Throw like a girl! Grrrlfest 2001

Where is Grrrlfest going to be?

All over C-U. Most weekend events will be at the University YMCA, which is located at 1001 S. Wright St.
Click here to go to events for April 20 - 27.
Click here to go to events for Friday, April 27.
Click here to go to events for Saturday, April 28.
Click here to go to events for Sunday, April 29.
Click here for musical events for Grrrlfest.

So what's it about?

Girls rock. We like to learn new things. And we like to have fun at the end of it all. So Grrrlfest is a weekend of workshops and celebration by and for members of our community who wanna show what being girly is really about.

Centering around GirlZone Day (April 27) GrrrlFest 2001 brings together members of our community to celebrate spaces for active female! GrrrlFest features explorative $1 workshops for both girls and women in art, automotives, billiards, boxing, vegan cooking, karate, puppet making, rock instrumentation, science, skateboarding, rugby, money management, tae kwon do, tennis, engineering, computers, nutrition, yoga, body image, reporting, writing, poetry, dance, and media production. In addition to this, GrrrlFest offers career opportunity awareness in an 'Oh the Places I Can Go!' career walk, and discussion panels on issues related to females and active involvement featuring local experts.

If all that isn't enough fun for you, GrrrlFest 2001 will also highlight top regional musical talent nightly in benefit showcases which will raise funds for organizations working for local women and girls. Schedules for the entertainment will be posted soon. A "Throw Like a Girl" GrrrlFest compilation cd of fourteen of these performers, sponsored in part by Urbana-based Parasol Records and produced by GirlZone, will be available throughout the GrrrlFest, with all proceeds for the sales benefitting GirlZone.

What's the 'grrrl' part about?

Grrrl comes from the RiotGrrrl movement, where girls and women worked together to make space for females in mosh pits at punk shows, which were usually filled with guys who treated girls pretty nasty. Girls in the RiotGrrrl movement went in to the mosh pits together with arms linked and stood their ground, saying - 'We have a right to be here too!' We know girls have a right to have a place everywhere, and to feel strong and active in these places. In GirlZone, we're claiming our right to have a space for girls in all kinds of areas and activities! Grrrlfest is part of that space-claiming. It's also a way to include the many local bands, groups, and organizations who think strong, active girls are worth celebrating.

What great local businesses are sponsoring Grrrlfest 2001?

Caffe Paradiso, the Center for Women in Transition, the Champaign Park District Tennis Center, Circles, the Common Ground Food Co-op, The Computer and Mentoring Center, CUparent.com, Dandelion, the Esquire, HMD Academy of Tae Kwon Do, the Highdive, the Independent Media Center, Jane Addams Book Shop, Jupiter’s, Moonstruck Chocolates, NOW, The New Art Theater, the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns at the University of Illinois, Office of Womens Programs at the U of I, Pandora’s Rag, Panera, Planned Parenthood, Record Service, Rosewood Guitars, Rubens Chocolates, Schnucks, Southlynn Studios, Strawberry Fields, That’s Rentertainment, the U of I Metal/Industrial Club, the U of I Punk Collective the U of I Vegetarian Society, the Women’s Direct Action Collective, the Yoga Institute of Champaign, and the YMCA.

I want to write a check for such a worthy cause. Who do I talk to?

Email Angel West at arcangel80@hotmail.com. We are excited at the chance to help girls celebrate themselves for their character, their creativity, their curiosity, their individuality, and their abilities. And it is important to have as many individuals, organizations, and businesses as possible help us in pursuit of those lofty goals. A girl can't become her true drumming self without a set of drumsticks and Grrrlfest panelists who devote extensive unpaid time and effort to helping girls grow like to know that there is community support behind what they're doing. We welcome both cash and in-kind donations. And donations are tax deductible.

I'm free sometime between now and April 29th. Do you still need volunteers?

Absolutely. We love volunteers. Please email Aimee Rickman at arickman@prairienet.org.

We especially need people for the following:

Greeter/Set-Up (combine brawn and nurture! good for anyone - female, male, blue eyed, brown eyed...)

*Sat 4/28 9-11am; 11-1pm; 1-3pm; 3-5pm; 5-7pm; 7-9pm
*Sun 4/29 9-11am; 11-1am; 1-3pm; 3-5pm; 5-7pm

Workshop Registration (1 hour slots - easy and oh-so-important!)

*Fri 4/27 - 4:15; 5:45; 6:45
*Sat 4/28 - 8:15am; 9:15; 9:45; 10:15; 11:15; 1:15; 1:45; 2:15; 3:45; 4:45; 6:45; 7:45)
*Sun 4/29 - 8:45am; 9:15; 10:15; 11:30; 12:45; 1:15; 1:45; 3:15; 3:45; 4:15; 5:15; 6:45

Video Documentarians - Record what people think about the fest, and about our community! (Female volunteers needed)

*Fri 4/27 - 4:30-6:30pm; 6:30-8:30pm
*Sat 4/28 - 9-11am; 11-1pm; 1-3pm; 3-5pm; 5-7pm
*Sun 4/29 - 9-11am; 11-1pm; 1-3pm; 3-5pm; 5-7pm

Benefit Show Staffers - help out and get to listen to cool music for free! Open to all, unless noted.

*Thursday 4/26 - 6:30-9pm (female volunters); 8:30-11pm; 10:30-1am
*Friday - 4/27 - 6:30-9pm; 8:30-11pm; 10:30-1am
*Saturday 4/28 - 6:30-9pm (female volunteers); 8:30-11pm; 10:30-1am
*Sunday 4/29 - 6:30-9pm; 8:30-11pm; 10:30-1am

I want to tell you about this amazing book/movie/magazine/cd that is girlcentric and empowering. Want to hear about it?

Yes! Tell us all about it in our guestbook. Please tell us exactly what is so great about this shining media example so that we can tell others!

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