Rothbury, Mich. – 2017 marks the seventh successful year of the Electric Forest (EF) festival in Rothbury, Michigan. Held over two distinct weekends (6/22-6/25 & 6/29-7/2), EF celebrates music, nature, and community. Featuring a lush outdoor campground and comprehensive list of curated events, the festival is excited to announce this year’s lineup for their first-ever “Her Forest” Curated Event. Launched last year as a platform for the women of Electric Forest, the event focuses on the cultivation of sisterhood. “Sisterhood has been lost in our modern culture… Her Forest is helping us redefine a new way of relating to each other”, says Her Forest program leader Kiki Federico. The event centers around three core principles: Connection, inspiration, and comfort.
The Performers on the debut lineup of EF’s Her Forest Curated Event were selected from hundreds of fan submissions. Those performing are solo female DJ/ producer and violinist Alfiya Glow, Indian dance duo The Dance of Anarkali, uplifting California pair Heartwurkz, female DJ M.O.B., unique dance and soundscape artist Frankie Taminal, and female singer/piano/looping talent Melody Monroe. Also performing are Lynx & The Servants of Song and non-binary EF2017 Monarch Winner, Monarch Rachel & Their Royal Court Drag Show.
Learn more about the Her Forest submission process and winners HERE.
“It’s inspiring to be expanding Electric Forest’s Her Forest program to include a Curated Event,” says Alicia Karlin, Electric Forest Talent Buyer/Madison House Presents. “It allows us to host an even more diverse and unique lineup of performers at the festival. It’s important to us that Electric Forest continues to offer opportunities for new and distinct talent to share their art. Like all of The Forest’s participation opportunities – called “Plug-In” programs – this collaboration invites the community to participate in shaping their EF experience.”
Learn more about all Electric Forest’s Plug-In participation programs HERE.
A Special Event for Women
The idea to launch the Her Forest Curated Event first came during the festival’s 2016 Female panel discussion. Artists Alana Rocklin (STS9), Dessa (Doomtree) and Miranda Zickler (Rabbit Wilde), along with EF organizers Alicia Karlin (VP, Talent of Madison House Presents and EF Talent Buyer) and Nova Han (EF Art Director) discussed what it means to be a woman of Electric Forest. “The inspiration it created, for both women and men, was palpable,” recalls organizer Lia Holland (EF Community Engagement Manager/Madison House Presents). “People walked away with more awareness… appreciation and compassion for fellow EF attendees. [This] showed us that expanding this conversation mattered to the Forest Family.”
The foundation of EF’s “Her Forest” initiative is based on three pillars: connection, inspiration, and comfort. “Our first goal was to start a dialogue to better understand what the EF community itself thought this program should and could become,” says Electric Forest Co-Producer/Madison House Presents Founder Jeremy Stein. “It’s been an amazing collaborative process, and it’s still very much alive and evolving. So far, we’ve learned that this program is about listening to each other, being compassionate, encouraging self-expression, and harnessing this spirit of community.”
In addition to this year’s new Her Forest Curated Event, EF2017 Her Forest also offers a Women’s Group Camp, a Her Forest Artist Panel, a Meet & Greet with EF Production Women, and Her Forest Circles and Meetups.
EF’s Women’s Group Camp, hosted during the First Weekend and Second Weekend by seasoned festival-goer and author Edith Johnson, provides female festival goers with a safe, inspiring collaborative place to create and connect with one another. Centrally located in EF’s GA campgrounds, the Women’s Group Camp is open to all those who identify as women and are seeking an enhanced community experience with their Forest Family sisters.
More info on the Her Forest Group Camp HERE.
Her Forest Panel
Each year, the Her Forest Artist Panel hosts a conversation featuring EF performers and production staff. This year, during the Second Weekend of EF2017, female performers Savanna Buist & Katie Larson of The Accidentals, along with Bay Li, Kaya Nico and Daisy Spencer of The Skins will join Darcy Schneider (Madison House Presents Director of Branding, Partnerships, and Marketing) and music festival writer Edith Johnson to discuss the topic of “Being an Ally.” Moderated by Women’s Empowerment Advocate Kiki Frederico and open to all EF attendees, the panel hopes to spark a dialogue about how women can support each other creatively and nurture each other culturally.
Learn more about EF2017’s Her Forest Artist Panel theme and participants HERE.
Her Forest’s Meet & Greet with EF Production Women gives EF attendees a rare opportunity to meet the women whose behind-the-scenes work plays an integral role in the continued success of Electric Forest. Hosted during the Second Weekend of EF2017, attendees are encouraged to come with questions, ideas, and stories to share.
Her Forest Gatherings and Meetups
Her Forest also offers Her Forest Circles and Meetups throughout EF’s First and Second Weekend. These are Women’s Only events (except for the Closing Circle on the final night of the Second Weekend). Through informal games, story-sharing and more, Her Forest Circles allow women to connect with each other and their unique Electric Forest experience.
Informal Meetups will be held around the festival for the first time in 2107, organized by the Her Forest Group Camp.
Read HERE for complete 2017 Her Forest event schedule and details.
The First Weekend of EF2017 is SOLD OUT. GA Weekend Passes and VIP options for the Second Weekend are still available at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.
Stay up-to-date on all things Electric Forest by visiting www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
FestPop Staff Writer, Azita Lotfi