International Women’s Day is coming and there’s one event you don’t want to miss.
International Women’s Day is coming and there’s one event you don’t want to miss!
February 20, 2020
Every year, on March 8th, women gather all around the world to mark International Women’s day with an all-day protests, panels, parties, workshops suited to every cause and preference. In San Francisco, one party has caught our attention in particular- Beyond Borders: An International Women's Day Benefit For RAICES.
The event is a musical celebration featuring a multi-genre showcase of Bay Area's women DJs, musicians, and artists. Taking place at the beautifully restored church of 906. World Cultural Center, the event will turn the exquisite space into a musical sanctuary. Two spaces will be open to the public featuring live performances, DJ sets, DJ workshops, open decks, visual and performance art, and an outdoor silent disco. Revenue from tickets' sales will be donated to RAICES - the nonprofit that provides legal and other support to immigrant and refugee families impacted by the current US/Mexico border crisis.
To learn more we reached out to Regan Parrish aka femmelectric, the mastermind behind Beyond Border who told us what to expect.
Interview:
1. Tell us a little a bit about the story behind the event. How it came about and what we should expect?
RP: I held my first International Women's Day (IWD) event in 2018, just shy of a year of DJing out publicly. I had already started throwing smaller parties with my collective, Femmes Afire. I was inspired by the revival in women's rights advocacy, and the growing number of women DJs and producers I was meeting at the time. 1015 Folsom generously lent the the venue and DJ Dials co-promoted the event. The lineup was diverse and multi-genre, and included artists such as Lily Ackerman, Rachel Torro, and DJ Umami. It was the biggest event I had produced, very stressful at times, but ended up being a success, and taught me a lot in the process. Last year, I opted for a much smaller scale event with my collective and a headliner from Florida, Fox Force 005, at 111 Minna. This year, I set out to focus on DJing, minimize event production, and for those reasons I wasn't sure if I'd try to throw another IWD event again.
But......I recently attended an event called Body and Soul at 906 World Cultural Center that featured a sound bath, mesmerizing livetronica act by Arula, and DJ sets. I was moved by Arula's performance, the commanding beauty of the space, and just like that, I was inspired to pursue my third and most ambitious IWD event yet.
2. Tell us more about the lineup, the programming and the curation behind it.
RP: Because it’s International Women’s Day, it’s important that the lineup be diverse in terms of cultural background and representation, and music styles that reflect different global origins. Collectively, the lineup includes soul, disco, world, breaks, drum-n-bass, house music, and more; plus we'll have two unique live performances -- an ambient modular synth act, a dark sensual livetronica act; and an opening sound bath.
In addition to booking artists I know and love, I also intentionally sought to work with new artists. This year, I used Fault Radio archives as a resource to learn about artists I was unfamiliar with, which resulted in several bookings on the lineup. Thank you, Fault! :)
3.What makes this event stands out, in particular, comparing to other Women's Day events taking place during the same weekend.
RP: This is a 6-hour multi-genre music celebration to showcase local women while simultaneously raising funds for an important cause. There will be 2 rooms of music, an outdoor silent disco (powered by HUSHconcerts), live broadcasts from Fault Radio, visuals and interactive art by VJ Billyum. We'll have a DJ workshop taught by my Cued Up partner, DJ Cira, followed by an open decks hour for DJs who want to hop on the decks for a couple tracks. I'm also collaborating with other creatives to enrich the full experience.
4. Tell us about RAICES, why did you choose this organization for the event.
RP: The US/Mexico border crisis is a humanitarian crisis right here in our "free country." It is absolutely horrifying and heart-wrenching to hear reports of families, already traumatized by the conditions of their home country, being ripped apart, imprisoned, and essentially tortured while detained by the US government. Even worse, reports of deaths and sexual assault in these detainment centers are rampant. RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) has a strong impact on this vulnerable community by providing free and low-cost legal assistance and social programs. I hope this is a cause most people can rally behind and feel good that their donation of money and/or time and art is supporting.
5. Tell us about women in the Bay that inspires you (musically, community projects, cultural initiatives, leaders).
RP: Honestly, there are too many to name! They are abundant and include musicians, dancers, artists, healers, entrepreneurs, tech professionals, social workers, teachers, mothers, and more. Women who are true to themselves, boldly committed their art/craft/business/innovation; and whose intentions derive from compassion, collaboration, and inclusivity, especially when that includes elevating other women, inspire me. I feel blessed to call many of these inspiring women dear friends, and I am continually in awe of the badass women I meet in the bay area.
For more details visit the Beyond Borders event.
Written by Dundee Maghen
