This Sunday 9 September, the UK will see a Free Pussy Riot benefit concert take place in central London. Events kick off at 530pm at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen with a DJ set from Zoetrope, with main proceedings beginning shortly after 6pm.
LINE-UP: Zoetrope (DJ), Lisa Gornick (Speaker), Vuvuvultures (DJ), Kerry McCarthy MP (Speaker), SKINNY GIRL DIET (live), Night Works (DJ), Pratibha Parmar (Speaker), NEUROTIC MASS MOVEMENT (live), Novella (DJ), GAGGLE (live), Esben And The Witch (DJ), PEGGY SUE (live), New Young Pony Club (DJ), Karin Park (DJ) * See FB events page for set times
Every penny of donation money will be sent to the Pussy Riot defense team.
== BACKGROUND ==
The event was organized to raise awareness of the plight of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (“Nadya”), Yekaterina Samutsevich (“Katya”) and Maria Alyokhina (“Masha”) of Russian group Pussy Riot, who were sentenced to 2 years imprisonment on 17 August 2012 in Moscow for “hooliganism” after their 40-second protest performance in a church. The trial took place after the trio had already served over 5 months in detention – a period which was raising eyebrows across activist, media, political and cultural spheres around the world.
Seeing the blatant clamping down on freedom of expression, we as creatives and human beings could no longer sit by and watch, and do nothing. These women have become victims of of oppression and a ruthless regime, and their plight simply symbolizes for us the ongoing struggle which many in the world suffer, sometimes at the risk of imprisonment, torture and execution. We believe that art and social change are inherently very closely linked, and it is time for artists to rediscover the potentials in such connectivity.
What better way to celebrate the launch of our new site than to simultaneously launch a brilliant event for a very important cause. Featuring some of the edgiest bands from London and beyond, eloquent and passionate speakers from various walks of life (film, art, media, politics), and with the immense support of the local arts community and invaluable volunteer activities, this event has been pulled together literally within a matter of weeks. We will even be granted the privilege of hearing the voices of the imprisoned women as well as those of their defense lawyers.
This event proves that with a certain number of passionate and committed people involved, with the generosity of certain artists who responded to our urgent calls, these kinds of life-changing opportunities can be created out of thin air within a short space of time. It was as simple as this – I woke up one day and couldn’t stand not doing more so I made a phone call. And from such simple actions can come historical results. There are a number of activities popping up in the UK and around the world and all of these are precious to the Free Pussy Riot campaign.
SHATTERJAPAN wishes to thank each and every person who has been involved in the building of this event, most importantly to Polly and Ed from POPULAR COMPANY, without whom we could not have taken our seed of an idea and brought it to fruition. And of course the venue Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen who have so generously donated their space and functions. We thank from the bottom of our heart every single performer and speaker who has given up their time to make this event more than just a memorable occasion, but rather an opportunity for them to show their solidarity with the jailed women in Russia and to attract as many people as possible to the venue to encourage donation – thank you for making this event a priority in your busy schedules. We thank also all artists who contributed videos and photographs to our campaign. And, we must also of course thank the fabulous volunteer team and all others who have supported us along the way – every action has been a treasure.
Thank you to my amazing team, who never doubted me every step of the way, cheered me up in the difficult times, stayed awake all night with me when they would rather have been snuggled up in bed, and who stuck by me in this journey. We have achieved much in a short space. And now, with this site launch, we have laid the groundwork for many more exciting and groundbreaking activities to come. SHATTERJAPAN is much more than a website – it is an ethos, and we are helping to change the industries from within — from initial conception to realization, it has been a long road, and we are finally here. Thank you for your work, dedication and support.
Finally and most of all, thank you to Nadya, Katya and Masha for the passion, courage and inspiration they have given to their people and the rest of the world. May we give back to them now.