The Lady revolution in the age of technology

Abstract

Girls and young women are participating in unconventional forms of political participation through Ladyfests. The first Ladyfest took place in 2000 in Olympia, Washington, United States. Ladyfests are activist-oriented festivals that include art, spoken word, music, workshops, artisan fairs, and other performances. Since the first Ladyfest there have been approximately one hundred and twenty spanning the globe. I argue that Ladyfests provide the organisers and attendees alternative communities to network, educate, share information, and build offline and online communities. This form of contemporary cultural activism relies heavily on engaging culture as a means of both commentary and action. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by girls and young women is on the rise, including as activist and networking tools. Ladyfesters are web savvy and use ICTs to organise the events, share information about their Ladyfest and others, as well as build networks after the event.

‘I Sometimes Wonder Whether I’m an Outsider’: Negotiating Belonging in Zine Subculture

“…Thus, trans-local aspects of the subculture are evidenced through the organisation of zinefests, and facilitated by online modes of connectivity. Aragon (2008) claims that the internet supports 'alternative' communities to create spatially dispersed connections, and this research reveals that the internet is utilised in a similar way within zine subculture, connecting individuals who do not live within locally accessible subcultures. The organisers of zinefests also rely on the internet for the promotion of zinefests and zine symposiums, and distros are primarily run via the internet: I think Facebook, Twitter, and We Make Zines (social networking sites) have all played an important part in keeping the British zine community alive, as it allows us to keep in touch … with each other easily, let each other know about our new zine releases and submission calls, talk about issues in the zine community … and become closer to each other.…”