AHA Media

Utopia Festival: Women in Digital Culture

Celebrating women in music on March 5, 2011 at Vancouver’s creative hub W2 Storyeum!

Showcase | Concert | Mobile Dance Party | Unconference | Music Maker Workshops
Showcase features 25 artists + 3 rooms | Electro | hiphop | bass |

Showcase and unconference featuring: Peaches, Tanya Tagaq, Isis Salam, Betti Forde, B-Traits, Librarian, Lynx, Zenobia Salik, She, Blondtron, Lady Lane, Tank Girl, Miss M, Just Sheila, Bles-sed, The Square Root of Evil, JNL, Miss Innocent, Tapes + more TBA. Media artists include VJ Electrabelle, Julie Gendron, Sebnem Ozpeta, Claudia Medina, and Krista Lomax.

Follow along on Twitter: @W2Utopia
Tickets available now at Beatstreet, Little Sister’s, Puff, Zulu, People’s Coop Bookstore, The Fall, W2 and online http://utopiafestival.eventbrite.com

The evening concert and showcase program is open to men and women, while the daytime is women-only. Note program subject to change.

Peaches (Berlin) by Lucia Eggenhoffer

For women interested in electronic music and media, Utopia Unconference wristbands provide all-access and 3 meals: Breakfast, Music Maker Workshops, Lunch, Mobile Dance Party, Unconference, Dinner Reception, Concert, and Showcase. We are anticipating 150 women participating in five creative streams: electro, hip hop, bass, electro-acoustic and live cinema.

Isis Salam (Toronto)

Check out this background article on Granville Online. Produced by W2, and curated by Betti Forde, Irwin Oostindie, Librarian, and Nina Mendoza.

The Festival coincides with the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day and its theme: 100 Women, 100 Artworks. Proceeds support W2’s Second Annual Girls Creative Tech Summer Camps (8-14 years).

Call for workshop proposals: DJs and live PA; media art performers & installations for this showcase of electronic leaders and emerging artists. Inquiries:irwin@creativetechnology.org or call W2 office: 604.689.9896

B-Traits (Vancouver/London) by Ryan Hodgkinson

SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 5, 2011
•    Purchase a Festival wristband if you wish to participate! Workshop details will be coming soon.
•    Unconference registration table opens 9am
•    Youth delegates welcome 9am-9pm
•    Childcare provided on-site 9am-9pm
•    While the unconference and workshops are open to women only, for everything else men are welcome.

10am-12noon Morning Music-Making Workshops Hands-on creative technology workshops electronic music production, turntabling, video production, music journalism. All levels of experience welcome including youth (15-19 year olds)

12 – 1pm Lunch

12:30 – 2:00 Mobile Dance Party

Public, free. Meet at Broadway skytrain 12:30pm for a live pirate radio broadcast and dance party down Commercial Drive in celebration of the 100th anniversary International Women’s Day Parade.

2-8pm Unconference

2:00 – registration opens

2:30 conference welcome

2:45 opening keynote

3:00 opening panel

3:45 open space intro

3:45 coffee break provided by W2 media cafe

4:00  open space sessions I + II – (5 concurrent)

6:00 production workshops (5 parallel streams: electro; bass; hip hop; electro-acoustic, live cinema)

7:00-8:00pm dinner reception

Tanya Tagaq by Brandon Wu photography

8pm Evening Program

Keynote address: Peaches (Berlin) and music by Tanya Tagaq (NWT) with guests, plus Women Writers – readings in association with W2 Real Vancouver Writer’s Series.

10:30pm Showcase!

Electro, Bass, Hip Hop starring Peaches, Isis Salam, Betti Forde, Librarian, Lynx, Tanya Tagaq, Zenobia, B-Traits, DJ She, Tank Girl, plus more! Media artists include VJ Electrabelle, Julie Gendron, Sebnem Ozpeta, Claudia Medina, and Krista Lomax.