"The goals of Ladyfest are as follows: to increase the visibility of women from the Midwest working in the arts and activism; to provide an open forum for women to discuss/debate contemporary issues; to help foster and sustain the community of women in and around Chicago; to fill the streets of Chicago's Wicker Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park neighborhoods with four days of the most exciting and innovative female-driven events ever to hit Chicago," so says the mission statement posted by the organizers of Ladyfest Midwest Chicago, a four-day event featuring female performers, musicians, artists and activists.
From Thursday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 19, more than 1,000 women are expected to participate in workshops, attend performances, and view films and videos, all organized and facilitated by women from around the world.
The first Ladyfest was organized by a group of women in Olympia, Wash., last summer. It was conceived as a festival dedicated to women musicians, in an effort to create more opportunities for the many women involved in the punk and hip hop scenes in the Pacific Northwest. The festival soon expanded to include artists and workshops, and took over venues in Olympia for seven days. The Olympia organizers announced that "their" Ladyfest was planned for one year only, and encouraged other women across the world to organize their own festivals. To this end, the Olympia group has kept their planning archives online at www.ladyfest.org .
Recently, links have been added to three new Ladyfests organized for 2001: Ladyfest Midwest Chicago, a Ladyfest in Glasgow, Scotland, and Ladyfest East, set for New York City. Ladyfest Midwest Chicago organizers ( more than 30 women representing all parts of the Chicago area ) believe their participation in this movement will help focus local women to issues of gender equity and shed light on active and creative women, especially those from Chicago.
Passes are still available for this event. $70 gets you all-access to events and concerts for all four days. Most of the major concerts will happen at the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave. Individual tickets, subject to availability, will be sold at each event and workshop, however, the organizers warn that pass holders will be accommodated first. You can buy a pass at www.buyolympia.com, and general information is available at www.ladyfestmidwest.org . All proceeds benefit the Chicago Women's Health Center and Women in the Director's Chair, so buy now and buy often.
Here are some highlights of interest ( and places to catch some local women performers ) :
MUSIC
So, you all know by now that when Amy Ray has down time, she relives her punk rock days with the help of The Butchies, featuring Kaia ( of Mr. Lady Records, formerly of Team Dresch ) . You may not know that the collaboration does not end there: Thursday night, Aug. 16, features a "Mr. Lady Loves Daemon Records" night, with Amy and The Butchies sharing the stage with Tami Hart and Le Tigre. Le Tigre promises a charged, electronic performance, as Kathleen Hanna ( formerly of Bikini Kill ) works out her DJ yearnings … Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee, Thursday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.
Friday night presents a dilemma: go see the ever-elusive Barbara Manning and her weirdo-in-a-good-way folk punk, on the same bill as Nikki Mitchell, The Need ( with fat-positive activist Nomy Lamm ) and local punks Loraxx … Congress Theater, Friday, Aug. 17, 9 p.m.
…or gaze longingly at lesbian twins Tegan and Sara ( coming from a recent tour with Rufus Wainwright ) and enjoy the best from local songwriter Ellen Rosner at Schuba's … 3159 N. Southport, Friday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m. TGIF!
Saturday night is more than all right, as two blasts from the recent past fly in to the Congress. Bratmobile changed the nature of punk-pop for their fans and for hundreds of "grrls" in the 1990s. See them play in the here and now, on the same bill as no-wave dance pioneers ESG, an all-women, multi-generational collective originally from the South Bronx … Congress Theater, Sat., Aug. 18, 8 p.m.
SPOKEN WORD
Patricia Smith, Duriel Harris, and BLACKlines columnist C.C. Carter will be on the same stage, slinging out the poems and prose. Divas of the world unite … Congress Theater, Sat., Aug. 18, 6 p.m.
Scrawl is an all-girl spoken-word group from Madison, Wisc., who host open mics full of drag kings, strippers, comedians and poets … participate and see the light … Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division, Friday, Aug. 17, 10:30 p.m.
ART/PERFORMANCE
Elyce Semenec, local performance artist, has choreographed a Public Water Ballet to be performed at the Holstein Park pool, between swim sessions. Conversely, the audience is invited to cool off in the pool between performances. Semenec arranged a dance last winter that was performed in the street ( with traffic and all ) one evening at the corner of North and Western. Catch this original work before Semenec moves to Berlin, another gifted Chicagoan come and gone … Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley, Sat., Aug. 18, performances start at 11:50 a.m.
A Drumming and Performance Extravaganza will parade through Humboldt Park, led by the drumming women of Big Smith, dancers from Hedwig Dances, and ( watch out ) big puppets … Humboldt Park, North and California, Sunday, Aug. 19, 3:30 p.m.
FILM/VIDEO
Maria Troy, an assistant curator at Ohio's Wexner Center, will show women's performance videos from the 1970s, in a program called I Say I Am … Chopin Theater, Friday, Aug. 17, 3:30 p.m.
WORKSHOPS
Friday, Aug. 17:
Nance Klehm, local gardener, artist, and member of the Temporary Services group, leads a hands-on gardening workshop, where participants will "activate community land through the simple act of planting." 10 a.m., Wicker Park Fountain, near Damen and Milwaukee.
Girlzone, an Urbana, Ill.-based group that leads workshops for girls and young women on subjects that are traditionally not taught to women, teaches DIY Automobile maintenance to women of all ages and abilities. 4 p.m., Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley.
Saturday, Aug. 18:
Kinky Crafts: Cheap and Fun Ways to Enhance Your Sex Life, a workshop led by The Feminists for Fornication … 'nuff said. 2 p.m., A-Zone, 3204 W. Division.
Stitch and Bitch Circle, an opportunity for sewers, stichers, and knitters at all levels to talk shop and craft. 3 p.m., Wicker Park, near Damen and Milwaukee.
Sunday, Aug. 19:
Conquer the last "patriarchal safe space" … the Barbecue! Members of Girlzone will staff the grill at the closing picnic, and teach all interested the basics of cookin' with fire ( the picnic begins at 11 a.m. ) . 10 a.m., Humboldt Park Stables, 3000 W. Division.
These are only suggestions, as there are too many events to list. See the full schedule at www.ladyfestmidwest.org . or call ( 773 ) 489-6534.
