The festival 22>23 | Première édition

About

Visions

This is not a feminist festival.

This festival doesn’t pretend to be a substitute to the sociopolitical fights that have contributed to advances in women rights and those of gender minorities in the struggle for justice and equality. This is an arts festival, but also a festival for reflection, games, discovery.

And joy too.

The function of artists is not necessarily to educate, to cultivate, to make people more intelligent or less obtuse… though this can indeed happen. Artists are individuals who simply create art. Whether they are full-time or part-time; artists on weekends, on Sundays, one day a month or even once a year, they nevertheless contribute to our imaginary worlds.
Some of these worlds are more egalitarian or more inclusive than others and it is these that we want to share with you.

As stated above, this is not a feminist festival.

This is a festival that is feminist in its conception, its creation and in dialogue with feminists.

It is a festival that values and promotes the work and creations of female and gender minority artists, people of colour, white people, cis and trans, non-binary people, homeless people, those with or without savings, those with or without disabilities visible and invisible, lesbians, heterosexuals, bisexuals, those with or without families, professionals or amateurs and those from the present, past or future…

In the broad and troubled sense.

This is a festival for those who believe that women and gender minorities also have a rightful place in the world.
Come to the festival alone or with your chosen family, with your friends, children, grandparents… You will find a space for everyone and anyone.

Missions

Contribuer à la visibilité, à la diffusion et à la valorisation des productions et du travail artistique des femmes et des personnes issues des minorités de genre.

Contribuer à créer et diffuser de nouveaux imaginaires, plus inclusifs et plus justes.

Contribuer à la production et à la diffusion des savoirs sur le dialogue entre arts et féminismes.

Fournir des outils d’émancipation pour les femmes et minorités dans le secteur de la culture.

Créer un lieu de transmission et d’apprentissage à destination du grand public.

Changer les pratiques d’accueil pour les publics et les artistes, repenser l’inclusivité et la sécurité dans l’organisation et sur le temps du festival.

Origin

Since 2015, there has been an awareness toward gender inequality and discrimination in the cultural sector (Weinstein affair, Jan Fabre trial, #meetooththeater movement, creation of the FS movement, etc.). Quantitative and qualitative studies are now underway to continue to shed light on these violences.
In summary, women, gender minorities and even more so people of colour, are present but underrepresented in the cultural sector – both economically and symbolically :

Economic : maintains a glass ceiling of upward social mobility

· Less present in places of power, in theater management, in tenured teaching positions in art schools.
· Have shorter and more precarious careers.
· Have fewer financial means to create and are not institutionally supported to the same level as cisgender men.

Symbolic : serves as a model to determine social behavior and to perpetuate discrimination

· Often only have access to less complex and subordinate roles.
· Gender norms and beauty standards continue to determine casting.
· Women’s characters are often stereotyped, and disparities can be seen in relation to the roles of women of colour versus those of white women.

The creation of FAME · Festival where Arts Meet Empowerment is intended to support the work of these artists. It has a programme that aims to propose an alternative way of looking at the world, challenging us to reimagine things in a fairer and more inclusive way.

Here are different resources to raise awareness about the invisibility of women, gender minorities and POC in the cultural milieu (in french) :

Seminar La Bellone

Study Écarlate la Cie

Study Île de France

The creation of FAME is the initiative of Delphine Houba, the councillor for culture in the city of Brussels. Her drive is to contribute to equality in the cultural sector.

Charter

FAME is guided by a series of verbs that shape our relationships with artists, audiences, and each other.

To be Considerate and Hospitable

To consider is essentially to be attentive and sensitive to the situations and identities of others. In essence, it represents the space that should be given for reflection and dialogue.
That is, dialogue with ourselves and with others, internal and external dialogue, using our own voices. It is about consideration for the other audience members, the artists, and everyone else.
To welcome them not only during this festival but giving everyone the space to express themselves.

To Empower

To Take Care (of)

To Disrupt

To Think