The rising consciousness regarding music festivals' alleged bias against women artists, given the male-dominated lineups, has given birth to various criticisms. The Guardian shows what happens when you remove acts that include males. What are we left with? Not much.
The Glastonbury festival is this year's game changer. The five-day contemporary arts fest is already popular for its accommodating lineup, setting itself apart from other festivals that showcase only music by embracing other types of performance: comedy, theater—you name it. It is also relatively more gender-balanced.
Things just got better. For this year, they have announced a women-only venue and they're calling it The Sisterhood. Now before you fret, they actually define 'woman' as any attendee who identifies as a woman: "intersectional, queer, trans and disability-inclusive space open to all people..." Everyone in the "hidden" Shangri La zone, from the security guards down to the performers, will all be females.
Will there be drastic changes? Not really. The Sisterhood promises everything from live music, DJs, bass, pop, to punk and funk. Add to that workshops on diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality. There will also be a DIY power tools workshop courtesy of Rhi Jean. The Love In, a forum dedicated for black women, will be taking place on the festival's Sunday. Daily dance classes will also be offered.
The organizers told NME that this effort is formed out of the belief that spaces made for the sole benefit of women "are necessary in a world that is still run by and designed to benefit mainly men. Oppression against women continues in various manifestations around the world today, in different cultural contexts."
This is a great effort, of course, but questions should be asked after all this: while creating an all-female space is a great response to the industry's alleged patriarchy, doesn't this exoticize women participation instead of normalizing it? We'll see in a few years.
Tickets for Glastonbury 2016 are sold-out
Photo credit: Glastonbury / Website