing to my deciding to single-handedly produce a festival! I have been a passionate events producer for 6 years, focusing on social justice issues. In 2010 I travelled to Kuching Borneo and met some incredible women who told me about their chapter of the international movement “Lady Fest”. I was inspired, but not yet committed to the idea. I continued travelling on my own, and long story short was assaulted walking home late one night. The experience gave me no physical scars, but I was left feeling alone, disconnected, disempowered and most of all completely unsupported. And it struck me that it was actually my destiny to create a feminist festival that strengthened our networks and communities, that brought together all of the amazing women I already knew to make us even stronger.

And of course, this coupled with the fact that all major Australian festivals have an average of 10% female musicians and artists booked is my ongoing inspiration to turn the tables on the male-centric art and music industry.

After doing a little bit of searching, I see that not only are you the director of this event, you are also a performer, known as Bam Bam! Will we see any of Bam Bam’s exciting acts in the upcoming event?

Ahh, well you never know! I am usually running in a million directions the day of Grrl Fest, so performing would be a fantastic luxury. But maybe a more realistic idea for future Grrl Fest’s when I have learnt to give the reigns to others and sit back and enjoy it a bit more. My performance certainly draws upon my feminist ethics in a pretty wild way, so I would love to perform at Grrl Fest one day as Bam Bam.

On your website, it states that you have recently co-produced and performed at the Found Festival. Is this festival something that you have drawn inspiration from for Grrl Fest?

I draw inspiration from all of the “Power-Babes” in my life, and the Director of Found Audrey Hulm is certainly a constant source of that! Found Festival inspired me greatly to keep on pushing the envelope with Grrl Fest and keep on expanding. And in return, it was actually Grrl Fest that inspired Audrey to create Found! She came up to me at the end of GF 2013 and said “I’m doing it, we need to talk business”. This is exactly why we need events like this because they give people permission to go off and create their own dream events/happenings/movements. The more empowered we are as individuals, the more we intrinsically support each other to out and conquer the patriarchy.

What do you feel you have learned about yourself and the surrounding female-identifying community in the past Grrl Fest events?

Great question. The year after the first Grrl Fest I learnt so much about the local and global “female-identifying” community. I was also instantly expected to speak for “feminism” with authority and wisdom, because apparently when you put on an event that celebrates women you have to become everyone’s Feminist Oracle. I realised that I had a responsibility to be informed and aware of how Grrl Fest might affect different aspects of surrounding communities. I had to do my research. I had to acknowledge my privileges and make time and effort to listen to the communities around me. Unfortunately, spaces that celebrate women have historically excluded trans women, women of colour, and generally women not from the middle classes. I learnt that there is still a real fear that these spaces will still discriminate against some women, so I did a lot of listening and learning to try to figure out how to move forward with all of our sisters and heal the damage of the past. Grrl Fest is very explicitly and proudly open to trans women, and more than that really. It’s about this space (GF) being their/your space too, a space where all women will be valued and celebrated.

On your Facebook page, you note that “GRRL FEST is an inclusive safe space for all who wish to be involved.” This wonderfully includes a large number of communities. How does Grrl Fest celebrate all of these different types of people? 

I try to program as diversely as possible, not just with musical and artistic taste, but also prioritising different groups that are often overlooked or under-valued. It’s certainly hard as one person, trying to have the broadest reach possible, but there has been a great response in the past of the variety and diversity seen at Grrl Fest on and off stage. And I only want to make that better. The idea of a “safe space” is so much more complex than I realised when I first started this project. You actually can’t please everyone, or create the perfect festival for each and every attendee, but if you come from a place of respect and humility you can just keep working towards that perfection! Grrl Fest operates from a “zero-tolerance” to any form of discrimination framework. This goes for the people performing and presenting work, and for the attendees. And the responses to Grrl Fest have been overwhelmingly positive, with the vibe being that of a fun, safe, vibrant and respectful atmosphere.

Lastly, what does female empowerment mean to you, and what does it look like in your life?

I think I need another coffee for this question! Wow. Well, female empowerment is having personal and political freedom. Freedom of choice and movement, which also means being free of violence, oppression and constant judgement. Empowerment to me is ownership of our bodies and lives, to have equal opportunity and a voice that is valued and listened to. Female Empowerment is addressing your own privileges and empowering your sisters along the way.

In my life, I suppose this looks like Grrl Fest. That is the ultimate goal of course.