Collected by: Invisible Histories Project

Archived since: Nov, 2022

Description:

The Women's Music Archive-it collection curated by the Invisible Histories Project compiles digital artifacts related to Women’s Music Festivals in the Southeastern United States from the mid-1970s to the early-2000s. These festivals brought together women across the South for several days of concerts, comedy, workshops, and crafts. The festivals were primarily built, staffed, run, and attended by women, with girls, young boys and toddlers permitted. This collection delves into the intersection of music, activism, and the feminist movement featuring newsletters from festivals like Southern Women's Music and Comedy Festival (1986-1987) and administrative records of Rhythm Fest (1989-1996). Websites like The Rock & Rouge and Camp Out provide a digital journey into the vibrant atmosphere of these southern gatherings. This collection showcases the cultural and social issues navigated by the women of the festivals, such as an interview with radical feminist lesbian icon Robyn Tyler with The Trans Advocate where she discusses the ongoing problem of Trans exclusionary policies at women’s festivals. This collection also includes personal narratives, as seen in the Mandy Carter Papers (1970-2013) and the blog post Come for the food but stay for the music: Virginia Women’s Music Festival 2015 by Jamie Anderson. A special thank you to IHP’s Fall 2023 Archive-it intern Rachel Austin for her work collecting, organizing, and curating the metadata for this collection.

Subject:   Arts & Humanities,  Society & Culture,  Women's music festivals,  Music festivals--United States