Interviews with the creators of U.K Ladyfest Promotional

2001-2008Artwork

Interviews edited by: Heather Crabtree & Melanie Maddison ncing Women'sFires' London, Press, 1987 p21)

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Too much of women’s history has been forgotten, especially on a grass-roots, alternative or everyday level. We hoped to try and hopedWe try level. to everyday or alternative Too grass-roots, aon especiallyhas beenmuch of women’s history forgotten, languagegraphic Ladyfes shaped the of who importantly those of many as finding and contacting towards us would take that leads role the of awareness People and articulate collection I passionate spoke ofhad that interviews this informed, to within such fest city’s their of representation an important was were able to artwork meto talk about and others’ how their own, felt they and s upon ‘appropriate’ impacting this responsibilities or gender and political influences regional, cultural, and social, the in a andallowing this coming this project collectionManythem for - together, were whomthankful of the artists I interviewed Many womenachwork. claimed opportunity they of had this was that toreceived the in terms reallyfirst think about work their before nothad but product, aesthetic an solely as or sake, arts for was art hadnot just work known their Many artists of the to voices for opportunities offered has collection this am pleasedthat I collective. understandings beyond own their Ladyfest abo to think whilst work, also allowing and had those analysedwho their reassessed re-evaluated, not before for an opportunity individualcrea our each of in which ways and the hadcomebefore, that traditions the of think to or work, applicable their to not Theonly artwork encouragingholds and individuala political of celebrating crediting, – inpurpose terms and independent un an and developmentof be an awareness to appears there interviews Within these Ladyfest(s). whenrepresenting responsibility wit the discussion beingisevent much butnot just there of a a music communitya festival, event, Therefore, political event. an politics, diversity, regarding concern of areas and problems confront to attempting promotional artwork and representational participants. potential audienceof diverse and range a wider, to cater political the zine about this for me with spoke 2005 inspiringly Brighton Ladyfest from Laura Guy point, on this Interestingly knowledgeandskills, bythe utilizing that She claims within). presentations and art interviews chronologicalexplored in the eachis addsheld, something it importantly festival by it to community, community to festival, built festival ago from This identity, 15 years and changed.” shifting never started promoted to avie ‘traditional in that and maybe manyways “conform” represented individual,do not differing necessarily ways; andgrow shif to the ‘format’ and allows interesting, which is the years over created) artwork via the (as represented of scope we wou bewhatever can that an event towards could be growth viewed The a progression learningas festival’s mistakes. its from and female inspiring talents and celebrating encouraging, in and promoting, role andin female empowerment regains an interest and fo subject designs, techniques, in the can be viewed festival the of ideasfoci and and alternative and shifts, Differences knowledges skills, and divergent with backgrounds, different people range of from vast aof work the to eachpiece contributing have to do things in the rigid rigid the in things do to have

don’t Melanie Maddison. February 2007, Leeds UK. LeedsUK. 2007, Melanie Maddison. February

and creates the potential for the ideas, views and views the ideas, the potential for and creates festival promotion, where art, us that shows adyfest,

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ed or adopted by a larger and more diverse population. diverse and more larger a adopted by ed or

ude of individual and independent images on fliers, posters, posters, individual udeof andindependent images on fliers,

this self-produced zine goes someway towards that. that. towards goes someway zine self-produced this Ladyfest Leeds Ladyfest Ladyfest Exeter Ladyfest Ladyfest Exeter Ladyfest Ladyfest Bristol Ladyfest Ladyfest Bristol Ladyfest Ladyfest Dublin Dublin Ladyfest Ladyfest Cardiff Cardiff Ladyfest Ladyfest London London Ladyfest Ladyfest London London Ladyfest Ladyfest Brighton Ladyfest Ladyfest Leicester Leicester Ladyfest Ladyfest Manchester Ladyfest Manchester Ladyfest Newcastle Ladyfest Ladyfest Cambridge Ladyfest Ladyfest Nottingham Ladyfest Ladyfest Birmingham Ladyfest Ladyfest Bournemouth Ladyfest 2007 2003 2004 2003 2007 2004 2006 2002 2008 2005 2007 2006 2007 20?? Ladyfest Your City? City? Your Ladyfest 20?? 2003 – Ladyfest Scotland (Glasgow) – Ladyfest 2007 2004 2006 2001

Importantly, for me, this shifting representation of Ladyfest, this developing and constantly moving awareness and focus allows and focus awareness moving constantly anddeveloping this Ladyfest, of representation shifting me, this for Importantly, be challenged, adapt widened to production out, cultural and feminist art, voices, women’s women, feminism, of representation multit the within and representation presentation of and aesthetics styles modes, ways, alternative Thevast utilization of the programmes, websites, and beyond about L visual languagethat and ultimately shifting creates are collected this here, the that u andencourage teach which can action DIY/independent gamut of amongst the is Ladyfest involved, is andorganising, creativity individual creative, own Our way. ‘appropriate’ or ‘acceptable’ / we that ‘accepted’ have been / is the ‘done’ taught structure hoped is that It encourage. to and important celebrate, to Important important. as just and valid, as just are routes practiced

Ladyfest Scotland 2001

Monika Gromek

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Created artwork for: Ladyfest Scotland

Age: 27

Occupation: graphic designer

Contact: [email protected]

How did you first become aware of and get involved with Ladyfest? Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. A friend told me about it and we went along to a meeting. There was no one Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others doing the graphic design so I volunteered. have deviated. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and decision? with the images you produced for Ladyfest? I think its 'traditional'. I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to show visually I think we had about 9 months. I was taking a year out of art school, what the festival represents?! working in a skateboard shop and travelling a bit, so I had loads of time to sketch and come up with stuff. Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest? Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the Yes, all of the above :) female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and why? racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? I think it’s logical to use imagery which show visually what ladyfest is. Then if someone sees the poster and doesn’t have a clue what ladyfest is or Well my initial design was white crossbones on navy blue background which can’t read English then it'll explain to them and they might get into it. We was meant to look like the Scottish flag. So maybe patriotism came into it a had a tiny riot girl scene up here so we couldn't be all cool and obscure and bit. Racial/Cultural diversity... I didn’t think about it. I don’t think the we wanted to appeal to anyone who was into girl fronted music or wanted to character is a particular race. give it a try but maybe hadn't heard of any of the bands. Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? I have a style of comic character I draw so the ladyfest girl came from that. I wanted her to be tough, riot girl looking and show music too, so I reflected I'd done comics and sketches but nothing on this scale. a girl playing guitar in her sunglasses. It also went along with the theme of girls watching girls. The skull and crossbones thing was popular amongst If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled riot girls then (now 6 years later mainstream fashion has caught up with us! and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? :)) Yes, I think doing this gave me so much more confidence in my work. What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? images / logos? Well I'm a full time graphic designer now so I do this kind of thing all the The Scotland Ladyfest had an interesting audience as it was the first time now and I suppose it was ladyfest that started me off doing graphic ladyfest after Olympia and the only one in Europe so we had the honour of design :) having lots of different nationalities travel across the world to come to our ladyfest. We knew they were coming as we received so many emails and As Glasgow was the first UK ladyfest did you want the artwork and enquiries. There was a massive buzz about it. Also the line-up probably sold representations to follow and be similar to Olympia ethos and what had gone it much better than my design :) But apart from the hardcore riot grrls who before? Did you want a very familiar ‘Ladyfest / Olympian’ feel to your festival travelled across the world we wanted to appeal to our prospective audience since, I seem to remember reading at the time that the core organisers of in Scotland. LFScotland had returned from LFOlympia 2000 with the idea of bringing LadyFest to the UK – did you want to bring that culture, that aesthetic alive in Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular your artwork for the festival? message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic value? I think we just wanted a riot grrl feel to it with a Scottish twist.

I just wanted to show a tough confident girl who's into good music and Were you conscious or aware at the time of what you were doing (in terms of breaks the stereotype. creating the first images in the UK that would communicate and represent LF to a whole bunch of people; people perhaps ‘new’ to the idea of a ‘feminist festival’ focussing on the talents of women) and how it may influence, or become a catalyst for future ladyfest interest, promotion, and artwork?

Well when I heard we were the only ones in Europe I was aware that the design had to appeal to different nationalities and in Scotland we were trying to get more people into it. I didn’t think about how it would influence future ladyfests...we didn’t even know if there would be anymore, although we hoped so.

As the first UK Ladyfest did you feel that you had almost a ‘blank canvas’ to work on, since Ladyfest was a new idea to majority of UK? Did that freedom allow you to go with, and create any images you wanted to as it’d never been done / used before? Was this a creative period with a feeling of great potential for unique creativity?

Yeah I felt like I had a blank canvas so it let me be as creative as I wanted.

it would influence“I didn’t thinkfuture about ladyfests... how We didn’t even know if there would be

anymore, although we hoped so.

Was it difficult to approach UK/Scottish audiences with this new ‘idea’ of a Did this influence your specific logo design (skull and crossbones face festival? – did you feel you had to incorporate that struggle/resistance into a mirroring guitar wielding ladies)? strong aesthetic and logo that effectively communicated the festival and thus

‘win over’ a potential audience?? I think any imagery that portrays strong capable women is good for

feminism. Yes I think it was quite difficult. There weren't many people into that scene up here. I think there had to a careful balance of feminism and music/style I have recently spoken with you about the fact that the organisers at ladyfest in the visuals because too much of either would put certain people off and Scotland were so busy with the actual festival itself that you didn’t manage to we wanted to get people in the door to experience it. archive a lot of things/images/materials from your Ladyfest. Is the legacy and

brilliance of what you created and produced something that you now realise What do you think the role of feminist activism/awareness is in (and/or as) as important, culturally and politically, historically and artistically? art? Why thank you. I didn’t really hear much about it after our ladyfest was over, although we did receive some amazing emails telling us how it had changed their life which made it all worthwhile. I'm sure there is an archive somewhere... I hope! And I would like to think our ladyfest was all those things you mentioned, and I suppose you are now documenting it... So that makes you the one doing something historically and culturally important. :) x

It was Ladyfest that started me off doing graphic design

Doing this gave me so much more confidence in my work

.

Ladyfest London 2002

Xtina Lamb

Location: London created website for: Ladyfest London 2002

Age: 38

Occupation: Web Designer & Illustrator

I respect the political and intelligent aspects of Ladyfest

I don't think the website took more than about 2 days to build, though this was probably stretched over a few weeks as content was sent to me. Other than being aware of the Olympia and Glasgow events, I didn't know a great deal about Ladyfest before designing the site. I chose to make it look very girly, retro and not too slick, mainly that just felt right at the time and it was nice to not be doing something business oriented like my normal work. I I can't remember who first approached me to do the Ladyfest London wanted it to be upbeat and useful. Maybe the look was attempting to reflect website, but assume it was via zine / small press contacts. It came at a time something of the attitude I saw coming across in publications like Bust when I was recovering from being very ill in hospital and was taking time out magazine, which is very eclectic. The pink theme was just to be a bit tongue from work. I was very happy to support the festival but wasn't able to leave in cheek. A festival that wants to be taken overly seriously might not want to the house much at that time and didn't make it to any of the Ladyfest use default girl colours so much but I slapped pinks all over it. I respect the events. This didn't bother me though as I didn't feel the need to be involved political and intelligent aspects of Ladyfest, but assumed that if the in that way. I was pleased that a group of people had been motivated organisers had wanted something less whimsical, they wouldn't have come enough to make it happen, and I wished them well with it. The website was to me. The sleepover photo from a 50s teenager annual went in as it's less an easy thing I could do to help. staid than a picture of a hotel. I have a big library of that kind of stuff.

Ladyfest London 2002

Rachel

Location: London

Created artwork for: Ladyfest London 2002

Age: 29

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Rachel, how are you? So I think that sums up what we were going for with that design. Our other design, the lady-face is a really nice looking thing, but for me it’s not as Hi, I’m good thanks. meaningful as the microphone. Plus the face has quite a young, feminine, conventionally-attractive, white look to it, and don’t we see enough pretty How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? white girls already? To me Ladyfest should be challenging narrow representations of women. But from a design point of view it was quite I honest can’t remember how I heard about Ladyfest, possibly from people I striking whereas the microphone was always being mistaken for a vibrator… knew through doing my zine (The Pamzine), but I went to the Scotland one so I think our design came about more from wanting to reflect the festival in 2001 and it was amazing. The Gossip played in London about a week than wanting to keep within the conventions of Ladyfest. Plus there hadn’t after it and I picked up a flier at the gig appealing for people to help been many Ladyfests back then so maybe convention was less obvious. organise a Ladyfest London, and I just though, yes please.

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? Ladyfest should be challenging narrow

I really spent a lot of time working on the images for Ladyfest, probably more time than I should have! But as I was in the early stages of my PhD research at the time I had a lot of time on my hands, ha ha. At the outset I volunteered to design a logo, and I was on the merchandise committee What do you think / dorepresentations you hope your designs “say” of to women. the Ladyfest because I wanted to make t-shirts and badges plus I was responsible for audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind making the festival programme. I also made some of our fliers and info when you were coming up with the images / logos? leaflets and that kind of thing. Designing the logo took the most time, because it was so important to how we portrayed ourselves publicly we all I wanted my designs to say, ‘this is a proper event, properly organised and had to agree on it. It went through a lot of different versions and even after it’s gonna be really fucking cool’. That’s why I wanted something semi-slick two separate votes we still couldn’t agree on one definitive version, so we looking, not something that looked like an amateurish doodle. However, it’s used the same basic text design throughout but had two little pictures (the hard to say whether the audience see/saw it that way. I think if it looks too main one, a woman’s face which was designed by Xtina Lamb, who also did professional you risk putting people off because they suspect some kind of our website, and an alternative one which was of a hand holding a corporate/commercial involvement and thus they question the authenticity of microphone which I designed) which we swapped between. the festival. I guess the audience I was aiming for was other feminist music fans who weren’t already in the know about Ladyfest, plus the logo also Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote gets seen by a second audience which is fund-giving bodies and potential Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the advertisers/sponsors. I guess for them the smarter the look the better, but I female form / guitars / musical references. definitely wasn’t thinking of those people when I worked on any of my To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and designs. why? Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / DIY / Personally, I was very sensitive to what images we used and particularly ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued what was in our logo. I did want it to represent the festival’s content or at this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. Where do you think least its ethos. I think I originally wanted the logo to be more of a nod your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious decision? towards 70s feminism – I like all those women’s symbols with fists in them kinda things – because part of our festival was recognising where we’ve I think we’re confusing two slightly different concepts here – an ethos of come from in terms of feminist activism/arts. Anyway, no one else was very DIY/radicalism and an aesthetic. Ladyfest London was totally embracing the keen on that so one of the other ladies, Ilona, suggested something else ethos, we did everything ourselves, but we did deviate at times from the (and I dug out the email for you…) She said, aesthetic in the way we presented ourselves visually. I think that when it’s “I like the roundness of the logo…not sure about the women’s done well the DIY/punk cut’n’paste type look can look amazing, but done symbol. How about a fist holding a microphone? This covers poorly I feel it can cheapen your project – be it a zine or a Ladyfest – music, being heard, spoken word (ok not really the art and film because it looks a mess. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment or a giant aspect), but is quite positive and sums up the ladyfest ethos of budget to make something that looks nice – most of these cut and paste giving women a ‘voice’ (literal or metaphorical). If you think this is things are word-processed, they’re just cut up afterwards. I just prefer a crap idea/looks crap, let me know…gently.” something that hasn’t been cut up. I don’t think rejecting that aesthetic means you reject the ethos – just because you’ve made your festival programme using a desktop publisher doesn’t mean your festival’s not a predominantly white, Western phenomenon. This was definitely something radical or you’re not DIY. I still think most of our visual material looked pretty we discussed when we were organising the festival, though not in terms of homemade, but definitely less DIY than some of the other Ladyfests’, and our visual representation, but I don’t feel the issue was ever satisfactorily this was absolutely a conscious decision. Not all of our fliers were in the resolved (if, indeed it could be). I think this is part of a much larger debate ‘house style’, some of them were DIY/cut’n’paste, but on the whole I was that feminism has been addressing since the 1970s. You can’t represent keen that we had a coherent/recognisable look and that it was clean and ‘woman’ because women are different, there isn’t just one woman who striking. I honestly don’t know how successful or popular this was. Like I stands for everyone – which is why a logo with a woman in it is always said before, if your look is too professional people are suspicious and you going to come against this problem. In terms of the images we used in our run the risk of being indistinguishable from events that aren’t fliers/programme etc, looking at them now they are mostly white – even the alternative/radical in any way. cartoon pictures that Lucy Sweet and Rachael House drew to illustrate the programme. So to summarise I/we were conscious of representing cultural diversity but mostly we didn’t.

Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which?

No, not really. Personally my favourite kinds of art are ones that are quite graphicy – comic book art, instructional art and people like Barbara Kruger and Bridget Riley. I like images that have been reduced down to two colours, or look like they’ve been photocopied. I’m not sure this constitutes an aesthetic tradition but those kinds of things do crop up a lot in the stuff I make/made.

Have you ever done any artistic/creative work like this before? If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work?

No. Ladyfest gave me an opportunity to make posters, fliers, pamphlets, all sorts that other people would see. It’s not like it was art for arts sake, but it was one of the elements of being involved in ladyfest that I enjoyed the most. Before that I had my zine, which I love doing the design parts of, but through Ladyfest I got to make different things like a big banner with our logo on and posters of all our heroines to decorate the venue where we had our benefit gigs that kind of thing, so yes, Ladyfest did give me a supportive outlet for all that.

Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) You archived a lot of arts and promotional material from Ladyfest London in influenced your designs for Ladyfest? the Women’s Library. How important to you is the preservation and documentation of that which has been created (artistically, and otherwise) in I’m not really sure whether my personal interests/politics were somehow the name of Ladyfest? manifested visually in the designs I did for Ladyfest, unless you consider an obsessional hatred of serified fonts to be a lifestyle choice. It’s very important, I think, to preserve and record things like Ladyfest. Part of the reason I feel so strongly about this is that when I was doing my MA To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and dissertation about riot grrrl it was nearly impossible to get hold of any riot racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this a conscious grrrl zines from the early 1990s. I didn’t know anyone in the scene at the aim within your design and creative process? time so I didn’t really have a way in. that’s why I initially thought it would be Well, I have already discussed my feelings towards our ‘lady-face’ logo good to donate an archive of zines we collected through Ladyfest to the earlier, so I do think that it’s extremely relevant for Ladyfests to try and Women’s Library, so hopefully they would be more accessible to people in represent diversity. I don’t know to what extent we accomplished this – in the future as well as providing evidence of women’s lives and alternative terms of race and ethnicity neither our festival line-up nor audience cultural production. reflected the diversity of women of London – but then in general Ladyfest is The example of the riot grrrl zines made me realise in a more immediate way festivals for years to come and thus create a lasting impression and memory.) how easily women’s movements and achievements can be hidden/erased did this place a pressure on your designs and creations? from history – and riot grrrl was less than ten years old at the time. You can see it even more with punk and even in the recent Britpop history writing. Not a pressure exactly, but it was a sense of responsibility, and even now I We can’t rely on anyone else to remember and celebrate what the women now where all the mistakes are in the programme and it really irritates me I were up to in any given cultural scene because chances are even if there didn’t spot them before it went to the printers. I honestly don’t know how were women present in the scene at the time, a decade later they’ll be much my designs will shape how Ladyfest London is remembered, possibly written out. This is why I included a folder of information/documentation of they are more important to people who didn’t actually attend seeing as they Ladyfest stuff with the zine archive. With Ladyfest there’s not much won’t have memories of the event itself. ‘mainstream’ press documentation of it at all, so it’s crucial it’s recorded somewhere for posterity. I don’t want the NME’s cursory version to be the As a fellow member of the anally-retentive club, I appreciate what you mean only record of what we did that’s available to the general public! when you said to me before this interview, that at the time you were the only The archive at the Women’s Library is still being added to – you can send one who was being most anal about how you presented yourselves visually. them your zines to be included in it. I sent them the Unskinny Bop zine and What were your particular concerns regarding how the festival was visually they exhibited it in their ‘What Women Want’ exhibition earlier this year, presented and communicated, and how promo images would be ‘read’? which was amazing because for once I felf like, you know, I’m being represented. I just didn’t want our fliers or our logo to put across a message of mediocrity. I wanted them to look, you know, good, because the ‘look’ of There appeared to be a consistent Ladyfest image throughout the whole of these things does affect your impression of an event. With a Ladyfest you’re Ladyfest London i.e. similar logos were used on the majority of promotional not only promoting a gig or a festival but a philosophy – feminism, material. Was it a conscious decision to have a ‘brand’ logo that ran empowerment, resistance, lots of lady-based fun – and how can you do throughout, providing continuity and recognisability of your festival? that with a shoddy image? I mean, you’re already faced with enough barriers because people tend to think feminist/women’s events are Yes, absolutely. We did a lot of events in the run up to the actual festival dull/worthy/uncool, so don’t make the situation worse by producing fliers and we felt it was important for people to know they were linked and that by that look crap. That was my thinking anyway, and I’m not sure (m)any others the time the festival happened they would know what it was. I’m not sure attached the same level of importance to it. how well this worked because the most public form of message spreading Obviously, whatever meanings you attach to your own image you can’t we did, i.e. fliers, were quite varied in style. ‘Branding’ seems like quite a predict or control how they will be read by other people so I’d be interested dubious term to describe this process, because it’s so associated with to know how Ladyfest London was perceived visually. I have to admit that corporate marketing and consumerism which is what Ladyfest is partly our t-shirts at least were not at all popular (but I still don’t know whether defined in opposition to, but I think when you’ve only got limited resources this was because of the design or some other factor) whereas I know that it makes sense for something like ladyfest to put out a coherent image, just Ladyfest Scotland the year before us sold about 5 times as many shirts and so people know it’s you. theirs had a much more traditionally DIY/punk look to them. But then, you know, we sold out every night of the festival so who knows what effects our visual representation rally had.

You designed the main part of the Ladyfest Logo, a process that you We can’t rely on anyone else to described as ‘arduous’, and explained that the festival never settled on just one design, so had two. In working collaboratively with teems of other remember and celebrate what the creatives at an event such as Ladyfest, how difficult is it to agree on aspects such as design and representation when there are so many individuals to women were up to in any given please, and to represent via a logo? Which designs were settled on, and how was this compromise and decision reached? cultural scene Did you feel your design(s), ideas and creativity was compromised by working collectively, and by undertaking arduous design processes and re- drafting? You were involved in the design of the Ladyfest London fliers and the festival programme. In truth then you were an integral part of how Ladyfest was It was difficult for us to agree on the final design(s) of the logo – we had a promoted and advertised, and also how it will be remembered (since festival vote via our email list, and then for some reason we had a second vote, I programmes are generally something that are most commonly saved from can’t remember why exactly but it was all slightly messy and in the end we decided to use the lady-face version as our “official” logo but to use the microphone design as a secondary one for merchandise and so on. Most of the other designed items, like fliers or the programme weren’t decided by With a Ladyfest you’re not only committee – they were just done because they had to be done, we didn’t have time to agree on every little thing, and mostly (though I hate to admit it) it didn’t matter. I guess the fact that we did have different styles of fliers promoting a gig or a festival but a meant that everyone’s aesthetic predilections got catered for at some point! As for the second part of the question – I think my designs were only philosophy – feminism, empowerment, improved by collaboration and input from others in the group, so no, I didn’t feel anything was compromised in the least. resistance, lots of lady-based fun – and

It’s been a pleasure [to be interviewed for this zine]. I haven’t really talked about feminism at all – like whether collaborative ways of creating or how can you do that with a shoddy consciously rejecting a professional/slick look and embracing amateurism subvert patriarchal ideas about ‘the artist’ as a lone genius… but I think I’ve wittered on for long enough at the moment. Do keep in touch. Rachel. x image? I mean, you’re already faced

with enough barriers because people tend to think feminist/women’s events are dull/worthy/uncool, so don’t make the situation worse by producing fliers

that look crap.

Ladyfest Manchester 2003

Humey saeed

Location: Manchester

created posters for: lf Manchester

age: 27

Occupation: student

Contact : [email protected]

Hi Humey, how are you? going on without specifically prioritising a particular facet/moment of the festival. On the flyer there were a few workshop/ performance/ band names Sleepy! Perpetually. that were put on it just to give people an idea of what kind of thing would be going on and catch attention. The picture on the flyer was from Dorothy How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? Gambrell's comic and I liked it because it was a girl pamphletting and shouting out which I thought looked twee but political too. The other side of A random internet search led me to lf Olympia then soon after to lf Glasgow. the flyer had our logo and a 'ladyfest is' blurb, I remember a lot of work I was friends with Clare when her and Heena started planning lf Manchester. going into the wording and consideration of the blurb. I talked to them at lf London about doing a body image workshop then went I wanted to use images that looked strong and fun, but in a lot of ways the away travelling. When I came back I went to a couple of meetings about the 'feministix' 'politix' 'comix' were as important as the images because it was workshop and found myself sucked in to loads of other stuff! playful and straight to the point. I think with the posters, the images were very much desperate filler, I used what I could get my hands on. But the How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and image on the flyer was more thought through, I liked it because the flyer was with the posters you produced for Ladyfest? our pubicity propaganda and the image of the girl is like her handing out propaganada too. It fits. There wasn't much time to be honest though they took up a lot of time because I’d never really done posters before. It’s a bit hazy now but I remember lots of all nighters trying to figure out quark xpress so I could email the posters to the printers. I was still based in Birmingham and the printers were in Manchester so I couldn't do manual cut and paste jobs. I “I was quite resistant to ladyfest was involved with other elements of organising for the festival so didn't have much time on my hands because of that. I think that probably shows in the looking like a music festival rather poster & flyer I did! than a feminist arts/politics festival”

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs & posters have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / why? ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. On the posters and flyer I did I used female characters from comics. I was Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious putting together the comic art exhibit for the festival so had a lot to choose decision? from. I think I just wanted to use feisty/quirky looking characters rather than ones playing music as I was quite resistant to ladyfest looking like a music I think the posters/flyer I did were pretty diy! I’m better at posters these days festival rather than a feminist arts/politics festival. Because to me ladyfest but I probably would never have started doing them at all if they weren't isn't specifically about music, I guess it also didn't occur to make the needed for lfm. The images got emailed, on my computer they were a lot poster/flyer have musical references. more lined up but something slipped in transit so they look even more ramshackle than they were! I guess it's kind of charming. What do you think your posters “said” to the Ladyfest audience, or Design aside, I like how they were printed in just 2 colours, on earthy prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you recycled paper. This was something we all discussed as a group and were coming up with the posters? decided we didn't want to go for anything too glossy and produced. We also wanted to use and support the community focused printers. I think I think my poster and flyer said 'diy baby' or something to that effect. I ladyfest Manchester was a very diy festival because of the approach of cringe to look at them now because they were so shoddy! I didn't think of most of us involved and I guess that was reflected in the publicity we audience when I did the posters, I mainly thought of deadline! produced.

Did you want to create posters that had any particular message (about To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic value? racial diversity in its promotional images? Was this a conscious aim within On the posters, behind the female figure I did a list of the acts/ artists/ your creation of posters? workshops/ performances that were going to be a part of the festival and mixed them all up in a long list - the intention was to show how much was I think it's very relevant and important though I’m not sure how much this is and comics seen as a boys' passtime only. In the spirit of (re)claiming that reflected in the posters I did. I think I have become more aware of this is so prevalent in feminist ethos, it was quite a perfect style of art to exhibit. importance since and because of lfm. Though I like the minimalist, diy style In fitting in with the diy-ness of the festival, a wall of the exhibition was of them, I can see how it could appeal to a limited cross section of people reserved for comics produced by the comic art workshop participants so already familiar with such a style. new work could be showcased. Looking back, I’m glad we didn't use images of musicians because, as well How did you decide upon which comics to use in your posters? as labelling the event as a music one, it may have put across an image of a (supposed) archetypal female music fan. On publicity like this, how do you It was a random choice I think, the cat and girl image was used for reasons outlined above and the depict racial/cultural diversity? It’s a tough one. I see city council adverts other two because they were images of women on their own that looked striking enough to stand out on a poster and I thought they were cool images, as in I liked them a lot. There wasn't that and posters in banks and they just smack of tokenism, there has to be a much time for reasoning! woman in a shalwar kameez, or one who appears to be of African descent. But I think ideally, finding an image that wasn't of a woman would be ideal Was your use of comics art, specifically that by Barbara Stok and Lorna Miller, used with the agreement of the artists? as it resists typecasting in any way. I can't really remember...I think Lorna Miller had said we could use her images however we wanted Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? but I don't remember with Barbara Stok. Dorothy Gambrell was fine with it. I think there may have been a question regarding use of images for publicity on the artists submission form we used.

I'm the least creative person there is! Did these artists have an understanding of Ladyfest, and what you were doing at Ladyfest Manchester? – Were they otherwise involved at the festival?

If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled Yes I think they did. All emails inviting involvement gave a description of the festival and what we and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? were trying to achieve with it. I think Lorna Miller was involved with lf Bristol and designed a poster for them. They all contributed artwork for the exhibition but weren't involved in any other way.

Partly, and partly desperation. We had a deadline for getting the publicity printed and we were all pretty overstretched with lfm work at that point, so I produced some publicity as best I could.

Has doing Ladyfest creative work & making posters led you to do further artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

Yes in terms of organisation, ladyfest opened up a lot for me, mainly in realising what I was capable of doing in an organisational capacity and realising what a small group of committed individuals could achieve. It still Ladyfest opened up a lot for me, amazes and inspires me that we pulled the event off. Anything is possible! mainly in realising what I was capable Creatively...well, I hash together flyers for other events, I’ve improved but I’m not too good at them still, just not artistic! of doing in an orga

Your posters for Ladyfest Manchester employed images taken, in part, from the comic book exhibition you had at your festival. Was art (and comics art) and realising what a small group of created by women an important part of your festival? committed individualsnisational could capacity achieve. Very very important. The art that was curated for the exhibition at lfm had a comix theme. Especially comic art because the genre is so male dominated Ladyfest Manchester 2003

Johanna

Location: currently a windy farm in south Wales created artwork for: Ladyfest Manchester age: 24

Occupation: Farmhand

Contact : [email protected]

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? these were events for the young (probably white and female) indie crowd.

I first heard about ladyfests when I started listening to a bit of riot grrrl and Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular joined a couple of riot grrrl/feminist email groups when I was 18. People message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for were talking about ladyfest Glasgow so off I went, all alone, with great luck I aesthetic value? met people off the list and many others who are still friends today. After living in Manchester for a year, organising the odd gig 'cos there didn't Again, I think it's that traditional riot grrrl style looking cute and playing the seem to be that much going on (not compared to Leeds where I’d come guitar thing. They were part of that aesthetic - stars and nice dresses. I from), I heard people were organising a Manchester ladyfest and was really think when I came to do the bits of artwork I did for the ladyfest Manchester eager to join in. programme/zine I had more awareness about what I was doing, and it felt more important for me then to draw androgynous figures and drag-kings How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and and girls playing drums (not guitars?!) and people who didn't look so white with the images you produced for Ladyfest fliers? (as far as a small line drawing can look like it has any ethnicity) and maybe even a boy or two! Because by then I was older and wiser and these things Well it depends on time really! I think for the first flyer I did for a ladyfest seemed so important to include in a visual idea of what ladyfest is. I guess thing, which was for the London benefit, I spent quite a while. That was as well I didn't feel I had to draw in a certain crowd because they were funny because it was the first gig we ever put on in Manchester, 5 of us I already at the event. think and we put it on at a ridiculously overpriced venue 'cos we didn't know better. Hardly anyone came and someone got glassed outside. Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / But other flyers were speedier jobs because they were needed quickly. I ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued spent quite a while on images for the Manchester programme/retrospective this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. Where do you think zine as well, especially the map. your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious decision?

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Well I guess I’ve said this already, so I’ll keep it short that I think my images Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the were fitting into a riot grrrl aesthetic very much, I think that maybe they female form / guitars / musical references. didn't look radical enough because maybe I was trying too hard to pander to To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why?

Well, embarrassingly my images were always completely traditional. On the London benefit flyer there's a lady with a guitar, which is actually copied off a photo of Kat Bjelland I took at ladyfest Glasgow! Pretty traditional. Then the Manchester benefit where the gossip played is also very riot grrrly - frilly knickers and guitars and all the rest. It's funny because we really did want to try and make our ladyfest different - which I think every person organising a ladyfest says, but I never thought about putting different images on the flyers. I think I partly believed I had to draw flyers like that to make people come, there was always these hipsters about drinking in bars and at discos who never came to gigs and I think I felt like, with the right kind of flyer, you might be able to draw them in, it just had to look cute and indie enough. I was putting on other gigs at the time which were more hardcore punk bands and on these flyers too I would always put the 'right' kind of images - mostly skulls - but I never really thought about what I was doing. It seems I had my target audiences in my brain already and I never questioned it and to be cynical, I don't think I was ever proved wrong. But who knows if I had picked different kinds of images maybe it would have made a difference to the people that came to the gigs? But, yeah I think the flyer designs definitely "said" that this audience of cool indie types I had dreamt up. Of course things can look Well, part of why I like hand drawing is also the simplicity, but this is where I sleek and radical too, but I think maybe my flyers were just a bit too have to own up. I STOLE THE IMAGE FOR THAT FLYER. I’m sorry because I obvious. And it wasn't really a conscious decision, I just let it happen, which can't even remember where I stole it from (some zine somewhere, I’m so is the scary part! sorry if you're the actual person who really composed it). But, ahem, yes, I think I moved a bit towards trying to create simple images because To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and otherwise flyers can be so confusing. racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? I also love that flier (and have kept my own copies all these years!) due to the fact that there were a series of fliers featuring different images/motifs on I think it's really important. I don't think I did it enough. I think ladyfests each individual one; and you made them as ‘cut ‘n’ colour’ fliers. often find it hard to do this. Only by the time I came to do stuff for the Which different specific images/motifs did you use in the series? booklet did I really think about what I was drawing and I still didn't deviate wildly off the young white riot grrrl path. Well, again sorry for deceiving you. The images, which I copied from somewhere, were of a lady with some nice dressing up clothes and also a Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? guitar. Same old things I guess. I think if I did it again she might have had If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled some different things, like a nice moustache. Or a deerstalker and a tweed and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? suit. I have often taken images from other sources to be part of flyers, I guess it I had designed many flyers for other gigs I had put on, I don't think the is part of diy, anti-copyright (and being in a hurry!) to be able to see an avenue of ladyfest particularly changed my ways. image and use it if you find it attractive or befitting in some way.

The flier that you made for the benefit for the 2002 European Ladyfests In London and Paris included written information about the history and intentions of ladyfest. How important was it to you [especially since at that point in time ladyfest was still in its early days and thus maybe unknown to When all you need is a pencil or a biro many] to inform as well as advertise with your fliers? and a few bits of plain paper it makes It did seem really important at the time, I guess it was still fairly new to me then and there hadn't been the stuff that has been in the press since about flyer making much more convenient. I ladyfests and what they were. I think the name doesn't really imply what it is to most people, so it seemed right to let people know what the gig was a also really like the look of hand drawn benefit for. I also wanted the information to go on so even if people didn't fancy the gig they might still get something out of the flyer and find out about something which could be exciting for them. flyers. I like that they can be a bit Your fliers have all been hand drawn (in the truest sense of do-it-yourself, wonky, they always look like they and thus immediately engaging to me). Did you ever consider making them in any other way?

I have done some flyers on the computer and also many using collage. But I Did you intend for the cut ‘n’ colour nature of the fliers to create an have always found hand drawing to be the most immediate way to just have interactive artistic space to encourage individuals’have morecreativities? love in them what I want in front of me. When all you need is a pencil or a biro and a few bits of plain paper it makes flyer making much more convenient. I also really I suppose I liked the idea of people having a go, I don't know if anyone ever like the look of hand drawn flyers. I like that they can be a bit wonky, they did (well, I did actually cut her out, but I don't think I coloured her in). I liked always look like they have more love in them. the idea of a flyer being a little game as well as just a way of giving information. The flier that you designed for the Ladyfest Manchester benefit (featuring The . Gossip) is one of my all-time favourite Ladyfest fliers due to its simplicity. In creating a series of fliers (in which people may seek out and get hold of all Was the simplicity and straight-to-the-point nature of the information and four) did you realise that they may encourage people to gain a collection of images intentional?

Ladyfest art? Or was it more to create more opportunities for the benefit event to gain as much exposure and advertising as possible?

Well I guess partly due to their stolen nature, I never thought of the flyers as art. I think I did like the idea of people wandering around and having already found her dress finding the lady to dress in it, or maybe finding her guitar I think subversion is important in and mumbling something about the predictability of ladyfest events, who knows... so I suppose that's a bit of both, because the more different images someone has to link to something in their mind the more they might images, they are powerful things. think about it. I have also often done 4 different A6 sized flyers just because that's what you can fit on your A4 master! I think it's quite nice to have lots of different flyers for the same thing, then you don't have to decide on your final design. Having a way to link them together is fun too.

The motifs on those fliers were created in the style of ‘dress your own doll’ activities that many people had as children (i.e. with tabs to wrap around a paper doll figure to ‘dress’ her, or in your case, accessorise her with guitars etc.) Were these designs made as a conscious decision to subvert traditional female childhood activities? What do you feel the role and aims of subversion hold in ‘feminist’ art (as seen in many the early Riot Grrrl zines, etc. and potentially your fliers)?

Well, although I didn't invent the image (it was probably from an early riot grrrl zine!) I suppose I did choose to steal it, so I’ll still answer the question. I’m sure the original image maker was thinking of the subversive act of it, I mean in the old days you wouldn't see an image of a girl with anything other than handbags would you? Maybe these days now they have bratz and barbie rock chick (although of course I did have jem as a childhood role model). As I’ve said above I think my flyers could have and maybe should have been more subversive, they definitely weren't subverting what ladyfest has become and what it seems quite hard to steer it from (which I guess you might not want to do anyway). For example the majority of my flyers, for ladyfest things or not, have used the female form in some way, which of course has been used as an image in art for so long, maybe it would have been more subversive to use more androgynous forms, say. I think subversion is important in images, they are powerful things. I think subverting the art associated with ladyfests would be important and a lot of fun, I wish I had done it more.

Ladyfest Bristol 2003

Lucy Sweet

Location: Glasgow created artwork for: Bristol 2003

Age: 34

Occupation: Freelance writer and cartoonist

Contact : [email protected]

Hi Lucy, how are you? message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic value? Not bad - how's yourself? It was more about creating a strong, single, attractive image that looked How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? good on a poster, but as I say, I wanted her to seem approachable, and doing something, rather than standing about looking icily into the middle I think I first heard about the American Ladyfests, probably through Bust or distance. What I like about the picture is that the girl looks like she's not something like that, and then they started cropping up here. I took part in a quite sure what she's doing but she's really enjoying herself. There's a very self-publishing discussion at Frock On in Glasgow one year (a kind of strong DIY ethic about Ladyfest - a big part of it is about learning and Ladyfest offshoot), and then the good folks in Bristol asked me to design having fun in an encouraging atmosphere, so I wanted to communicate that. their posters in 2003 and do a few drawings for the catalogue. As part of that, I went down and did a make your own comic workshop - we got some Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / beers in on a Sunday afternoon, did some cartoons, photocopied them, and ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. had the finished product in our hands by 5pm, so that was really good fun Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others and very satisfying. have deviated. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and decision? with the images you produced for Ladyfest? Well, the Bristol poster is obviously in the DIY tradition of Ladyfest, and yes, Not long. I like to work quite quickly, so I probably knocked the poster up in it was a conscious decision to put that attitude forward. I wanted to create a couple of hours and the programme designs in about the same time an image that would invite girls to get involved. frame. Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote influenced your designs for Ladyfest? Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. Yes. A lot of times, I just enjoy drawing pretty girls in clothes and styles I'd To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and like to wear - it's all very aspirational and idealistic, just me having a wee why? fantasy about what I might want to look like. I’m a pathetic indie girl at heart, so that always comes out in the characters I draw. And when I was at Well, I always associate Ladyfest - rightly or wrongly - with bands, so I art college I was told that when an artist draws a figure, they subconsicously wanted to stick with that and make an image that was young and rock and use their own physical proportions as a reference point and in my case it's roll, but also quite feminine. I think a girl playing a guitar is a memorable definitely true. My ladies always turn out to have big thighs and knockers like image - it's still such a boy's toy. me. It’s probably all very selfishly motivated and vain.

What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? What I like about the picture is that

I didn’t have a specific audience in mind really – I just try to make things I’d the girl looks like she's not quite sure like to see that embody the fun aspects of being a girl. I hope I create designs that are feisty and show a sense of mischief. I always like to draw people who look like they could be your friend, because there are enough what she's doing but she's really stick-thin, weird bitchy-looking models in real life, and I’m sick of seeing them advertising everything on earth! I’m also careful not to make my ladies completely decorative - they always have an evil glint in their eye and something in their hands, whether it's a fag or a guitar or a pair of knitting needles. Hopefully they will appeal to other women with similarly evil glints To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and in their eyes! racial diversity in its promotional images and logos?enjoying herself Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular Very relevant. I have to admit that when I draw I do naturally tend toward enter the gallery circuit say as much as ‘fine art’ does, and more regularly fly drawing girls with Caucasian features - it's that reflection of my own self on the outskirts of ‘art’, entering shops, gigs, etc. instead.) In these senses, I thing again (God, I'm a total narcissist!!). But because I was doing a bunch think that the work and image that you created is quite radical. of drawings of different girls for the catalogue, they had to represent a wide mix of people. Plus, I didn't want it all to look samey - what's the point of What are your thoughts on all of this? And how important to you was creating just drawing the same thing over and over again? a non-elitist image that a large majority of people could ‘understand’ and appreciate? Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? It's very important to be non-elitist. Art should never be elitist, whether it's in a gallery or not, and if it is, it hasn't worked. I believe that art is about Well, you tend to stick to what influences you in the first place and that direct communication and should be understandable and immediate develops into a style of your own. I've always drawn figures, particularly regardless of its context. But the quote about academia not being where art women, ever since I can remember, whether it was drawings of girls in comes from is very true, certainly in my case. I used to love drawing, and Brownie uniforms or 80s punks. Jamie Hewlett's Tank Girl was a big my academic art education totally killed the enthusiasm I had for it as a kid, influence for me - she had a wide mouth and those wide set eyes - kind of so I started drawing cartoons to recapture some of the immediacy that cheeky and evil, that's definitely comes through when I draw female cartoon painting didn't have. I went back to a naturalistic, childlike way of doing faces. things which was just about sheer enjoyment and creative expression rather than art with a capital A, and what I produced when I left college turned out Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? to be much more accessible and honest than anything I did when I was there. As for the Ladyfest image, I’m not so sure the idea of a girl with a Well, I've been a cartoonist for a long while, on and off. My work has been guitar is radical in itself, but it does hold some power. Perhaps it’s got an featured in the Independent on Sunday and The Big Issue and I had a comic impact because it doesn't fall into any sexy, come hither category, it's trying book out in the 90s called Unskinny. At the moment I'm doing a very fun to communicate endeavour for its own sake, rather than a male fantasy comic strip in a kiddie pop magazine called TVHits! which involves drawing about a leather clad rock vixen stroking a plank! Or maybe we’re so used to pics of Chantelle and the Sugababes - it's a great job! But as far as images of glamorous, otherworldly women who have been manipulated illustration is concerned, I've only had a few word of mouth commissions. I beyond recognition that a scratchy little cartoon of a young lass attempting designed some cardboard earring hangers for a London based jewellery to play the guitar is a breath of fresh air. I don't know. All I really know is designer called Lady Luck Rules OK and I've also created a logo for an because I’m drawing for the sheer enjoyment of it, hopefully what I produce online shop called GoGo Lola Pacino featuring a big blonde brassy has a sincerity about it and a warmth that comes through and strikes a superheroine. But I'd quite like to do more, if anyone wants to give me a go! chord with people. If you'll excuse the terrible pun!

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic Speaking of popular language and popular culture references, was your girl- work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? guitar-playing image based on any specific person, or performer?

It's been helpful in getting that illustration work, definitely. It's something to No - I just tend to make people up. I never know what's going to come out show people and I'm proud of the image. It's in my portfolio as a highlight! - there are millions of imaginary ladies up there all fighting to get out!

Karen Finley of her performance art, art which was performed in spaces that P.S - Do they actually make those guitars?? I think I want me one!! circumvented the art gallery circuit – e.g. nightclubs - once claimed that she wanted to make art that ‘people could understand, that would have :) Yes! They're called Daisy Rock and they come in flower and heart shapes, references to the world rather than to the history of art’. and they've got small fretboards so you don't need big shovel hands to play Finley’s comments also remind me of an interview I once read with artist Art them. They're the best guitars ever!! Chantry who claimed that ‘Academia is not where design ideas come from. Design ideas come from the popular language.’ How did you decide upon the idea of representing the music aspect of Reflecting on these two opinions it struck me just how powerful your image of Ladyfest Bristol on your poster over other aspects of the festival such as film, a guitar playing girl – a clear popular-culture reference, and an image that art, workshops or spoken word? references the world of Ladyfest – presented on fliers and posters is. These fliers, by their very nature, circumvent the art-gallery circuit (not only due to The music element has always been something I've associated with the DIY, counter-cultural nature of Ladyfest which does not necessarily Ladyfest – and it's something that I think still needs to be encouraged observe ‘art convention and tradition’ regarding what art is created and where because there aren't enough bands with girls in them actually playing guitars and how it is presented; but also due to the fact that fliers don’t often get to or drums and doing the hard physical work! I sing in a band called Lucky It doesn't fall into any sexy, come Luke which features three women and when we play live or go on tour, I'm always reminded that females are still very much in the minority in that world. So as I've said, a girl with a guitar still holds some power because it's a very male orientated instrument with these mysterious technical hither category, it's trying to capabilities that boys like to think only they could possibly understand. And, inevitably, it has an edge to it that a picture of someone holding a vegan communicate endeavour for its own breastfeeding workshop doesn't have - no offence to the vegan breastfeeders, of course! sake, rather than a male fantasy about

a leather clad rock vixen stroking a

plank! Or maybe we’re so used to images of glamorous, otherworldly

women who have been manipulated beyond recognition that a scratchy

little cartoon of a young lass attempting to play the guitar is a

breath of fresh air

Ladyfest Bristol 2003

Lisa cupcake

Ladyfest Exeter 2003 & 2004 Hannah Asprey

Location : London (previously Exeter)

created artwork for : Ladyfest Exeter 2003 and 2004

Age : 33

Occupation : Design Studio Manager

Contact : [email protected]

Hi Hannah, how are you? Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for Great! Chuffed to be answering these questions! aesthetic value?

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? Honestly, they were mostly aesthetic. Looking at them now I think they were perhaps a little naive in that respect although I'm still very proud of them I was really inspired by the first wave of riot grrl but too shy to get involved and of my involvement with Ladyfest generally. at the time. When I first met Izzy (co-organiser of Ladyfest Exeter) she awoke me to the fact that the riot grrrl movement was still alive and kicking Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / and that Ladyfest was part of its evolution. I was knocked out by the idea of ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued it and ashamed I had been unaware of its existence, especially as I was this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. playing in bands at that time and had always very much considered myself Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious to be a feminist. decision?

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and I didn't consciously avoid the DIY look, but that's partly just my own style as with the images you produced for Ladyfest? a designer. I wanted something that looked more 'art' and even a little sophisticated that would make the uninitiated take the event seriously. It was all fairly last minute as bands were being booked right up to the week before. I had a while to work on the initial concepts though which I then Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) went over with the 2 organisers of Ladyfest Exeter and we came to a joint influenced your designs for Ladyfest? decision about which design was the strongest and which could be produced effectively within our budget. I was working on the designs in the Definitely. The 2003 brochure used one of my own photographs of 2 local evenings and at weekends so I took as much time as I needed, up until the teenage girls and the second was very 50's influenced - my own personal deadline of course! style obsession. My political/cultural leanings also led to my involvement in the event in the first place. I was very proud to be involved in something Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote pro-women, pro-music, pro-art and pro-gay. Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why?

I definitely wanted to keep the female imagery strong but stayed away from specifically musical images as our Ladyfest had a strong Art bent alongside the music.

What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience?

I wanted the artwork to look unlike any other fliers that they might see around - something genuinely unique and striking. I wanted the mini- brochures I designed (A6 8 pages) to be something people would want to keep as a little treasured memento of a special event.

Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos?

Well, for the first time in my career as a designer I had a chance to design something where I was my own target audience. This was SO exciting for me I can't tell you! In my day job I was toiling over second hand car adverts and Council Housing Benefit forms so the project was a true joy for me. I was a bit older than a lot of the potential Ladyfest attendees but I didn't feel this to be a barrier. To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and Exeter was one of something exciting and important happening in a small racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? town not renowned for its liberal politics! Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? What are your thoughts on subversion within art, with reference to your own It wasn't a conscious aim and I refer back to my earlier admission that designs used at Ladyfest Exeter? perhaps my design was a little too aesthetic and naive in that respect. I think Ladyfest is about radical/liberal politics in a general sense and my I don't think I was terribly subversive! But there is a long and proud tradition deigns failed to reflect that. of women subverting art to make important political and cultural points which I could only dream of being included in. Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? You used quite different images and designs within the programmes for the two different festivals (Ladyfest Exeter 2003, and 2004) – was it important to Not really - I come from a photographic background and I am inspired by you to differentiate between the separate festivals by creating programmes imagery in general. Having said that, I am, as I mentioned previously, rather and images that were starkly different in theme, colour and appearance? obsessed with fifties design - despite the obvious ironies with respect to Were there different things that you wanted to convey via the images and feminism! design of the programmes regarding the festivals’ differing contents and events? Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled and empowered It was important to differentiate between the previous year's design and the you to produce, show and provide your art work? next and I also wanted to produce something fresh and new for its own sake. I think the first year's design was quite serious in appearance whereas Very much so - it gave me a huge wide open brief to produce something I the following year's was more 'fun' for want of a better word. The content of truly loved and that was a gift in itself. I hope that everyone who was the festival didn't differ widely between the 2 years - we were a very small involved with or attended Ladyfest Exeter felt included and not like it was Ladyfest and didn't have the resources for anything huge in scope. some private girls' club, which was always a danger in such a small city as Exeter. We came across some unfortunate attitudes from people who In using images of wood-panelling throughout the Ladyfest Exeter 2003 suggested that we weren't a 'proper' Ladyfest because we were so small programme, was that a direct reference to the DIY nature of the festival, or but on the whole it was a very positive atmosphere. was its use far less encrypted than that?

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic I had a particular itch to use the wood panelling in something at the time work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? and I loved the scrapbook feel it gave the designs which is very DIY. Was it intentional? Hard to say looking back. I think it was unconsciously My involvement with Ladyfest included exhibiting some of my photographic intentional! work which I hadn't done for years and was really encouraging in that respect. I even sold some work. Generally I'd have to say that the project What do you think the political importance of Ladyfest artwork can be? boosted my creative self-esteem no end. I love the variation in artwork you see across all the Ladyfest designs from In the Ladyfest Exeter ’04 programme you used “retro” feminine icons and around the world. They vary so much from hand drawn photocopies up to symbols - e.g. the 1950’s-style pink shoes in the background of the full colour professional designs and they all have something great to say timetables, and the Breakfast at Tiffany’s-esc elegance on the front cover of and convey. The very fact of the thing they are promoting is the political the same programme. Was the style of ‘the feminine’ important for you to content I think. convey via your art for the festival? How did this use of ‘the retro’ and ‘the feminine’ characterize and correspond to your vision of Ladyfest Exeter and how you wished to present and communicate the festival and its content?

As I said before there is an obvious irony occurring with the use of fifties The project boosted my creative self- style images of women in the context of a feminist festival, which I think passed me by at the time, but Riot Grrrls and those involved with Ladyfest are often very stylish unique women & girls and I wanted to appeal to their aesthetic desires as well as their political nature. My vision of Ladyfest

esteem no end. Ladyfest Exeter 2003 & 2004

Pippa Wragg

& Izzy

Ladyfest Dublin 2004

Kirstie McDermott

Location: Dublin

created artwork for: LF Dublin 2004

Age: 32

Occupation: Designer

Contact : [email protected]

Hi Kirstie, how are you? Both. I wanted the graphics and the publicity material to be approachable and fun. You get such a lot of stick about being a feminist these days (when Great! Busy but enjoying it. really what detractors don’t understand is that there are as many brands of feminism as there are hot dinners!) so everything was designed with that in How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? mind, to emphasise the fact that this was to be a fun event as well as a celebration of womanhood, music and creativity. I think we changed a few I was asked by a friend (who had already been approached by the gals who minds too! initially wanted to do it) if I was interested in getting involved, and I was! I’d From the start I also felt it was hugely important to have a continuity of known about it since its inception and I was keen to be a part of the Dublin design as well, so in as much as was possible I stuck to that. It helped one. lodge the forthcoming festival in peoples minds. And while some people in the group weren’t so keen on that and felt it was overly commercial, there is How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and massive power in branding and I knew that. Most of all, I wanted the event with the images you produced for Ladyfest? to be a huge success, and I think having a definite visual identity really helped. Oh god, it literally took over our lives for 6 months! We started in the early summer of 04 and the festival happened in mid November so it was a complete whirlwind. Fitting the umpteen meetings in and all the work I did on the graphics and branding kept me just on the go for months. And it was constant – there was the initial website, then there were posters and flyers for benefits, designs for merch (badges, bags, t-shirts), tickets, billboards… tons!

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why?

My own personal aesthetic has always tended towards the kitsch. I’d recently done some t-shirt designs for a friend’s band that featured cute little figures and it came from that – it was just something I was working on at the time. Female faces featured strongly throughout and I deliberately shied away from using overtly girly colours – our colours were greys and shocking pinks. So the resultant logo and website and what sprang from that (posters etc) had quite a kitsch, 50’s ethic.

What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos?

Yeah with the logo I did. We had a lot of punks and anarcha-femnists in our group and so the logo was 2 opposing odd shaped oblongs, one of which had a piercing. It wasn’t overt, but it was deliberately done to marry the differing factions. Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. aesthetic value? Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious decision?

Yeah, as I said already the logo was a direct homage to that. Plus we had workshops that really concentrated on that element.

Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest?

Yep. My aesthetic and my own personal style definitely defined the LF Dublin ‘branding’. You get such a lot of stick about being

To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? a feminist these days (when really

It wasn’t for us, but absolutely I think it’s important. Each LF is different and has different focuses. That didn’t apply to us but if we’d been in Belfast, I what detractors don’t understand is can imagine it would have been a whole lot different.

Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? that there are as many brands of

I’m very influenced by post-war optimism, space stuff, mid century furniture feminism as there are hot dinners!) so and bright bright colour. As for traditions, I hugely admire the contemporary US poster design movement. everything was designed with that in Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before?

If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work?

Well my day job is a designer, but I’d never worked on branding an entire event. It was a brilliant opportunity for me to do exactly what I wanted without clients getting stuck in! But I did get a lot of stick – some people in the group were 100% behind me, others not at all and didn’t feel shy about letting me know that. That was a bit demoralizing considering the amount I was putting in, but that’s life! mind

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

Well, I’m still a designer! After LF I set up a gig promoting arm with some LF ladies and that gives me the chance to create posters which I really enjoy.

Ladyfest Birmingham

2004

Ladyfest Brighton 2005

Xoe Kingsley

Location: Hove, East Sussex created artwork for: Ladyfest Brighton (Website)

Age: 24

Occupation: Pensions / Music Booking Agency / Tour Management... odds and ends.

Contact : [email protected]

Hi Xoe, how are you? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? I am doing well, thank you very much. Thank you for asking me to be involved in your project! I would hope that my images create a welcoming, warm narrative that (without being too twee) is accessible to a wide demographic. How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest?

Charlotte (who was involved from the planning stages of the Brighton 2006 fest) approached me to help out with the website. The steering committee had already developed a core outline for the festival, and they had decided Key elements of the festival(s) is that a website would be a direct means of putting the festival out to the world at large. I'd previously been involved in setting up websites for wider support, knowledge, community friend's bands, publications and so on, and I run my own website for Rore Music so it wasn't much of a stretch to take on another. Initially I thought I'd just be writing and implementing the site but after some emails to and fro with the steering committee, I was given free reign on design and development, as well as editorial responsibilities. belonging, social events and the

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? reclamation of self and identity.

From start to end, probably about a month of solid work spread out over the Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / seven month project. ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance.

Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote have deviated. Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious female form / guitars / musical references. decision? To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? My images use quilting and patchwork which have both long been

associated with community activity (being time consuming enough to At the point that the website was being designed, there wasn't really much warrant the formation of social groups) - they both also reuse and adapt old (in terms of image or 'brand') that had been passed on to me beyond a materials for new means (which, in a way, is what I did with these mediums rough logo (that was later replaced with a beautiful typewriter!). for the website). I'm part of a generation that saw these past-times as

outdated and of a generation (unfortunately) also inclined towards fast, I was quite sure that I didn't want to limit Ladyfest Brighton to zine inspired easy, disposable culture. It's something we should be trying to shirk off. superhero-punk cartoon imagery. I feel it's a cliche aesthetic that ties itself Creativity especially needs room to develop and breath, and I think this is to late 80's and early 90's underground sensibilities and I wanted something why (more recently) radical knitting groups and sewing circles have regained more timeless. popularity: creative and social outlets. Ladyfest promotes women and queer based projects as an ongoing, global The D.I.Y/punk ethic is full of ideas of re-appropriation and adaptation. movement, not a banner rally. Key elements of the festival(s) is wider I wanted to incorporate or at least reference these ideas. support, knowledge, community belonging, social events and the There was definitely a conscious decision to deviate from pop/punk reclamation of self and identity. It's an amazing ethic and I wanted to build imagery. on imagery that touched on these wider ideas, as well as tying in the more traditional images. I dont think Ladyfest is limited to "Kerpow! Grrls rawk!" Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) guitars and female Venus symbols entwined. influenced your designs for Ladyfest? Some of the original ideas had no people in at all, but I'm quite fond of creating characters so I was happy when the committee liked my silhouette I've long been interested in Kara Walkers silhouette works and the use of folk. thread-work and textiles by Tracy Emin and Ghada Amer so there was

definitely an influence there. Also, embroidery as narrative (traditional What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest tapestry for example) and for decorative purposes. audience, or prospective audience? More women artists are adopting textile media, needlework and yarn-crafts Were the images you made actual hand made patchwork artefacts that you to challenge the notion of "women's work" (crafts) vs. high art (such as handmade and then transferred to digital images, or was the whole thing male dominated expressionist painting). done digitally? My great grandfather owned a private museum of lacework and needlepoint from around the world so I've always been surrounded by beautiful beasts The lettering was made by hand with fabric, hand stitch and machine stitch, of silk and thread. I like that traditional textile art as has a folkish tenderness then scanned into photoshop. Many of the patchworks were made up, that a lot of computer designed artwork lacks. fabrics were scanned in and then the colour was altered to suit the colourway of each page. Additional detail or stitching was added digitally Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? and (hopefully) pretty sympathetically. There is room enough for slick sharp If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled graphics, but I wanted it to be much softer than a lot of the websites out and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? there.

I have built and maintain websites for friends and personal projects, but What I love about the website you created is all the different ‘women’ you none of them have been design heavy. I left my public art at the door when I depicted, and all their unique activities, abilities and interests. The ‘women’ left university. are shown singing and dancing, distributing zines, working on laptops, and I don't think my work / the website was really regarded as much more than gardening amongst other things. Does this range represent your view of the virtual hub for the festival. Once the initial brief had been decided, I was Ladyfest Brighton being an egalitarian festival? left to implement the project. Beyond being asked to design the website and being given free reign with what I did, I don't feel I was any more or less It's my view that Ladyfest Brighton is certainly on the road to being an empowered and I still don't feel that any of my personal art (non-brief egalitarian festival, but it's also been suggested that Ladyfest is exclusive, based) will be made public any time soon. cliquey and elitist. The argument regards the lack of ethnic diversity, primary focus on leftfield politics and western music. Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic It would be ideal if women of all ethnic backgrounds felt ownership enough work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? of the festival ethos to get involved, and it would be wonderful if there was a climate where open, challenging political debate could be batted about Not yet... freely but these are ideals to strive for and they wont happen overnight. The biggest step is getting women involved in the festival who aren't already connected to it.

In the image you created to represent the ‘about us’ section of the Ladyfest Brighton website you show a character planting and watering a ‘tree of creativities’. Growing from the tree are a wide range of Ladyfest activities including, ‘discussion’, ‘politics’ and ‘information’ alongside the more generic ‘music’, ‘workshops’, ‘film’, ‘photography’, ‘art’ and ‘craft’ buds. Was it important to you to make website readers aware of the vast scope of unique feminist activities, consciousness, awareness, and events at Ladyfest beyond the more publicised aspects such as music and arts?

Yes, certainly. As I said earlier, I think it's important that Ladyfest is seen to be more than a Girls with Guitars festival, which is the impression I got from a lot of people when I was initially scoping out ideas for the website and imagery. I wanted to put something looser out there for those people, coming to the website and not knowing much about the scope of activity.

What are your thoughts on the metaphor you have maybe created with this image regarding the idea of Ladyfest as a tool for “planting the seed” (so to speak) of creativity, self-belief and individual growth within festival attendees?

I think that's a big part of what the festival is about, so it's a metaphor I'm happy to put forward. From a wider angle you could also apply it to Ladyfest completely: from small seeds (in Olympia), forests grow (Worldwide). The nice thing about Ladyfest in a contemporary social context, is that it's not strictly about the individual, it's about building community too. :-)

It would be ideal if women of all

ethnic backgrounds felt ownership

enough

of the festival

ethos to get

involved, and it

would be wonderful if

there was a climate where

open, challenging political debate could

be batted

about freely

Ladyfest Brighton 2005

Charlotte

Location: brighton created artwork for: ladyfest brighton

Age: 22

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Charlotte, how are you? design and the fact that it was a collaboration between myself and Maya-Victoria (another Ladyfest Brighton organiser) reiterates its I'm good, thank you message, and to me really represents our strength and friendship.

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest?

I remember being aware of it when I first got into bikini kill & kill rock Exploring a wider range of women stars, and wishing I could go to Olympia. who interest me and looking at their Also when the last Ladyfest London took place I was studying there...I didn't really have friends with the same interests at the time and I remember wishing I was brave enough to go by myself. subtlety as power; a more dynamic

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest?

Some of the designs resulted from quick doodles that came together by Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / accident, but the majority I spent slaving over for hours on photoshop (on D.I.Y / 'punk' / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. details that no one would notice but myself.) sort of strength Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where

others have deviated. Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious Ladyfest and the festival's content quite specifically – e.g. the use of decision? the female form / guitars / musical references.

To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, It was conscious in the fact that I am interested in different kinds of and why? design, and I did want to create something different to what people

normally associate with ladyfest. I think the original aesthetics of ladyfest and the riot grrrl movement were powerful and had a clear message of the strength and anger of women Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ at that time, whilst subverting traditional images of 'girly' girls. It's lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest? something I think is good and definitely wanted to use these ideas in places but at the same time I also see the value of not using the female form within I think so, a lot. I get most of my inspiration from books and old pictures ladyfest artwork - to take attention away from the way women are presented and films. I am interested in the power of subverting such images, the constantly (as an image, object etc.) strength that comes from shouting or standing on the sidelines. I think in a

way, my shyness comes out in some of I was interested in moving away from the traditional images of the angry my designs as I often feel there's a punk women, to exploring a wider range of women who interest me and celebratory awkwardness about them. looking at their subtlety as power; a more dynamic sort of strength. Like not being able to hide your

embarrassment, and doing something What do you think / do you hope your designs "say" to the Ladyfest anyway. audience, or prospective audience?

Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the To what extent do you feel it is relevant images / logos? to Ladyfest to depict cultural

and racial diversity in its promotional No. I just hoped that people wouldn't think they were too soft, or think images and logos? that was bad if they were! Was this a conscious aim within your

design and creative process? Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs This isn't something I think I achieved or more for aesthetic value? worked hard enough to look at. Some of them simply started off just as sketches, drawings or found images But to be honest I find it hard to that felt suitable in some way, but others, such as the main ladyfest represent multiculturalism within such poster, really mean something to me. I think it's the most successful designs, and the ideas that I have thought of in the past seem trite or just clichéd. I think it is a difficult area, but it's where I realise how Looking at the posters that you specifically designed for Ladyfest personal the designs are to what I like and what I see in my imagination Brighton, you have incorporated a range of representations of women, from as a white British woman. I think it's important that feminism isn't presented the 'twee' women and children depicted in the Mirah Ladyfest benefit poster, solely as this class of women's struggle, but I cannot from my position to the more historical image of a highly bustled lady in the Electrelane poster, adequately convey the feelings of others. to the black and white photo of a woman in a field, to the more ‘punky’ women as shown in the 'wishbone' image on the main festival poster. How Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? important to you was incorporating a non-stereotypical Ladyfest 'woman'?

I studied for my art foundation, but due to events in my life at the It was important because of the women who surround me and the women I time I couldn't complete it. Since then, until Ladyfest, the only creative look up to as inspiration as a feminist. I think we should all know by now activities I'd engaged in was taking pictures of bands and making people that there isn't a set image or template we need to adhere to, to be a presents. feminist. I find it upsetting sometimes how women treat each other even within feminist communities, like there is resentment from the diy people If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest to the academics to the sexworkers or vice-versa. I don't think I personally enabled and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? feel like I fit anywhere. These drawings were just of the women I have met, read about or simply exist in my head. Definitely. Getting encouragement from such an amazing inspiring and supportive group of people really improved my confidence. I cringe when I Many of your Ladyfest posters have incorporated text within the artwork, look back on the earlier flyers, but I'm really happy with some of the final as opposed to the two standing separately on your posters (I'm thinking work. specifically of the 'wish bone' turquoise poster, the ' Ladyfest is happenin'' image, and the Polly Shang Kuan Band poster; all of which Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistically make use of words and images together.) What are your thoughts artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? on the power of text within artwork in order for art to act both as an informative and educational vehicle, as well as an aesthetically beautiful I've had people ask me to design other flyers and artwork for bands, but piece? it's really made me want to go back to art school. I think text within artwork is incredibly important even if the purpose of the piece isn't to put across any set information. I've always been drawn to typography and the use of words and the symbiotic relationship between the two. I think to keep poster art interesting designers have had to incorporate text in a multitude of ways, particularly by making it illustrative so although it isn't something new it's an area that's generally pretty interesting and original.

I think we should all know by now that

there isn't a set image or template we

need to adhere to, to be a feminist

Ladyfest Brighton 2005

You don't have to do things within the same rigid structure you might be taught is the appropriate

way to do things.

Laura Guy

Location: London

created artwork for: ladyfest brighton 2005

Age:19

Occupation: student/photographer

Contact : [email protected]

You do have a political purpose and possib problems within Ladyfest and the representation of it

ly a responsibility to try to confront Hi Laura, how are you? each one is quite different depending on the talents and influences of those involved, and the place in which each ladyfest is held comes into that Good, you? obviously.

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / 'punk' / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Charlotte, a good friend of mine, first made me aware of Ladyfest (along Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others with most of my current musical interests too) have deviated. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and decision? with the images you produced for Ladyfest? I'm not sure how conscious the decision was ... I think I might have answered this in the last question. I think it's better to add something a lot of time it felt like, designing the logo took a couple of full days working individual to each ladyfest because it begins to build up this huge, continuously, then there were posters, discussions about the designs - I shifting common identity rather then just one clear outline which started 15 think we were all keen for things to be designed well - although I can't take years ago and never changed. much of the credit for that. Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote influenced your designs for Ladyfest? Ladyfest and the festival's content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. I hope that they did. See above! To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why?

Ladyfest seems to play pretty safe within the way it uses visual design, and I That's what’s so nice about Ladyfest, think in some ways the designs often used are quite conservative as well as seeming to comply to certain conventions. I think the typewriter logo each one is quite different depending seemed appropriate as there are certain connotations thrown up with typewriters that fit - but also we tried to keep things looking quite DIY ... on the talents and influences of those nothing too graffiky. involved, and the place in which each What do you think / do you hope your designs "say" to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? ladyfest is held comes into that

Ladyfest is a DIY festival, it is about the arts and its about women - I hope our posters etc managed to get that across - as I say I wasn't responsible To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and for most of the artwork in the festival... I think a lot of it was really visually racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? pleasing as well, that sounds weak, but I think that has to be a Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? consideration with design - you are trying to say something and you are trying to attract people. I think this is a complex question, and a problem within Ladyfest...obviously. I talk

about this too much... I'm generalising grossly here but Ladyfest and the Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular kind of music it has traditionally associated with lacks cultural and racial message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for diversity... but its a difficult problem to solve ... to represent the festival as aesthetic value? something that it’s not might be wrong - we can't pretend there aren't

problems with what Ladyfest is managing to do and which groups it is Both, I would hope. The designs have to serve both purposes in order to be managing to reach... I find it hard to articulate this ... people seem afraid of successful. I loved the posters Charlotte produced for Ladyfest Brighton and talking about difference which seems strange within such a festival. Rich's images too ... it's nice that logos include something about the place which is particular to that Ladyfest. That's what’s so nice about Ladyfest, Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If I'm not sure I can answer this question... the pavilion was very specific to so, which? Brighton while the typewriter is more about ladyfest... perhaps that makes sense with regard to the question ... but I can't remember the exact I think the designs were very much our own... and of course that probably reasoning. adheres in itself to certain artistic traditions. My own designs draw on things I’m influenced by and I guess that draws on DIY zine design amongst other As arts co-ordinator of Ladyfest Brighton, how important to you was creating things... handwriting... typewriters... cheap photocopies etc. the 'right' visual impression and communication of the festival via your logo? As the head of the arts committee was it also important to you to *personally* be involved in the creation of the images/logos that would represent the festival, in order to present as faithfully as possible the 'image' of the events you were involved in organising and co-ordinating? I think it's better to add something In retrospect I’m not sure if I thought about this enough in creating logos... I individual to each ladyfest because it think it’s nice to be involved in the design for the festival if you enjoy it - which I do. Most of the artwork was done by others though - I was happy begins to build up this huge, about this because I think those involved are more talented then me at drawing/design etc. I think we had a very coherent idea of the visual shifting common identity rather than representation for the festival, so no problems seemed to arise in how I felt we were presenting the festival. just one clear outline which started 15 You created quite a lo-tech, lo-fi aesthetic within your logo, both in terms of your chosen subject (typewriter) and production method (hand sketched in

years ago and never changed. ink). Were there any specific reasons behind your design, in terms of

Ladyfest?

Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? Ladyfest is quite DIY, I think grafficky things look a bit weird... but I think it If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled comes down to a personal aesthetic leaning too... I liked typewriters a lot at and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? the time so it made sense ... but I think I can see problems in the way we

used logos and designs too ... when you think about it. It's hard to get a I have done some work like this before but its a great occasion for people to balance between doing things quite intuitively and naturally, and realising get involved in doing something they usually wouldn't be able to do or feel you do have a political purpose and possibly a responsibility to try to comfortable doing ... putting on the exhibition was great experience... confront problems within Ladyfest and the representation of it. I guess you learning skills from scratch - and that being entirely ok within Ladyfest. could get quite bogged down in it if you started to think about it too hard... I

think I have!! Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

Yes, I think it helped me realise things are possible - especially when your working within groups of people - that you don't have to do things within the same rigid structure you might be taught is the appropriate way to do things.

I am aware that there were two different logos created for Ladyfest Brighton, your typewriter logo – which was used on merchandise, advertisements etc. – and another logo of the Pavillion, which was used on funding bids and applications etc.

Why was it decided to have two different logos? And what was the reasoning behind one image being used for one very specific purpose (advertisement) and another being created for a very different purpose

(professional/financial)? - Do you think one image lent itself better to one use over the other?

Ladyfest Brighton

Louise Mallan

Ladyfest Bournmouth 2006

Alice-Rose Ralph

Location: Bournemouth/Poole, Dorset

created artwork for: Ladyfest Bournemouth

Age: 18

Occupation: Art/illustration student, record shop employee (Big Brother Records/Red Rock Records), Oxfam volunteer.

Contact: [email protected] [email protected]

Hi Alice, how are you? wanted to create something that worked as a whole, something fun and colourful, that doesn’t take itself too seriously… I think if somebody saw the I’m fantastic thankyou! Very stressed as Ladyfest starts tomorrow… poster they would guess at the sort of event that it will be and it is aimed at a particular age-group – specifically the local art/fashion students! Even How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? though some of the events on the poster are quite serious and adult-aimed (the candlelit AIDS-awareness dinner, for example) I think the design of the I had heard of Ladyfests simply because I am a big geek and am very poster will attract a student age-group. interested in the DIY/activist scene – my friends and I had organised gigs before, such as some jazz balls in aid of Amnesty International and we Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular briefly ran a “record label” putting on small non-profit gigs for friends’ message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for bands. But then through volunteering at a local Oxfam shop I was invited to aesthetic value? get involved with Oxjam, which is a massive national festival for Oxfam with about 2000 events taking place. I was asked to organise a music event We had two main posters – one for our main event (The Oxglam Burlesque which could raise at least £1000 with my friends – initially it was a one-night Ball) and one for the other events over the weekend, but the design of them gig but because of our over-ambitiousness and enthusiasm it snowballed basically reflects the other although I mirrored the artwork so that they act into an all-dayer, to a week-ender, to a four-day thing and finally we as a pair. I would have liked to have had some sort of deeper meaning to decided it was the perfect opportunity to hold a Ladyfest since as far as we the posters but really they served as advertisement and aesthetic material know this is the only one that has ever taken place anywhere near but unfortunately our budget was low and we wanted them printed to a high Bournemouth. quality since after a long discussion we decided good quality posters would attract more people than a lot of cheapo-cheapo ones. Also, we have so How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and much going on that I didn’t want to distract from the main information and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? over-complicate them.

I am an illustration student so I worked it into my college work – I probably Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / spent about 3 days putting the images together. I already had the Ladyfest ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Bournemouth image that I had from a drawing I did from a photograph of Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others my friend Stina, holding the headphone wire into a heart shape. have deviated. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote decision? Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. I did choose DIY-style fonts etc – lots of stencil and typewritten styled To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and lettering, but I designed the posters with Photoshop and we got them why? printed professionally at a printing shop – whereas I imagine traditionally Ladyfests were much more lo-fi and DIY – photocopying/Xerox etc… all of Like I said, I already had a drawing to work with and I knew that it would be our flyers were photocopied and cut by hand, on paper that we begged and perfect for the artwork since it drew upon all the elements of Ladyfest – a borrowed from friends and family, but the posters were done more female subject, music, and also a kind of cheeky girly element with the professionally I suppose. hearts. I added some very curly girlish fonts and the plug to draw it together, and chose some quite DIY fonts for the posters and flyer information. It definitely has a running theme and style to all of our posters, which even extended to our meeting hand-outs! I think the design of the poster will What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? attract a student age-group

The festival is aimed at students so I wanted something colourful, eye- Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) catching, but also something quite kitsch and mischievous. It is definitely influenced your designs for Ladyfest? quite a feminine poster because the colour scheme is baby pink and sky Yes, definitely. I have made zines in the past and as a design student I had blue, and the fonts and heart-image is obviously girly. But really I think I just a pretty good grasp of Photoshop and the tools I used to design the posters/flyers. I want to eventually go on to draw graphic novels so having Yes, I have done graphic design for a number of shows and events, as well some sketchbooks full of drawings, including the image of Stina wearing as other projects – for example I worked with the band The Accolade on headphones, was certainly a very useful resource to draw from. Also being their latest album artwork, and my designs for the Oxfam wedding shops Bill an Oxfam volunteer and having such a strong interest in women’s rights etc Of Sales are currently being processed to be used nationally. I also do made me want to make a very eye-catching, modern and to-the-point photography and am regularly part of the media team each year at poster because this event means a lot to me. Cambridge Folk Festival. I have been commissioned in the past to do private work, but I normally work for free simply because I love it. I have To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and been involved in a couple of art exhibitions, and hopefully some of my stuff racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? is flying over to Berlin soon to be in a women’s art exhibition over there. My Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? website has some very out-of-date stuff on it – www.aliceralph.co.uk - it needs updating! I suppose I didn’t consider it that much during the design although it is obviously important to me that nobody feels excluded from the festival Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic because of the posters. It was only afterwards that I realised I had forgotten work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? to put on the posters that men are also welcome at the events – we have male organisers, DJs and band-members involved! I truly hope that the I am being interviewed about it! That’s a pretty cool result! poster does not alienate anybody because of the race of the character depicted, or put off anybody because of the age-group/cultural-group it is Your Myspace picture features a very distinctive image of a girl wearing aimed at, but really I just saw an image that I had already, felt it was ideal, headphones set against a baby blue background. The wire from the and used it based on that. headphones spells out Ladyfest Bournemouth. Upon further investigation this girl is actually a real person called Stina, and an original photo is included, so it is possible to see how you augmented the picture to create the final image – Who is Stina and what was behind your decision to use that particular Being an Oxfam volunteer and having picture of her?

such a strong interest in women’s Stina is my best-friend’s girlfriend – she is Norwegian and has been very supportive of the festival from the beginning. My best friend Hamish always rights etc made me want to make a jokes that it’s a good thing he’s not sexist since his girlfriend is the Ladyfest mascot/logo and his best friend organised Ladyfest... The photo was simply very eye-catching, modern and to-the- a MySpace photograph that Stina had on her profile that I thought was cool and just started drawing from because I was bored. The image was just point poster because this event means black and white in biro and it occurred to me that it was ideal – so for the posters I scanned it in, cleaned it up on Photoshop, added the text and plug details and voila!

a lot to me

As an Illustration and design student, you are probably well aware of other Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If design and illustrative precedents – do you feel your designs adhere to any so, which? taught traditions? If so, which? If not, why do you think your design is

different? Like I said, I aim to become a graphic novelist/illustrator so my work is definitely influenced by other artists, in particular Jaime Hernandez, Chris Certainly a lot of contemporary illustrators and graphic novelists – and I Ware, Ariel Schrag… I was also very involved in the local street-art/graffiti suppose ‘comic book artists’. Really I can’t say that I would like to define scene for a while, designing street stickers and wheat-pastes so I suppose my stuff simply because it makes me sound a bit pretentious to label it. I that has affected my work although I no longer design that sort of thing. I just do it because I love it, and I do what I love, although it would be also made zines for a while and am a massive fan of the DIY/underground ignorant to say that it isn’t visibly influenced by the artists and graphic art scene so I feel that I probably veer towards those styles occasionally. novels that I am a geek for. Again, Chris Ware is probably my idol so

whatever you’d class him as… I’m a wannabe of that. Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before?

If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled Did the collaboration with Oxjam effect your design decisions? For example and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? the poster you designed for the Oxglam Burlesque Ball event is clearly different from the ‘official’ Oxjam posters in that it still features the Stina image and the distinctive baby blue background with the Ladyfest probably just me being lazy and not finishing them off properly. Being Bournemouth typeface. Did you feel you had to maintain a separate identity involved with Oxfam did make me want to make the posters look more for the Ladyfest organised events and the Oxjam events? If so, why? professional because I think it’s only fair that Oxfam’s very important work and serious nature (but fun in the way it raises funds) was reflected in the No, that was incidental. The entire weekend is an Oxjam event – any money posters. made from any of the events will go to Oxfam, and I think everyone involved is very proud of the fact that our festival is for such a good cause so we did Do you feel that the work you created for Ladyfest has been part of your not want to distance ourselves from that at all. Any differences were ongoing learning process as a designer/illustrator? If so, how and what have you learned as a result of creating these images for Ladyfest Bournemouth?

Yes, because whereas in the past I have involved with projects that have been initiated by others so normally have had a brief. For example, on The Accolade’s album artwork, the bassist Joe had a very clear idea of what he wanted. The album was called “Still In The Cities” so he had been out and taken photographed lots of local buildings and landmarks which he had collaged by hand on paper into a bizarre landscape of church spires and office blocks. It was very effective, but my job was to scan it in, tidy it up, add effects/tints etc, build up layers, add text… it was interesting but very prescribed in that Joe is a perfectionist and had in mind exactly what he wanted the final image to be. On the other hand, I have basically organised most of what is happening over Ladyfest (although I had a fabulous team helping me) – I booked the venues, bands, DJs, burlesque dancers, sorted out costume designers… and I think being that involved in the project made it very personal to me. I had much more freedom to play with the designs and imagery myself as ultimately I only had myself to answer to, although my dad did a goodI think job of criticising being my [so]initial designs! It was a very useful and creativeproject experience. made it very personal to me

involved in the

Ladyfest Newcastle 2006

Jo

Ladyfest Leicester 2007 Stacey

Location: Leicester

created artwork for: Ladyfest Leicester 2007

Age: 25

Occupation: Carer

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Stacey, how are you? Ladyfest is an event for everybody Very well thank you. and we hope to display that we are How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? proud to be living in a multi cultural I have followed Ladyfest Festivals for a few years now, I organised an all day music event to raise money for Ladyfest Newcastle and from then decided it was about time Leicester did something.

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest? We have spent quite awhile designing logos and have had 3 separate designs so far. We are still in discussion about a set logo but currently we Actually I did see a similar design on a past Ladyfest T shirt, whichsociety was are just using the image of the female face which I designed. I'm far from a where the idea came from. Other designs that we have for flyers all seem to competent artist but it seems to be doing the job for the time being. have the celebration of female talent embedded in the design.

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? female form / guitars / musical references. Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? It’s very important to show diversity in Ladyfest Images. We plan to show this in a variety of flyers that we will use to promote either fundraisers or the We keep to this tradition with the current design mainly because it is quite event itself. Ladyfest is an event for everybody and we hope to display that versatile with printing. I love some of the past Ladyfest Logo's particularly we are proud to be living in a multi cultural society. LF Brighton and Bournemouth. Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest enabled audience, or prospective audience? and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art work? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? Nope I haven't really done anything like this before, this possibly shows with the current basic logos. We have a lot of involvement now with artists and Our logo is fairly basic, rather than target an audience we decided that the designers who are able to provide great images for our posters. logo should help the public come to their own conclusions. We are aware that as Ladyfest Leicester is still in the initial stages of Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / starting, there haven’t been any actual posters or fliers made. However, ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. there are some images on the Myspace page, which we can discuss here. Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others Feel free to discuss any designs that you may be working on or intend to have deviated. work on as Ladyfest Leicester develops. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious decision? When we first started to research this project and looked at other Ladyfest sites and designs, the Ladyfest Leicester page had a different design which As Leicester is a fairly up and coming city the majority of people who this featured the ‘female’ symbol set against a black background with Ladyfest event might appeal to are not familiar with other ladyfest's or the shared Leicester in blue and pink in bold letters. This is a very striking and simple ethos. Rather than let the Logo speak for itself we thought that it should image, what was behind your initial decision to use this as your logo? create curiosity and then information about what we are doing can be given. Our logo at the moment displays a "faceless woman" which may have had A friend designed this logo as I told him how bad I was at drawing! The logo some kind of subconscious feminism views behind the design but it wasn't itself seemed to fit nicely around the myspace page which was the main aim something we set about doing purposely. of this particular image. We were at the stage where we were looking to promote Ladyfest Leicester to anybody who might want to get involved at the first initial stage. So rather than doing a meaningful logo we produced The current logo may also be an eye-catching one. temporary as we all seem to be having

Currently, you are using an image of a woman’s face outlined against either a white or pink background, with Ladyfest Leicester in bold black letters. How did you come to use this particular image and why did you change from the original symbol to this image? a go at being creative, which is

I did several sketches and photoshopped this one. We removed the original something that Ladyfest Leicester is image because of constructive criticism from members of the public saying that it was a daunting image, but it may well make a return in the future. The current logo may also be temporary as we all seem to be having a go at being creative, which is something that Ladyfest Leicester is celebrating and promoting. Rather than having a set logo straight away it’s nice to be having celebrating and promoting. other people have a try. Rather than having a set logo straight The current logo has its qualities as being versatile to print and its basic image can be seen clearly when added to flyers or other promotional tools

Are you planning to use similarly striking and identifiable images throughout away it’s nice to be having other the Ladyfest Leicester campaign?

Yes we have had a few artists that have been roped in that have said they can do some general design work. I personally love the DIY sketches of previous Ladyfest images. Our work may be inspired by that while fitting in a Leicester theme. people have a try.

Ladyfest Leicester 2007

Sarah Howard

Location: Leicester created artwork for: Leicester age: 24

Occupation: Student contact: [email protected]

Hi Sarah, how are you? Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the I’m good thank you, I’m comfortable with a pot of tea and ready for the female form / guitars / musical references. questions :) To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? Ladyfest is a tradition in its entirety, and with all traditions you have your My love for Riot Grrrl music opened the doors to many different things, symbolic imagery and identity. I mean it wouldn’t be Christmas without including Ladyfest. Though sadly none of my friends were remotely Father Christmas would it? It’s about the women, the music and the roar interested so I never got to go to anything Riot Grrrl or Ladyfest-esq, in fact energy which carries its own self right; all of which stand out and screams I’m still a Ladyfest virgin I’m ashamed to admit, BUT maybe Leeds will be an ethos that YOU can’t ignore and CAN’T be ignored. the one to pop my cherry ;) I found out about Ladyfest Leicester through Myspace and saw they were What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest looking for people so I jumped at the chance. I got together my nerves and audience, or prospective audience? went along to their meeting and found a wonderful group of people; Eep I’m Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the excited can you tell? :) images / logos?

Freedom - the pure energy of Ladyfest! I want people to feel a moment, an exciting moment; that they don’t need be ashamed of their body, they don’t need to hold their views inside and bite their tongue but they can scream it from the roof and rock their frocks off and allow a huge smile to part their lips.

Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic value?

The designs were inspired by another body of work I did the end of last year, which will be displaying at some of the Ladyfest Leicester’s fund raisers. The particular message was, the same as for my designs stated above.

Screams an ethos that YOU can’t

ignore and CAN’T be ignored

Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. with the images you produced for Ladyfest? Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this At the moment my time is a multitasking disaster! Being a 3rd year fine are a conscious decision? photography student, helping running my own art collective ‘Mouth Activations of Arts’, working part time, being a full time landlady and I’m a 100% D.I.Y lady; I love mixed media and getting my hands dirty. I Ladyfest.. Well as you can tell I have little time to really truly focus on don’t feel I do many radical things, but I guess the extent to which that word anything for to long. I try and put as much time as I can aside for designs ‘radical’ is useful (in terms of where modern society stands now) is when and where I can, luckily being a creative person my ideas and designs debatable, it’s now very diluted in relation to what came before. come to me fairly quick. Skill-sharing and hands-on is the way forward for 21st century Ladyfests in How did you learn and develop your computer-based art skills, as my opinion, as the days of being ‘radical’ are over. There are better ways of demonstrated within your artwork? getting people involved and feeding them information on a subconscious level whilst getting them to sing, dance and be creative instead of shouting Well I try and avoid using my computer as much as possible, I prefer to print in people’s faces and telling them what they should think. But that’s just me, my work off and work into it with tracing paper, pens, even tip-ex then scan I would rather sit someone down (with optional boogie!?) and play them Le it all in at the end. I have at least 7 years experience with software like Tigre then march on the streets with a banner. Photoshop which I use almost everyday, but for Ladyfest I decided that the digital route was not what I wanted to take.

Were your images based on any specific artist, person, or muse? If so, what inspired this choice of this subject over any other? I want people to feel a moment, an exciting moment My muse for my logos was simply the ethos which is Ladyfest.

Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest?

Well in theory everything we do in life has some form of an influence, albeit most of the time locked within our subconscious so.. Yes. I could think of a million influences.. Listening to Grrrl Riot music, reading great female literature, being an artist, a lesbian, a vegetarian, an environmentalist.. The list could go on and I would never be able to really pin point them all.

Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before?

Before I got involved with Ladyfest I helped out as a photographer for ‘Sounding Out’, a Leicester based charity promoting queer women’s music. Through this I got involved with a Gender Bending theme night by designing advertisement. Since a little girl I have always been an artistic and creative person, doing a HND in Film and Video and now a Degree in Fine Art Photography. I love the arts what can I say?

Your artwork for Ladyfest Leicester appears to incorporate a mixed-media approach (a mix of photos/writing/illustration). How much of this mixed- media style has been influenced by past feminist artwork, such as the collage, or cut and paste work utilised within riot grrrl?

I’m a mixed medium artist, its how I work. I do anything I can think up of to get the effect I most desire. There are many feminist, non-feminist, female, and male artists throughout the history of art that have given me great deal of influences. Collage and cut and paste are things they teach us in primary school along with potato painting, it’s just that many people choose to forget these, but I like to utilize them as key tools. In terms of Ladyfest, it’s the music mainly that has been an influence; from the ladies, to the songs, to the album covers. Ladyfest Leeds 2007

Christopher Paul Daniels

Location: Leeds

Created artwork for: LadyFest Leeds

Age:25

Occupation: Graphic Designer

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Chris, how are you? was what someone e-mailed Amy more or less straight away when she announced it was going to happen. I'm super thanks for asking! ;) Basically, it would have been wrong to state 'this is a festival to celebrate diversity' and then just aim this at a specific demographic with an overtly How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? clichéd image.

I'm very good friends with Amy Brachi who decided to put on, or at least kick off, Ladyfest Leeds but also a lot of the people from the Manifesta collective [Leeds based feminist collective] who I've been rolling around I deliberately avoided anything too with on various dirty dance floors for the last couple of years who all seem to be involved in LFL in one way or another. So Amy just asked if I wanted to do a poster to get people involved. representative because I really How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? believed in encouraging as many The bulk of the first poster in yellow and pink I did was mostly drawn during the Queer Mutiny North gathering last March(?) at the old nunnery in Burley (Leeds) last year. I was really on a buzz that weekend cos the squat was people to participate as possible incredible. I'd been a bit withdrawn for a while and for various reasons the timing of that weekend was perfect and Amy encouraged me to do What do you think / do you hope your designs “say”to the Ladyfest audience, something there and then, so I did. What you see in the bottom of the or prospective audience? poster was done, on a very cold morning in March, whilst still pissed, Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the wearing a Mallet's Mallet cap signed by Timmy Mallet that I found on the images / logos? road whilst lost in the snow, trying to get back to Amy's house at 9 in the morning. As above but I really didn't have a target audience in mind, that was the

point I was trying to make. The scanning and colouring of it actually took a while cos the borders of This is unapologetically going to sound pretentious but I was quite into the images you see at the top are actually three or four A3 pages linked idea that it was a doodle of some kind of emotion or identity that wasn't together and sized down. It took longer than it would if I did it now - a few classifiable or embodied physically. I ran with the idea that this really was nights work - but that's because I was really out of practice and this poster about celebrating anyone and everyone, but I guess that's why it looks so really got me back into doing stuff again. It really was quite an important psychedelic! It's about yr fucking soul man! Yeah, yeah. poster for me in getting me back on track, creatively speaking, and for that I As far as my intentions in the design it was an advert - Hopefully it grabbed owe Ladyfest and Amy quite a lot. yr attention, and then you read about the festival, and maybe wanted to get

involved. Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote

Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular female form / guitars / musical references. message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and aesthetic value? why?

As I've said - I wanted to try and illustrate some kind of active, creative I really, really didn't want to go down that route. energy that could provoke people into participating. I don't know whether it I've seen that stuff done over and over and when it's done well it can look did or not but it reminds me of getting off my arse and doing something great but if not it can look very tired and only intended for a specific sub- other than the day-job so I'm happy with it. culture.

From its conception this Ladyfest was intending to be more inclusive than any one before it. I deliberately avoided anything too representative because

I really believed in encouraging as many people to participate as possible. It also gives less definition to the festival and more importantly peoples' criticisms of this being a cliquey event for white middle class girls which

No it really isn't is it?! - It was printed full colour on shiny, shiny paper, It's about yr fucking soul man! double sided in the case of the leaflet. Can't exactly call it Lo-fi. It's also scanned through a Mac and the text is typed, I did do-it-myself though!

The design I did for the all-dayer last summer's a bit more ’Misfits’ with the skull in the bottom corner in white on black print but that was specifically for a gig i.e. needs doing for cheap photocopying whereas Amy asked me to do the original poster in full colour as a big mail out for community organisations as well as to the usual suspects.

Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influence your designs for Ladyfest?

Queer Mutiny had a massive influence on me that weekend. I really did want to attempt to encapsulate some of its spirit and attitude towards gender and sexuality and also the excitement of knowing what Manifesta and Ladyfest were potentially going to do. I'd like to think that what you get from them is some kind of busy enthusiasm and bid for inclusivity (if that's a word) to get involved.

To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process?

Of course it's relevant, but you don't have to have some sesame street/ we are the world image to ram the point home. The diversity things pretty apparent once you read into the festival. I tried to aim for it but in a subtle way than attempting to illustrate demographics which can be a bit trite and patronizing if you get it wrong.

Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which?

The new neurotic chrispauldaniels romantic tessalationism.

Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before?

I'm a graphic designer in the day and have a degree in art and design but this really did get me moving again and let me drop the towel to get on with a load more self-initiated projects. It very genuinely gave me the opportunity to re-gain my creative confidence/competence and led directly into several new projects.

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic work/get involved in any other creative outlets? Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / Almost immediately, to the point where I have built up a new ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued portfolio/artistic CV. My involvement has led to further posters, printed this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. submissions to zines and comics, putting on my first gig, participation in Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious film events and on-line galleries, considering MAs and co-coordinating decision? arts events at Holy Trinity church for Ladyfest Leeds.

I really did want to attempt to encapsulate some of its spirit and attitude towards gender and sexuality and also the excitement of knowing what Ladyfest was potentially going to

do.

Your work often uses unrecognisable shapes and forms, what attracted you to creating such objects and forms in the context of creating promotional work for LadyfestLeeds?

It's kind of a way of working I have - just letting the form come out of the line, they're like doodles that create themselves and have semi-personified characteristics. I just thought that fitted with the point of a transgressive festival that didn't need to dictate definitions on gender, sexuality etc. Also I really wouldn't have been comfortable with a defined singular image for Ladyfest as that goes into defining all the people it tries to speak to which is a territory I really don't want to go into.

The colour scheme that you used for the first posters has now been utilised for the Ladyfest Leeds website and for many of the promotional posters, fliers etc that have been used in the run up to the festival - did you put much time and effort into this colour scheme? Was there anything specific you wanted to convey by these colours? The type-face has also been used repeatedly, again, was this chosen deliberately at all?

I made the original poster, on request, in full colour, but it looked grotesque and too much like a 'Cream' 70's album cover. As we knew these were going to be in colour print, I picked two shades of pink and a yellow for not much reason other than they looked good, guess its a bit raspberry ripple so analyse that how you want! The pink is admittedly a stereotypical 'girl' and 'gay' colour, I can't argue that that isn't a cliché but it's the one bit of the poster I thought needed some visual connotation attached to it. Sorry if that’s a bit obvious of me. The typeface got re-used to give some kind of visual unity for Ladyfest advertising. It was my first attempt at the logo and is just my hand-written type. But it has added relevance for me because it was done with the original drawings when this festival gave me a well targeted kick up the ass.

Ladyfest Leeds 2007

Heather Crabtree

Location: Desk at shitty work

created artwork for: Ladyfest Leeds

age:26 (and 3 days)

Occupation: Administration assistant and Art and Architectural Historian

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Heather, how are you? Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for I’m very well thanks!! aesthetic value?

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? See above!! But also I did want them to look nice!! I am an aesthete, and I wanted them to be eye-catching to as much of a cross-section of people Last year I moved from Norwich (where I did my MA) to Sheffield and as possible. I hope that they accomplish that! subsequently Leeds, my good friend Chris had got involved with Ladyfest and asked if I fancied going along to some of the meetings, so I did and it suddenly took over my life!!

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? I tried to think of images, logos etc

I spent quite a few hours on them, I used to work a job that meant I spent that were non representational but hours sat on my ass with time to kill, so I just used to sit and draw when I evocative of freedom, life, and possibly should have been answering the phone or talking to customers and stuff!! If it wasn’t for that dumb boring job I probably would never have had the time to do them!!

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. why? Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. I’ve been aware from the start about the DIY aspect of Ladyfest’s in general Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a consciousfun!! and DIY aesthetic, but I personally don’t work in that aesthetic. I enjoy it, decision? and find it eye-catching and deeply cool, but it doesn’t suit the work I do. These images were manipulated from their original hand-illustrated format in I wanted to steer clear of the traditional female-based images and Photoshop in a collaboration with Trent (who is also very much involved in iconography of Ladyfests, as this Ladyfest had made clear that it wanted to Ladyfest and I’m in a band with her Sailor Tongue…check us out!!) we be much broader reaching and not specifically female orientated – more of chatted about how the images were to be represented and how they would a celebration of female creativity and talent within the Leeds based work as a whole – we talked about it a lot, Trent was very good, community. Therefore I tried to think of images, logos etc that were non understanding and flexible about how I wanted the images used. We both representational but evocative of freedom, life, and possibly fun!! That’s decided that although we like the DIY look, we wanted to do something how I came up with the birds. else. Also we thought that this Ladyfest, because of its slight difference to other Ladyfests should have a slightly different look. It could be argued that What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest a non DIY look may well be easier for people that don’t necessarily like or audience, or prospective audience? appreciate that aesthetic to become interested – ultimately we are trying to Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the interest a broad range of the Leeds community to get involved and come images / logos? along.

The birds are meant to be in a triptych style – i.e. three developing pictures Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) that have a message within themselves but also hold a message together – influenced your designs for Ladyfest? the first bird is bound, unable to move, the second is breaking free of its binds and the third is flying free. I know it may sound kind of corny but I I suppose that, as I did A level art and have studied art and architectural think it’s obvious that I wanted that to represent women’s struggle (and history to post-grad level, there are some things in the back of my mind eventual win!!) for emancipation, freedom, equality and general better when I draw these things!! I’m not entirely sure what tho!! quality of life.

To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and adapted for use on many other fliers created by others involved in the racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? festival, is the series of ‘Birds’ that you designed. Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? What influenced the range of birds being designed; how did your view their relevance to Ladyfest? Again, I didn’t want to have specifics, we aren’t trying to be specific in our Did you want the designs to make a subversive comment about the much audience reach – I thought a bird would be pretty non-specific!! maligned use of the words ‘bird’ or ‘chick’ within mainstream society to refer to women? Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? I mentioned this earlier, but I did think about birds as being representative of freedom...but also, now you mention it, I suppose there is the connotation As I said, there is something going on but I’m not sure what!! with the subversion of birds being used to represent women!! I was reading something the other day to do with Bitch and Animal, music makers and Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? general creative types in the U.S, and Bitch said she changed her name to that in order to subvert the term as being derogatory when associated with Um, sort of, I’ve made fliers and posters for gigs, I also designed a poster women and to confront men's use of it in those terms, so I suppose making for Leeds Women’s Aid which unfortunately was never used. I draw mini- a poster showing birds flying is subverting, playing with and re-mashing the comics for friends and create greetings cards for friends and family. I also whole concept!! Wow!! I didn’t realise how complex it was!! write my own mini-comic called Bottom Rung of the Ladder, which is rubbish and a vindication of all the years I spent in the crappy job I Another of the designs that you created, which was used in early mentioned earlier!! calls-to-arms when the ideas for LFL were first burgeoning, included a logo created from hands depicting the British Sign Language spelling of Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic Ladyfest. work/ get involved in any other creative outlets? How important, early on, was it for you to use your designs to promote ladyfest Leeds as a festival that aimed to be inclusive and open to I am heavily involved in the organisational side of Ladyfest Leeds, especially individuals from all backgrounds, and all abilities? the arts side!! I’m responsible for curating and organising exhibitions of OTHER people’s work, rather than displaying my own!! That was defiantly one of my ultimate prerogatives - the sign language was However, as a result of getting back into the creative flow I’ve decided to do one way of doing it, I also used British Semaphore, but I wasn’t trying to a stonemasonry course in the next year in order to pursue my deep interest specifically attract sailors....unless...Lady sailors??!!.....Nah...He he!! in architectural history and preservation/conservation. Actually, the sign language thing sort of came form a Deftones T-Shirt I had about 10 years ago that spelt Deftones in US sign language. I didn’t steal it Your artwork, as used on LFL posters and fliers and introductory though!! It was important to use a visual language that wouldn’t be exclusive leaflets is part of a bank of art created for Ladyfest Leeds by many individuals at all - to anyone...hopefully I managed to do that!! involved. Similarly, your artwork has been adapted by others to create further, different fliers for other events. How have you found the process of your promo art being used collaboratively at LFL? What do you think the benefits are of working within a bank of artists working collectively on promo material? It was important to use a visual

Its good being part of a collective, in that you know that your work is language that wouldn’t be exclusive at available for use...but not ALL of the responsibility is on your shoulders to continuously create images for events and stuff!! Also its good in that I think all - to anyone we bounce ideas off each other creatively...clearly the posters Trent and I created wouldn’t have happened (or would have taken longer to produce!) had we not have seen each others work on the collective bank we had and I remember once reading Jeanette Winterson discussing the artwork of then got talking about it!! Also, Chris D and I have sort of worked on Tracey Emin. She claimed that: ‘[Tracey’s] background is not about money Ladyfest stuff (some early promo flyers) which again, was ace as we put our or privilege; she makes the work because she loves to do it, and it’s a love heads together and came up with a thoroughly lovely design!! affair she wants to share. For her, art is the centre of things, not in the lost world of academies or connoisseurship. All that she asks is that you get One of the most striking designs that you drew, a design that has been involved – be part of it, not outside it. To what degree do you see the artwork you (and others) have created for Ladyfest as an avenue for individuals (both creators and audiences) to engage with art on a very accessible level due to the artwork (by its very nature as promotional material) being shared in a very public, centred, immediate, social way. To what degree did you want to be involved in the creation of Ladyfest artwork because, like Tracey you want to share your art, and saw promo art as a very successful and important way for your artwork to be used & shared publicly?

I did this artwork because, Ladyfest waaaay back in June/July 06I neededthink that this Ladyfest has created some artwork doing...Chris D had done a load and it was amazing, but there was a definite push for more contributions, a wider range of an amazing forum for creative swop- styles, abilities and aesthetics, and I simply rose to the challenge of doing some. I think that this Ladyfest has created an amazing forum for creative swop-shopping, and has always encouraged creativity in its members and organisers on all shopping, & has always levels...be it drawing, badge making, banner making, cooking, website making, music making, dancing, zine encouraged creativity making ... whatever!! Obviously, it was a PERFECT way to show my lil scribbles on a massive showcase, but to be honest I didn’t want anything back form it other than in its members & just to publicise Ladyfest and make it look amazing and try and get people involved... that’s all I want really!! organisers on all levels... be it drawing,

badge making, banner

making, cooking, website making, music

making, dancing, zine making ... whatever!! Ladyfest Leeds 2007

Trent

Location: Leeds

created artwork for: Ladyfest Leeds 2007

age: 21

Occupation: Retail Assistant / Stock Manager

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Trent, how are you? do perfect.' Also, my girlfriend just got me a graffiti design book for my birthday and I was very, very influenced by the stuff I read from it so I Knackered. Always, always knackered. Work makes me tired all the time. But incorporated some graffiti-style stuff with the birds. I don’t know how to otherwise, I'm alright. =) explain the other bits about my design. They just float to my head and suddenly I have them on my computer screen. How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? What do you think / do you hope your designs "say" to the Ladyfest I got to know about the whole concept of Ladyfest from reading zines and audience, or prospective audience? stuff and reading stuff about what my favourite bands were doing. Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? When I got to Leeds, I discovered Manifesta and the club night they were I mean, in the posters I created the usage of conventional illustrations, doing called Suck My Left One. And then I found out from there that graffiti-style art, repeated prints and the usage of the font-style: they're all Ladyfest Leeds 2007 was in the pipelines. One night later on, while I was kinda like a beautifully constructed mess of, you know, good stuff. I wanted drunk and dancing (badly) to The Knife, some girl (the one whom I stole a to showcase diversity, like, open-mindedness. And with the birds (the cigarette from) managed to convince me to attend a ladyfest meeting and I message about freedom) - there's so many positive ways to interpret it but I actually did! It was very challenging and all the ideas coming out from guess the main thing is that I wanted people to know that Ladyfest Leeds is everyone was fantastic! It was great because the meetings were very different. accessible, friendly to newbies, and was so not intimidating. I felt welcomed I didn't have a specific audience in mind because I wanted everyone to get and comfortable and was not afraid to voice out suggestions. It also made it - no matter what background/scene/etc they're from. me feel like I could contribute something to make this wonderful event happen too.

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? Heather came up with those lovely birds - there are 3 of them and when Uh, usually, it takes me a day to complete a poster. But I needed like a day or two to form a plan of some sort in my head. used in sequence, they kinda give you

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival's content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. the message of breaking out of To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and restrictions, the message of freedom. why?

Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular Yeah, I figured that. Loads of posters for other ladyfests had like images of message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for women, guitars, women with guitars etc on them. But I realized that aesthetic value? Ladyfest wasn't just about music. There are workshops about writing, self- defence, self-assertiveness, DIY stuff and everything else you can imagine. Yeah, initially I wanted to do that, like a series of posters, artwork and stuff And as much as I know it is about showcasing female talents and female but sadly, I didn’t have the time to do it; work is taking up most of my time empowerment, the whole female imagery thing is quite discomforting to me already. I guess you could say that I created those posters for aesthetic because, it feels like we're kinda like excluding men from our fests. And value and also to spread the word about ladyfest. I admit that I'm not really what about transgendered people? pro at graphic design but, it looks nice too, doesnt it? That's kinda

important to me as well. I felt that the whole female/music imagery thing was bordering on being dangerously over-used/misused. Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y /

'punk' / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. So I thought I needed a metaphor to work with. Something metaphoric and Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where others meaningful to this fest. Something different. Heather came up with those have deviated. lovely birds (she drew them! Really amazing!) - there are 3 of them and Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious when used in sequence, they kinda like give you the message of breaking decision? out of restrictions, the message of freedom. I thought, 'Fuck, yeah. This'll

In some ways, I think Ladyfest Leeds still holds true to the radical/diy/etc Uh, yeah. I create and design most of the artwork in my zines (which I have stuff while at the same time, not deviating, but more like, incorporating a been doing since I was like 13 or something) And I have created posters variety of other stuff like, hey, we've got some dance and theatre things and flyers for gigs and club nights and did some stuff for friends and going on and stuff for family and kids! I guess we're more accessible and dabbled in t-shirt design (but couldn't find time to continue this). I just like welcoming to the public. I think this is important because it’s like we're designing. I really, really like it. Every time I turn on my Photoshop there is really making an effort to communicate to people who otherwise are always something new to learn and do and try out. I mean, I know there are unaware about these things, you know? other designing softwares out there but I’m really quite happy with my So yeah, it was kinda a conscious decision to create posters that are Photoshop. I love it. Designing is like writing to me. It's like expressing my different. thoughts, emotions and ideas and stuff.

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

I didn't have a specific audience in I got to do the club-night, Suck My Left One's poster for Jan 2007!!!!! Also, Sarah from Killing Fantasy's (Manchester) kinda interested for me to do a mind because I wanted everyone to poster for their night too!

get it - no matter what You have worked on some of the posters by adapting the artwork of other individuals, and combined it with your own flair and ideas. Was this a background/scene/etc they're from. conscious process of being respectful of and celebrating others' original work and creations?

I've talked to Heather about using her birds and she's been wonderful to To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and work with. Like, I asked her for advice and stuff and I made sure that the racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? poster brings out the best in her illustrations while at the same time Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? showcasing my taste and art direction. So yeah, I do respect other people's artwork and original work and I love it even more when I get to make them It’s relevant, definitely. Because most people have a misconception that look even more awesome, you know? riot-girl/feminism/and somehow ladyfests are communicating messages about white/middle-class women's issues from white/middle-class women It appears as if some of your posters are almost a visual representation and to white middle-class women. To project as much diversity as possible manifestation of the Ladyfest ethos, in that you worked with others' ideas and would enable people, not just women, of different backgrounds access to it creations to make sure that all artistic aspirations were covered and met, by and also, to call it their own. It's like saying: 'Yeah, you can be part of it incorporating the talents, visions and techniques of other women. Would you too!' It's also more encouraging so that people don’t get put off by earlier agree with this statement? misconceptions (about ladyfest and the issues/music/people associated with it.) Yes.

Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If How important do you think collective and collaborative action (in art, and so, which? otherwise) is within a festival such as Ladyfest? I mean, I like the cut and paste mess/type writer style designs and stuff I think it’s very important. It's like communicating a positive message about (ooh yes, developed that from my love for zines), but I also like graffiti art, sharing ideas, it's like there is simply no space for elitism and I like it. and I can appreciate sleek graphic design work and stuff. I have my own obsessions, especially with grids in Photoshop and I’d like to learn more While there is an obvious change of images within each piece you created, about typography because I am obsessed with fonts and how to emulate there is a continuity of colour scheme, unique fonts and theme within your the silkscreen printing / stencil style into my designs. But I don’t think I stick promotional artwork. to any one in particular. In a lot of ways, I'm still learning. I look at other Was it important to you that all your fliers had a continuity and artworks from other people and try to learn their ways before developing a recognisability? Why was this? style of my own. Uh, it’s just my style really. It’s also kinda like an identifier thing. Like the Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? moment people see it, they kinda know I did them? You know? The colour especially, hahaha. I'm dead-obsessed with the colour FF0990. It’s like a sorta pinkish/purplish/reddish colour and well, most of my posters come in hues of that. I was actually thinking of setting up a small bedroom graphic design label called #FF0990 !

In using the colour scheme you picked (vivid pink and black) you created some quite stunning work. Did you wish for these eye-catching posters to be so vivid in order to raise consciousness about the festival?

Yeah, exactly. But also coz, like I’ve said, I’m obsessed with that colour. (It’s not really pink!) =)

Your posters are created through the use of computer technology and image packages. What is your view of the power and usefulness (or conversely, possible weaknesses) of the use of, and incorporation of technological developments within d.i.y communities?

I think technological developments, if used in a way that doesn’t destroy any creative productivity - are not only essential, but also, helpful. I mean, like, yeah, I’m still 'D.I.Y', in a way that I like to do things on my own, create stuff on my own. I think the whole concept of DIY shouldn’t be restricted to just glue, scissors, paper, silkscreen printing, paint, etc. Computers and softwares that enable efficiency and enhance creative flow should be included too. I mean think about it - without the internet, loads of people from communities far away from us won’t be able to learn things and stuff!

'Yeah, you can be part of it too!'

Ladyfest Leeds 2007

Nina Nijsten location: Hasselt, Belgium created artwork for: Ladyfest Leeds 2007

Age: 24

Occupation: student (women’s studies!)

Contact: [email protected]

Hi Nina, how are you? counter-culture. I hope my logo is somewhat inclusive and appealing to everyone, but it’s probably never inclusive enough. I’m fine, thanks! And you? Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? aesthetic value?

I first heard of Ladyfest when it was taking place in Olympia in 2000 and I It’s a combination of both, but I definitely wanted it to be fitting for a was dreaming of something like that taking place closer to where I live. In Ladyfest. It’s a simple drawing, good for a logo, showing a feminist sign 2002 and 2003 I helped to organise the Ladyfests in Belgium (in Leuven and with a black girl grinning. She’s got a kind of naughty, tough and self- Liège). In 2003, 2005 and 2006 I visited respectively Ladyfest Amsterdam, confident look. For me feminism can be naughty and tough too (in a Ladyfest Berlin and Ladyfest Rotterdam. In Rotterdam and Liège I exhibited positive way) and it’s certainly important for women/queers/people of some drawings. I was asked by Melanie to contribute artwork to Ladyfest colour/etc to be self-confident and to show them/us that way in pictures. Leeds after we became myspace friends.

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? She’s got a kind of naughty, tough and It didn’t take that long to make it I have to admit. A few hours? It’s hard to estimate. I’m quite a fast drawer. First I made some sketches and pre- designs, then I drew the design I had chosen, I scanned it, made some little self-confident look. For me feminism corrections and added the font (I found it on the internet on some anarchist webpage). can be naughty and tough too (in a

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the importantpositive for women/queers/people way) and it’s certainly of female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? colour/etc to be self-confident and to I like that the logo / drawing shows that it’s a feminist festival, so an empowering image with a female person or the feminist symbol seem the show them/us that way in pictures most obvious. Though maybe it isn’t very original... I do think there are some difficulties when drawing a “person” in the logo, because you’re Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a radical / D.I.Y / always excluding certain people and stereotyping the audience. I drew a ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. Many Ladyfests have continued black girl very conscious, because most logos/drawings probably are this tradition over the years, where others have deviated. Where do you think dominated by white persons. your images fit into this lineage? Was this a conscious decision? I like guitars and microphones in images, but didn’t use them here. Guitars can look quite decorative and in the mainstream media/culture are usually My image fits into the DIY/punk/etc kind of Ladyfest. I love the black/white seen with male persons. To me (women with) microphones can symbolise art of zines, DIY comics and punk artwork and my style and art is certainly (women) being vocal, which is what Ladyfest is supporting. inspired by the DIY counter-culture. For me the radical / DIY /skills-sharing aspects of Ladyfest are very important. They make Ladyfest what it is. Not What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest just a music festival with (mainstream) female bands and artists. audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos? Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest? I want it to show Ladyfest is about anti-sexism and anti-racism (or at least it should) and everyone working on and fighting for these issues is welcome Yes. Most of the artwork/drawings I make are influenced by riot grrrl, DIY and encouraged to co-operate in this space/stage that Ladyfest offers. I culture, queer theory, anarcha-feminism, anti-racism, punk, etc because didn’t have a specific audience in mind, except for those being open and that’s what I’m involved and interested in. supportive to feminist, pro-girl, anti-racist, queer, DIY etc struggles and

than than on and es I do do I es n and a hat was or more ne these to create s that are ure. e e person”. t this when d one of my beginning… yfest enabled ern”. Maybe it c DIY feminist e? think I would fit fit would I think etic traditions? If traditions?etic with more participation of wome ow and provide your art work? art work? your provide ow and / creative work like this befor this like work creative /

culture scene these days

interesting than anything that’s

For me it’s much more radical and

happening in the mainstream or high and show art, so that’s great. great. that’s so art, show and If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Lad of nature inclusive and supportive the think you do not, If sh produce, to you empowered and Well, Ladyfest certainly encourages women and queers (like me) so, which? I’m very inspired by DIY punk / zine / riot grrrl artworks so I Sometim design. Leeds Ladyfest the as style same the in of sort fut the in more do to want I And CD as covers. such commissions Do you feel that you adhere to any particularartistic oraesth into that artistic tradition. movement as the I’d new “Dada”, but like to think feminist message. of For this me artisti it’s much more radical and interesting any artistic done ever Have you Yes, I participated in the Ladyfest Berlin 2006 logo contest an designs was chosen as one of the 4 logos they were gonna use. T really nice. Apart from these logo designs, I make zines, comics and drawing anything that’s happening in the mainstream or high culture sce days. days. There’s much more that needs to be done to achieve real inclusi real achieve to done be to needs that more much Oh, I think it’s very important! Though of course that’s only There’s a diversity. would have been better to draw more than 1 person in the logo f logo the in person 1 than diversity. So yes, more as I wrote before, I draw was very conscious to abou designing the logo/drawing. I didn’t want better to draw “another whit been have would Even though I realise the girl in my logo does look quite “West quite look does logo my in girl the realise I though Even a conscious cultural and and cultural nd creative process? aim within your design a racial racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? Was this To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

I was already drawing a lot, so this particular work wasn’t a major influence on drawing more (yet). But it’s always nice and encouraging to be able to design something that will be used or to exhibit art in a supportive environment such as Ladyfest. Ladyfest in general and similar events certainly got me more involved and connected in the DIY queer feminist art scene. I’m sure Ladyfest has contributed a lot to this scene and influenced the way it exists today. Being aware that such events exist, can encourage you to really do-it-yourself too. You can make/do anything you like at a Ladyfest! One recent personal example is that I will soon be Being organising aaware that such events exist, small DIY feminist art event in the town where I live (that will be part of a bigger art event) called “Ladies’ Room” (yes, the name is a reference to Ladyfest) where I will also exhibit my art and do a zine workshop. can encourage you to really do-it-

To what degree do you view the art work that you created as a form of Feminist Cultural Activism? yourself too. You can make/do Hmm… I think my design is only a very small contribution to feminist culture, but every contribution counts. I think it’s very important that women create art and also SHOW it to the anything you like at a Ladyfest! world. The art scene (like the music world) is so dominated by men. It’s not that women are less creative, but their art often remains too often invisible, they probably have less time to spend on making art, have fewer examples/role models and spaces/networks to support and encourage them… So any girl/women/queer person/person of colour who is creating art is contributing to our art herstory and showing others they can make art too and that it isn’t something for the privileged few.

I think it’s very important that women

it to the create art and also SHOW world

Ladyfest Cambridge 2007

Jim

Location: Cambridge created artwork for: Ladyfest Cambridge 2007

Age: You should never ask a lady but not having enough class to be one of those I can tell you I'm 27

Occupation: Cat Charmer

Contact: [email protected]

How did you first become aware To be able to send out a message through the designs would be great. I of, and get involved with guess they do in a simple way but my skills don’t stretch that far. So it's Ladyfest? about aesthetics all the way. Maybe my skills will have developed more by next year. Urm, Ladyfest has always been in the back of my head, Traditionally, Ladyfest has aesthetic values underpinned by a occasionally discussed it with my radical / D.I.Y / ‘punk’ / skills-sharing ethos and appearance. partner (who organises Many Ladyfests have continued this tradition over the years, where events/runs a venue) Then one others have deviated. day she came home and said Where do you think your images fit into this lineage? Was this a let's do it and the story began.... conscious decision?

How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on Ladyfest Cambridge is a bit experimental as it is our first one and has been and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? shaped by the volunteers who are helping to run it. It has been challenging getting everything organised and I can imagine that we will still be Initially the logo had to be done immediately. I think we made the decision organising until the last minute. The images correlate with this I think. I to put Ladyfest on quite last minute so a logo had to be drawn up quick would like to think that they are distinctly Cambridge although they have smart. I spent anything from 10 minutes to an hour on an image. evolved as we have got more to grips with the event. If the images deviate from traditional ones it is probably because everything we have done has Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that been experimental and has changed as the event has evolved. denote Ladyfest and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? Everything we have done has been experimental and has changed as the Looking at the other designs from other Ladyfests I realised that there wasn't a standard format as such. Every town, country, group of people had their own way of expressing their Ladyfest in a logo so I went with what I know. I love fonts in an unnatural way so that's where I started. At that stage we weren't sure what events might take place so it was important not to give the logo a definite theme. Eventually as our event took a more musical direction I decided to venture that way too. It's tricky to be honest. I didn't event has evolved want to be too obvious but as I was using a basic programme and my art skills are zilch this seriously limited my design options.

What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or prospective audience? Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the images / logos?

I hope that the designs don't say these are made by an amateur but I hope they do convey the whole DIY ethic behind Ladyfest and the nature of the event (music/entertainment). Not too produced but still well organised. As for the audience I should say they were designed with gig goers and ladies in mind but to be honest they are for everyone. If they get Ladyfest Cambridge noticed then they've worked.

Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic value? Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest? Occasionally I make the odd poster for my partner’s music venue but apart Personally I love fonts and the way that pink and black go together, that's as from that I'll have to say nope. complex as I get, so that influenced me however I do not think that politics need to play a part in the designs. I think the nature of the event speaks for If not, do you think the supportive and inclusive nature of Ladyfest itself plus there are plenty of other forums within our event for politics to be enabled and empowered you to produce, show and provide your art heard/discussed. work?

Definitely I know I'm no designer but no one has complained about the stuff I've done so I feel a little confident and I'm happy for anything I've done to be displayed. I have to say that getting the message from you guys was a I do not think that politics need to play buzz though so thanks for that.

Has doing Ladyfest designs and creative work led you to do further a part in the designs. I think the artistic work/ get involved in any other creative outlets?

I'm also designing the programme for Ladyfest Cambridge but apart from nature of the event speaks for itself that there is nothing on the agenda. I'll keep making my posters for now.

You mentioned to me before this interview that, 'all the logos from other fests are so distinctive, it's really interesting to see all the variations and personal plus there are plenty of other forums interpretations of a theme from across the country and all over the world.'

How important do you think personal, cultural and local within our event for politics to be representations, variations and interpretations of Ladyfest are in terms of the development and scope of the ideas behind Ladyfest?

heard/discussed All the personal, cultural and local differences make for very different and unique events. To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict Before we registered our MySpace and website address I emailed the cultural and racial diversity in its moderator of the Ladyfest Europe web site to register/get permission. She promotional images and logos? said to me that Ladyfest wasn't her's. It wasn't anybody's or it was Was this a conscious aim within everybody’s. Make of it what you will. your design and creative process? As long as it's called Ladyfest and it remains non profit and peaceful it should be as different as the people who organise it and come to it so the I don't think it is relevant or personal, cultural and local representations, variations and interpretations necessary at all. The events speak are very important. for themselves. People speak for themselves. The bands and the crowds will all speak for themselves. It's not an issue unless you highlight it then it becomes an issue. I'm multi-racial and I don't need an extra The events speak for themselves. picture/figure/title to know I'm included. Lady says enough I think. People speak for themselves. The Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? bands and the crowds will all speak

Yup. Try a few different things. The one that looks the best wins. for themselves It's called Jimism (don't misplace the 'm' in that word though)

Which past festival logos and artwork have specifically stood out to you as 'distinctive'? Why is this?

There are so many very cool logos, I can't answer this. I like the ones with attitude but there are so many that it's hard to pin which is which. I'll be diplomatic and say that anything that was ever made to represent a Ladyfest event is distinctive and special.

Do you think that these 'distinctive' logos have a responsibility to represent ladyfest in a certain light, or portray a certain message since they are the ones that will maybe catch most people’s attentions and help spread the word most about events such as Ladyfest, and feminism itself?

I think the term Ladyfest is becoming quite universal so although I can appreciate the power of a logo I think the term itself says enough. Of course there is a responsibility too though. It's tricky because you want to appeal to ladies but you don't want to exclude men. I think if you give off a strong feminist vibe you can frighten some people away. Best to keep it simple I say, alienate no one so that your artists, performers, entertainers etc get the biggest audience and coverage as does your message.

Ladyfest Cambridge has maintained a distinctive core colour scheme within its designs and promotional logos. What have the advantages / disadvantages of this been?

I have never liked pink. As a tomboy, as a baby dyke and as adult pink has always meant squirly girly and was to be avoided. As I was designing the Ladyfest logos the obvious choice was to use pink. Best to keep it simple I say, alienate It's a girls colour right? Then I thought no, that's awfully sexist and obvious, let's not use pink. Then I thought but it's the obvious choice for anything female, what else will you use? Then I thought no don't be so bloody stereotypical use a different colour. This went on for some time before I realised that it simply didn't matter. My gender is not defined by a colour and I'll use it if I want. no one so that your artists, So I did. And now everything is pink and it's my new favourite colour. Oh, performers, entertainers etc get the and it goes so well with black. biggest audience and I hope that my neurosis has not affected people’s perceptions of our logos. Hopefully the colours are striking and will grab some attention cos really that's what I wanted them to do. I'm sure some people will think it's all a bit obvious but as they say 'you can't please all of the people all of the time' and anyway I'm happy with them and that's all that matters ;) coverage as does

your message Ladyfest Nottingham 2007

Ladyfest London 2008

Edd Last Hours

Location: Moria created artwork for: Ladyfest London 2008

Age: 23

Occupation: Student bum

Contact: [email protected]

How did you first become aware of, and get involved with Ladyfest? To what extent do you feel it is relevant to Ladyfest to depict cultural and racial diversity in its promotional images and logos? I wanted to go to London Ladyfest 2002 but I was too scared to as a boy – I Was this a conscious aim within your design and creative process? thought everyone was going to eat me alive. I then realised that I was being an Our design hasn't got to this stage yet and I'm sure we'll be having a lot of long idiot having met several people who had attended. A close friend of mine, who discussions about it when we do get there. also writes for Last Hours suggested that it would be a good idea to do another London Ladyfest and I became involved that way. Do you feel that you adhere to any particular artistic or aesthetic traditions? If so, which? How much time did you have / how much time did you spend working on and with the images you produced for Ladyfest? No, but I'm inspired by most of the major movements that have happened in the art world, with the possible exception of the Renaissance and Romanticism About two days because they're just rubbish!

Conventionally, existing Ladyfest designs have used images that denote Ladyfest Have you ever done any artistic / creative work like this before? and the festival’s content quite specifically – e.g. the use of the female form / guitars / musical references. Yes. I make a zine called Last Hours and do the design work. I have done stuff To what extent did you want to keep with / break from these traditions, and why? for various protest things and am currently studying for an MA at Central St Martins. I thought it was necessary to break away to some extent to avoid being overly didactic and exclusive. I feel Ladyfest is about more than just music and has to The initial Myspace Ladyfest London logo was a picture of Brittania with Ladyfest involve people who don't necessarily define themselves as female. Having said London written over in pink letters – why did you choose this iconic and traditional that within one of our meetings we agreed that actually it was useful to retain the art historical image? Did you choose the image because of its connotations with microphone element of the logo since that isn't' necessarily about music but London or because it was an iconic female statue? incorporates ideas about having a platform be it through spoken word, comedy, etc. I don't understand Myspace so someone else set this up.

What do you think / do you hope your designs “say” to the Ladyfest audience, or The newer design depicts Ladyfest London spelt out in neon blue letters that are prospective audience? moulded out of a coiled up Microphone cable – it is very striking and very different Did you have a specific audience in mind when you were coming up with the to the initial design. Do you feel this design, with its automatic musical references images / logos? more correctly represents what Ladyfest London is about? Is this going to change as the festival develops and will you attempt to represent I can't this question that fully since I've only done a logo and image for one flier that? so far. I'm not sure that I'd necessarily agree that it's musical related. The iconicism of Did you want to create a design / series of designs that had any particular the logo will remain the same (hopefully) between now and Ladyfest London message (about Ladyfest, or otherwise) – or were your designs more for aesthetic 2008, however the logo will change dependent on medium, i.e. for a magazine value? article or advert the microphone lead will be extended horizontally rather than in a square formation, likewise the colours may change dependent on surrounding I hope I've done both with the logo. ones. In turn the extensions of the lead (the microphone and jack) can be altered to other icons, such as a reel of film and projector or typewriter and zine. Do you feel your personal interests/ cultural involvements/ politics/ lifestyle(s) influenced your designs for Ladyfest?

On a personal level I consider myself to be both radical and DIY and I suspect future artwork I do for Ladyfest will reflect this, but I'm not sure to what degree Extensions of the lead (the microphone the art I've so far done does so. Having said that I'm not 100% sure what a 'radical / DIY/ punk' aesthetic is. It could be argued to span a whole range of and jack) can be altered to other icons, things from a handwritten cut and paste zine, mixed font typography on a record sleeve, lovingly crafted perzines, stencils and graffiti styles and a whole host or others. such as a reel of film and projector or

typewriter and zine Thanks to:

Heather would like to thank her We would both like to thank the

interviewees: following people for their assistance in

Alice-Rose Ralph this project, their leads, and their love! : Stacey Adams

Chris Paul Daniels Jane Appleby

Edd Heena Patel We tried, but were unfortunately unable Lisa Cupcake Melanie would like to thank her Siobhan (Magical Girl)to reach and interview those involved in interviewees: Naz (at The Bakery) creating artwork for: Ladyfest Birmingham 2004 Monika Gromek Tamsin (at Unskinny Bop) Ladyfest Cardiff 2006 Xtina Lamb Coral Short Ladyfest Newcastle 2006 Rachel White Pippa Wragg Ladyfest Nottingham 2007 Humey Saeed Sarah Chadwick Ladyfest Bristol 2007 Johanna Chella Quint Lucy Sweet Penny Broadhurst W e s t i l l w a n t t o c r e d i t t h e f a n t a s t i c Hannah Asprey Emily Jane Graves artwork that was created / is in the Kirstie McDermott Red Chidgey fledgling processes of being created for Xoe Kingsley Julia Downes these festivals, and the creators of it. Charlotte Procter Amy Brachi

Trent All at Ladyfest Leeds

Nina Nijsten Louise Mallan

Heather Crabtree Natalie Ridgway Laura Guy Hannah at Ladyfest Cardiff Jim McIver Amy Bell Sarah Howard

View the full exhibition of UK Ladyfest artwork at Ladyfest Leeds, 10-15th April 2007.

www.ladyfestleeds.co.uk

Waiting (Doin’ it Yrself Now)’ InfoOutside about The Lines’ the editors:

Melanie Maddison (25) was once described by her ex- MA Women’s HeatherOutside Crabtree the Lines is a 26 year old Modern Art and Architectural historian, Studies tutor (who didn’t want to call her ‘unemployed’ in front of a originally from a small working class mining town in South Yorkshire. bunch of new students) as a ‘Radical Publisher’. This made her smirk! She escaped when she was 18 and really hasn’t gone back that much. Author / editor of zines such as ‘Reassess Your Weapons’ , ‘I’m Not Having spent most of her early twenties either in some form of , and her current offspring, ‘Colouring classroom or library, she has decided, through her affiliation with , Melanie spends most of her days sat in front of her Ladyfest Leeds to branch out into the wide world of arts event computer getting square eyes, reading kick-ass comics, and listening organisation and hard nosed underground research. to copious amounts of loud music on ‘shuffle.’ She blames all of these Her collaboration with Melanie came as a result of seeing Colouring things for her increasingly short attention span and depleting on the floors and on shelves of various mutual friends concentration. houses, and subsequently at a Jean Genet gig in August 2006 Feminist to the core, and possessing a love of grrrl music & art where apprehended her and said in a drunken manner that she thought the marrow of her bones should be, Melanie got involved with Ladyfest Melanie was ‘awesome’ or words to that effect. Their mutual love for Leeds to help further promote and encourage the talents of female alternative, indie usually queer focused comics, female graphic artists visual artists, and creative women in general. and illustrators and general appreciation for cool female produced work One day she hopes to go back to University to start work on her much led them to create the Ladyfest Visual Arts materials project together. lamented PhD research in Women’s Studies, but first she must win After Ladyfest, Heather plans on working on a number of other arts some mega-bucks on Deal or No Deal. related projects but after a bit of a rest. As well as possibly touring with Much to the delight of screaming girls, you can find her at: her band Sailor Tongue , she also plans to resume her participation in www.myspace.com/colouringoutsidethelines or send sweet-nothings to alternative extreme sports as well as horse riding and kayaking. She is her at: [email protected] aware that this means she has to get fit. She is also aware of how geeky and wholesome this makes her sound, she strives to point out that she is geeky but not wholesome, or at least only a bit. www.myspace.com/everyoneanarchitect