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NOC WALPURGII / VALPURGIS NIGHT FESTIVAL

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Noc Walpurgii festival started in 1996 in Warsaw, Poland and is organized every two years.

It's a pioneering event in Poland taking struggle against sexism and homophobia and promoting girl-fronted bands and activities.

These issues are often not taken seriously inside of the punk, DIY or antifascist scenes and we felt the importance to show that most forms of discrimination like racism, sexism, homophobia are linked and that fighting against these forms of oppression is basic for antifascist, leftist, anarchist and hardcore/punk movements.

As a pro-feminist and pro-women festival, we support anarchist-feminist activities as well as other forms of feminist and anti-patriarchal struggle. We were also supportive to any kind of all female and female fronted punk and hardcore bands, as it was clear back then that local scenes used to have small amount of women involved. It was even worse with openly queer, gay or lesbian participants in DIY culture. We worked with queer, lesbian and gay activists, spoken word artists, drag queens, drag kings, djnes and other activists.

The event achieved its goals as it became attractive mixed crowd of females and males, queers, lesbian, gays or straights, punks, HC or others who wanted to be a part of it. Its impressing feeling to see so many different people having fun at the dance floor or during the shows. We respect needs for self-organization and needs for space for all those discriminated or oppressed, but the festival idea is not to create a separated place fot just one certain type of people. Noc Walpurgii is more about connecting each others and building fundamental structures for strong and diverse DIY culture - free from any kind of discrimination and prejudice.

Its open to anyone interested in supporting the issues of the festival; bands or artists. It's important to us to connecting people each other, to speak about political or personal.

We felt the importance to make events friendly to everyone involved, to have fun and feel welcome in a safe environment so were standing in opposition to all kinds of violence at the shows, violent dancing or macho behaviours. It was importance to us all to see more women taking up the space or having fun during the shows.

Throughout the years the festival became one of the most important events in Poland related with DIY underground hc/punk scene. Each festival there is around 400-1000 visitors.

Every time there is more and more visitors from other countries, foreign bands or artists.

Noc Walpurgii its now the oldest DIY orientated hardcore/punk festival in Poland.

Throughout the years many international bands/artists were guest at the festival like LYNNE BREEDLOVE (TRIBE 8), HARUM-SCARUM, RE-SISTERS, ACTIVE MINDS, INNER TERRESTRIALS, SCATTERGUN, DAISY CHAIN, BEYOND PINK, GREG BENNICK (TRIAL), HIGHSCORE, THE TANGLED LINES, SHORT FUSE, LORENA & THE BOBBITS, DE FATWAS, LADY! DIE, OIL, AMANDA WOODWARD, AGATHA, USAISAMONSTER, LIFE CYCLE, DIASPORA, N.K.D. , DEATH BEFORE WORK, CINDER, VICIOUS IRENE and more.

Also we were honoured to have at the fest many great local bands at the fest like POST REGIMENT, HOMOMILITIA, GUERNICA Y LUNO, ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW, SANCTUS IUDA, EYE FOR AN EYE, EL BANDA, REGRES, EXMISJA, DULDUNG, SILIKONFEST, WHITE RABBIT and many others.

We had always lots of non-musical activities during the fest like workshops, performance, exhibitions, spoken word, Drag Kings & Drag Queens, DJ'anes, movies or demonstrations (Take back the night, Gay Pride) with people from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden, UK, USA, Argentina involved.

Noc Walpurgii since the beginning was organized by Emancypunx Records (who remained from anarcho-feminist collectives KDP and Emancypunx) and Refuse Records.

Our goal was that Noc Walpurgii would me more than annual festival but an event who can give inspiration for new projects, bands and activities with girls and/or queers involved, but also any kind forms of DIY activism.

30.04. WARSAW, POLAND, Venue: CDQ, Address: Burakowska 12, Entrance: 5 Euro/ 20pln

Bands, DJ'anes, artists, performances, workshops, distros and more to happen.

This year's NOC WALPURGII FEST is combined with 1st

RAW CUT FILMFEST 1-2.05. WARSZAWA, KINO MURANOW, ul. Gen. Andersa 1

Anyone interested in participating or visiting festival please contact us for more details.

We're also interested in screening films and documentaries related with Punk, hardcore, radical politics, DIY culture at our filmfest. Feel free to contact us if you have any offer.

BANDS

FROM THE DEPTHS (North Carolina, USA)

Female fronted intense heavy-hardcore mixed with melodic anarchopunk unlike A.P.P.L.E. or Signal Last w/ members of CATHARSIS, REQUIEM and Crimethinc. Collective.

http://www.fromthedepths.info/ http://www.crimethinc.com/

SPECIESxTRAITOR (Turku, Finland)

Multi-gendered Political Vegan Straight Edge.

STE McCABE (Manchester, UK)

Ste McCabe is Manchester's political queer pop-punkster, blending big punk guitars and 80s-style beats with a snarling, sarcastic view of the world. Ste's been playing at various queer, riot grrrl and DIY events wowed musos and audiences around the country full to the brim with homophobe-baiting, pro-feminist, anti-church, fun and angry pop music.

www.ste-mccabe.co.uk http://www.myspace.com/stemccabe

EX BEST FRIENDS (Berlin, Germany)

all-girl band with their sound combined influences from riot grrrl, mid 80s DC bands and punk rock.

EL BANDA (Warsaw, Poland)

One of the strongest Punk band in Poland of the recent years. Catchy and powerful female fronted punk w/ members of POST REGIMENT, DELICJE etc. (+ performance)

http://www.myspace.com/elbanda23 www.pasazer.pl

ANTIDOTUM (Warsaw, Poland)

Female fronted Hc/Punk with over 15 years of experience.

http://www.myspace.com/antidotumband www.nnnw.pl

LIFE SCARS (Biala Podlaska, Poland)

3/4 girl melodic anarchopunk in the vein of Ballast.

http://www.myspace.com/lifescarspunk www.nopasaran.pl

THE BLIND DATE (Warszawa)

Rockin' HC/Punk with dose of garage.
http://www.myspace.com/blinddatepunk

2nd floor (start 21)

DJanes

DJane Tina Pornflakes (Berlin) - synth elektro 80ties
DJane Katharandale (Berlin) - electro pop&techno
DJane Pinkshot (Warsaw/Berlin) - klasik shot'79

also:

Crimethinc. wokshop (16.00)

distros (Crimethinc., Emancypunx, Refuse, No Pasaran and more)

Vegan food and more

1.05. TOFU ATTACK - vegan branch in Cykloza (Warszawa, Hoża 62, start 12)

Location

Warsaw
Poland
52° 13' 46.8336" N, 21° 0' 44.0244" E
Type of project: 
Festival
Video & Film
Topic: 
Do-It-Yourself
Grassroots media in Europe
Date of project: 
04/30/2010 - 05/02/2010
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