Midwest Music Says #MeToo. Part 2: Festivals

Across the midwest, music festivals are becoming active and vocal in their approach to ending harassment. From Minnesota to Chicago to Michigan, voices are rising and standards of appropriate behavior are being set. In part one of “Midwest Music Says #MeToo” examples were given of venues and promoters taking action, part two will address larger-scale music stepping up, festivals.

Making moves in Chicago is Our Music My Body (OMMB), a campaign by Between Friends and Rape Victim Advocates. OMMB been present at events such as Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, Pitchfork and Spring Awakening Music Festival. They are seen promoting consent to attendees at a booth but are also working behind the scenes to help venues and events form anti-harassment policies.

When Spring Awakening Music Festival (SAMF) announced they were teaming up with OMMB,  the electronic festival posted the following on their site:

“We ask that you practice active and enthusiastic consent while you are here. This means communicating, respecting, and supporting the people around you. Not only does “no mean no,” but “yes” is voluntary, clear, and mutual. Look out for your friends and fellow festival goers – and if something seems wrong, please alert festival personnel”.

Their SAMF booth featured a friendly volunteer, pins and a list of local resources for everything from homelessness to suicide prevention to sexual assault victim support.

Alongside SAMF, Galactic Get Down Festival also has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and takes a straightforward approach.

Galactic Get-Down Festival (GGD) takes place in the rolling hills of southern, Minnesota. The jam festival is hosted by Dead Larry, Seahorse Productions and Vicarious Visions.  They are all stepping up to ensure the festival is a safe space for all. Passionately taking the reigns is Jess Seahorse, born Jessica Anderson, of Seahorse Productions. She is a vocal supporter of sexual assault survivors and brings it to the forefront when considering “What makes a good festival.”

“I’ve seen first hand the damage that is caused when a person is violated at a festival…these are supposed to be safe, happy retreats from the real world. To see those spaces turned into something dark and traumatic for people is heartbreaking,” said Seahorse.  

Leading up to the August 2 – 4 music festival, GGD will be sharing posts about the importance of consent and their zero-tolerance policy. Security teams for the festival, Beefcake and SiteMed, are attentive to situations where predatory actions and vulnerable people coincide.

The event itself will have a “safe harbor.” They will have compassionate staff to listen to concerns and serve as an in-between for attendees and security. Maybe even find Jess Seahorse there, herself.

“Becoming someone that survivors feel comfortable and safe to approach for help and support is something that is extremely important to me. Once I realized how pervasive of an issue sexual assault at music festivals was, I knew we had to do better,” said Seahorse.

Individuals caught coercing or assaulting other attendees and will be banned from the event and any future events hosted by the GGD team. They will also help pursue legal action if the victim chooses.

“Music festivals absolutely saved my life and I feel compelled now to help save the scene,” said Seahorse. “Standing up to predatory behavior is the future.”

Over in Michigan, Electric Forest has been creating and improving their Plug-In Program, Her Forest. The festival put on by Madison House Productions and Insomniac Events, happens this year June 21 – 25 and June 28 – July 2 and is known for its exquisite lights, diverse lineup, friendly cops and over all attention to detail. With many claims of sexual assault surrounding festivals, Electric Forest’s acute attention has led to making sure there is a safe space for those who identify as women. 

Her Forest is a multi-level program. Women can join the Her Forest Group camp and connect with other women heading to the festival solo. The Her Forest group camp will put members in contact with each other prior to the festival, to offer a sense of familiarity when arriving to the festival.

Outside of the campgrounds, Her Forest offers two guided meditation circles hosted by Hanna Muse. One will be focused on sisterhood and the other on humanity. The circles will happen on both Fridays of Forest at 2pm at the nest in Reincarnation village. 

Her Forest will also be hosting panels with female artists, directors and media teams involved in making the Electric Forest experience come alive.

New this year are Her Forest Meetups. A Her Forest flag will wave tall at women musicians sets creating a casual way for women attendees to bond over the reason they all came, music.  The first weekend, the meet-up will be at Madam Gandhi’s set and the second weekend at CloZee’s. A sense of community is key. 

These events have shown us that there are multiple ways to address the issue of sexual assault at music festivals. We should not settle for anything less than safe for ALL.

Photo by Alycia Grace at Spring Awakening Music Festival 2018.