Several performers have withdrawn from their scheduled performances at the 2021 South by Southwest festival (SXSW) to show solidarity with Palestine. This decision is based on the festival’s partnership with the defense company RTX Corporation (previously known as Raytheon) and its affiliation with the United States military as a sponsor.
Ella Williams, also known as Squirrel Flower, a songwriter from Chicago, organized a boycott against the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. In a statement posted on her Instagram on March 4th, she announced that she would be withdrawing from the official showcase scheduled for this weekend. Williams explained that her decision was due to the festival’s association with defense contractors such as [RTX] and the US army, one of the main sponsors of the event.
Not long after Williams made her statement, other featured performers, such as Brooklyn’s emo group Proper, indie band Mamalarky from Los Angeles, and singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb from North Carolina, pulled out of their scheduled performances, citing similar concerns.
“These defense contractors make the weapons that the IDF uses to bomb Gaza. The IDF has now killed at least one in every 75 inhabitants of Gaza, [and] I refuse to be complicit in that,” Williams said. “I don’t believe that a music festival should include profiteers of war – I believe that art is a tool to create a better world and has no place alongside warmongers.”
Williams initially discovered the connections between SXSW and the defense sector when he came across a post by the Austin for Palestine Coalition. The coalition is advocating for the festival to sever ties with the Department of Defense and private defense contractors. The US army is identified as a major contributor to this year’s festival, with over nine planned events, and Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, is sponsoring two events at SXSW Pitch, the festival’s technology exhibition.
According to reports, RTX has a history of providing weapons to the Israeli government. During a conference call in October 2020, RTX’s chairman and executive director, Greg Hayes, stated that shareholders could expect to profit from the surge in demand for weapons during the conflict in Gaza. Another defense contractor, L3Harris, is facing criticism for supplying weapons parts to the Israeli military, despite being among the presenters at SXSW.
Noor Khan from Mamalarky states that opting out of the festival was a simple choice, as the significance of the lives lost in Palestine outweighed any potential benefit from performing in the two scheduled shows.
Display the image in full screen mode.
Livvy Bennett, a member of her band, stated that participating in official showcases would mean “supporting this festival for more than a week, and that is not our intention.” Bennett, who has been going to SXSW since she was 12 and considers it her preferred festival, ultimately wants the boycott to lead to SXSW and other music festivals cutting ties with the military and defense sectors.
Since October, over 30,000 individuals have lost their lives due to Israel’s attack, causing 85% of the 2.3 million inhabitants to flee their homes and destroying more than half of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure. This information is based on data from Gaza’s health ministry and the UN.
Along with live performances, SXSW also showcases film, television, and the technology sector. The festival has greatly benefited Austin, generating a total of $380 million in spending for the city’s economy during the 2023 event.
Being selected for an official showcase during the SXSW festival can lead to exposure to influential agents, festival organizers, managers, record labels, and journalists. This opportunity can potentially have a life-changing impact on musicians. Singer-songwriter Shalom Obisie-Orlu, who goes by her first name, has always dreamed of showcasing at SXSW. However, after seeing Williams’ post, she made the difficult decision to withdraw from the festival. As a South African native, she is deeply aware of the historical connotations attached to the festival and does not want to contribute to any actions that may be seen as supporting the oppressive practices of apartheid.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) festival has received growing backlash for how it allegedly mistreats artists. In 2022, indie band Wednesday sparked a viral discussion on Twitter about the expenses involved with performing at the festival. This led to many other independent musicians speaking out about the financial challenges of participating in SXSW. At the time, domestic artists were given the choice between a modest cash payment (bands: $250, solo acts: $100) or a festival wristband, while international artists were only given a wristband.
In the previous year, a group of over 2,500 musicians joined together to send a letter to the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) requesting that the festival raise performance fees to $750 and give all artists a wristband. Following this, the Austin Parks and Recreation Board advised the Austin city council to review its partnership with SXSW if the festival did not raise its pay rates. As a result, fees for SXSW 2024 were increased to $350 for bands and $150 for solo artists, but international artists still only receive a wristband. A music pass for SXSW 2024 now costs $995.
Williams initially opted for a wristband instead of payment, stating, “My bottom line remains unaffected – which is quite ironic.” She adds, “Personally, I see pulling my art from this festival as a way of declaring that I will not be associated with it in any manner.” She also emphasizes that withholding art and labor is a potent means of spreading information and sending a message to SXSW that artists will not tolerate such treatment.
The Guardian’s request for comment from SXSW went unanswered.
Source: theguardian.com
