FORM-Idea

The state of Texas sadly has become synonymous with punitive abortion laws, restrictive voting practices and an increasingly hostile anti LGBTQI political agenda.  Yet one of the most progressive festivals in the world takes place in one of its biggest cities.  Austin’s SXSW festival manages to be just about all things to all people as it provides a wonderful forum through which to discuss some of the world’s most important issues, as well as acting as a showcase for some of the world’s most talented artists.   Returning to its first in person festival since the onset of the pandemic, this Southern gunslinger is definitely one of the most uplifting and inspiring festivals to take place so far this year.    In no real order below are some of my personal festival highlights.

Although the SXSW is known, as a showcase for the arts, in many ways the most important aspect of this festival is the platform, which it offers for inspiring and enlightening discussions.  Below are a few favourites.

The former presidential hopeful and now democratic gubernatorial candidate for the state of Texas Beto O’Rourke, spoke to Evan Smith. He charted his long history of involvement in Texas politics where he served three terms in the House of Representatives and despite his failed presidential campaign,  he remains a popular figure on the left in America.  He is a reminder that the country is not necessarily as black and white has the media often portrays it to be.  A native of Texas, where he was born, O’Rourke has tirelessly campaigned for contraception and abortion access for women living in the state as well as an overhaul of the country’s often-draconian immigration system.      Texas new, extremely restrictive abortion law, enables private citizens to prosecute anyone suspected of performing or providing an abortion after a six-week pregnancy.  A point at which most women normally become aware that they are pregnant.  O’Rourke points to the hypocrisy of a state which professes to care about “children’s welfare”, while spending almost the least per capita of any state in the union, on children’s overall safety.   Many children in the state’s care system remain housed in crowded and poorly supervised conditions, where according to O’Rourke accusations of child abuse committed by staff are rife.  It seems once a child is born, the state then loses all interest.

The slew of restrictive laws in Texas keep coming though with the latest, supported by the  current governor Gregg Abbott, being a law which could see the removal of transgender children from their birth homes if their parents support their choices. Again highlighting the state’s somewhat bizarre view of what acting in a child’s interest really means. O’Rouke’s discussion with Evan Smith highlighted the fact there are actually two very different states of Texas, the utterly conservative one which Gregg Abbot represents and the other liberal and open minded one which has shaped the political thinking of O’Rourke, he perhaps represents the voices in Texas which we need to hear more often.

This panel discussion featured some of Ukraine’s top international creatives.  And they were Natalia Modenova, who works in the fashion industry, Daria Shapovalova who also works in fashion and helped to co found Ukraine’s fashion week and film director Asiya Nokolaeva. They now all live outside the country and were joined online by Eugene Golovanchuk, a 3D artist who is still currently living in Ukraine.  Natalia opened the discussion by giving a background to the current situation, tracing contemporary events back to 2013 when Ukrainians decided that they wanted a closer relationship with the European Union.   That decision was the catalyst for Russia’s first military attack on the country, although Russia’s interference in Ukraine’s politics can be traced back to the country’s 20^th century inception.  Natalia stated though that was the time they decided to use fashion has a cause for peace and created opportunities to highlight the work of Ukrainian designers.   Asiya showed a clip from her film about Eugene’s life, a successful international artist who made the decision to return to Ukraine a year ago.  Training initially as a lawyer he eventually made the transition to become a 3D artist and went on to work in digital fashion for global brands around the world.  Now in Ukraine he has had to put his career on hold to simply help people survive.   Eugene now spends much of his time collecting money so he can help coordinate the delivery of food, water and essential medication.  Stating “Ukrainians are freedom loving people which is why they refuse to leave.  He went on to say that every man, woman and child are staying strong to gain their freedom.”  He continued by stating that the way everyone can help is by distributing the truth on social media, by donating money and by putting pressure on their political representatives to do as much as possible to help the Ukrainian people.  The next video shown was made by music video director Tanu Munio, who has directed videos for The Weekend, Lil Nas X, Katy Perry some of the biggest names in music today, he is now sheltering in Odessa.  This powerful video highlights the fact that Ukraine before the war had become the go to destination for filmmakers and music video directors from around the world and yet the very studios and street locations where this work was shot, is now being bombed by Russia.   Highlighting something, which several political analysts have also pointed out, and it is that this war has far less to do with land disputes or borders, but is far more about Russia’s desire not to see a thriving democracy on its borders.  Natalia introduces another video made by creative activists living in the country now and in her introduction, she points out that the despite over four million people now having fled the country, the majority have remained, out of a sense of loyalty to it and a desire to see a democratic Ukraine survive.  Artists throughout the country record the daily assault they are witnessing through self-made videos.  So many are young artists who have thriving international careers whose desire was to take Ukraine onto the world stage. We see not only their professional dreams go up in smoke but also now how they simply struggle to stay alive. You can see both the disbelief and despair in their eyes, highlighted by black creative Neche Madu, a digital and physical fashion designer living in Kharhiv.     Their videos clearly show how once beautiful cities are being turned to rubble by the relentless bombing as well as the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilians, which clearly constitutes a war crime.    These artists highlight the wanton destruction of children’s hospitals, churches and civilian shelters and what can only now be described as a desire to simply kill as many Ukrainians as possible.  The film concludes with artists pointing out that Ukrainians are not only protecting Ukraine but also the world and they request continued support from the international community.  The on-stage panel concluded this discussion by encouraging everyone present to find a way to support Ukrainians and to ask themselves daily “what did I do today to stop this war”.

For those who would like to read a time line of events which have led up to this tragic war the US public radio station NPR have published one.

A timeline of Ukraine’s history: NPR

Omoiyari is a beautiful feature documentary, which explores a Japanese American musician’s journey to connect with his Japanese heritage.  Kishi Bashi the musician whose life the film follows and who also directs this feature was inspired to make it when the media linked the Muslim ban and the immigration crisis at the Mexican USA border with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during the Second World War.  These are the events, which propel Baishi to go on a journey of self-discovery.  A way of finding how storytelling and music could allow him to forge an identity, which celebrates his Japanese American heritage.  The film, in the course of following his journey, also paints a portrait of America from the perspective of someone caught between two very different worlds.

My personal favourite though has to be this lovely animated short, Between Here and There, directed by Hrishikesh Hirway, which in many ways is a musical which was inspired by a dream the director had about his late mother who had died only a few weeks before he completed writing the film’s titled song.  In this beautiful short film, she appears for a few brief moments, so they are able to make a connection before the world she inhabits slowly melts away.  It is a film, which is breathtakingly beautiful and captures, having gone through a personal bereavement myself recently, the pain of loss, along with the sense that when we loose someone it is important to remember that as long as we keep them in our memories and our hearts a part of them will always live on.

Big Joanie are a black feminist punk rock band who are a welcome antidote to the theory that all punk rock bands have to be made up of twenty something white men.  Members of the Big Joanie are older, black, female and fiercely feminist; they deliver blistering sets of thought provoking rock and roll and are simply wonderful.

Balming Tiger exist in delightful opposition to BTS, where BTS are wonderfully talented  but strictly precise in all they do, Balming Tiger live in an alternative universe of total anarchy.  A collective of musicians and visual artists whose joy in performance is simply infectious and it’s this feeling which is so easily conveyed to their audiences.  If you had to categorize them it would be just as producers of wonderful, infectious pop.

Shovel Dance Collective are part of a wider UK folk music revival, which has taken place quietly over the last few years.  While the world is now perhaps aware of the jazz revival, which has seen the UK become a global jazz centre, the country’s folk revival has been far less heralded and has so far gone largely unnoticed.  That may though be about to change, since the UK’s folk scene is every bit as exciting as the jazz the country produces, since it combines some the country’s best folk musicians, with a desire to see this very traditional music through a contemporary lens.  They do this by teasing out both the proto feminist, queer or non-binary themes often hidden in traditional folk songs.  They exhibit a desire to create a form of folk music which will resonate with a contemporary audience and they do this sublimely.  The Shovel Dance Collective are part of the wonderful folk music collective called Broadside Hacks who are together challenging our preconceived ideas about what folk music can be.

(1) Watch | Facebook

Poppy Ajuhda though would have to be my personal favourite.  A bi-racial UK singer from a St-Lucian and British background, watching her perform you wonder why she is not already more famous.  She has the vocal chops of an Amy Winehouse, a blistering all female band and socially, politically relevant songs which should already be chart toppers.  It’s only a matter of time I feel before she is a global superstar.

In the midst of an increasingly disturbing conflict, which threatens to engulf all of Europe, it’s heartening to be reminded of the power of art to broaden our horizons and in turn open our hearts.