A FESTIVAL promoting women and non-binary artists, new music and health and wellness opens this September at a secret location in Cheshire.
The Secret Sessions Festival combines the best of new music with mental and physical wellness programs to create a four day celebration of human bond and togetherness in a rural county location.
From Thursday through Sunday September 2-5, thousands of people will enjoy a family-friendly festival with a female-dominated line-up, plus music-free mindfulness lessons, yoga, HIIT sessions and quality street food from the UK’s hot and emerging brands. Camping, also in bell tents and luxurious imperial tents, is possible.
Under the direction of Harriet JW, founder of the live music platform Secret Sessions, who has worked with hundreds of influential artists such as Bastille, Mahalia, Arlo Parks, Freya Ridings and Kacey Musgraves, the festival aims to rekindle the spark of togetherness while addressing gender bias in the music industry by promoting women and non-binary artists.
Harriet JW said, “In the past 18 months the creative arts have suffered immensely – as has the country’s mental and social health.
“After more than a year of social separation, mental struggles and musical deprivation, now is the time to bring people together for a renaissance.
“In 2020, two-thirds of the artists on the charts were male. At Secret Sessions we discover and develop outstanding female artists who will help us change the narrative and gender bias that still exists in the music industry. I don’t think so Festival was never necessary again. ”
Secret Sessions works with London-based fitness brand Gymbox to offer health and fitness initiatives, including mindfulness and meditation classes, dance classes and sports activities, and HIIT sessions led by their trainers.
Hannah Curtis Nunn, Gymbox’s Group Fitness Director in London, says, “Secret Sessions and Gymbox share many of the same values.
“Our stories are similar – we’re indie brands in London that have broken our communities apart over the past year. The festival will create those magical moments of connectedness and holistic health and a safe space to reconnect with yourself and your community after being starved of them for so long. ”
The festival is committed to ensuring that at least 60 percent of its talent comes from women and non-binary artists.
Known for its secret, intimate nights of new live music, where the line-up isn’t revealed to the audience until the evening, Secret Sessions has made a name for itself among music lovers. Festival goers attract fans from a range of genres and are encouraged to be open-minded to experience new music and discover new talent.
Harriet added, “We want all of our festival goers to feel energized, relaxed, socially and artistically nourished after having gone without it for so long. The artists we have drawn up to perform are among our best and we can’t wait to see the impact on listeners willing to reconnect.
“Providing opportunities to women and non-binary artists is a big part of our work, and therefore at least 60% of our artist roster will be non-male in order to empower these groups to be the center of attention and continue to address the issues of gender imbalance in our industry. ”
In true Secret Sessions fashion, festival goers are also asked to anonymously make a confession before deciding whether to show themselves to the audience or not.
The purpose of the confession is to allow viewers to share the same sense of vulnerability that artists feel when carrying their soul musically on stage, and to connect with their fellow audience members on a deeper level.
The ethos of the festival is about giving young talents from all creative branches a platform. The pandemic meant that up-and-coming talents from event management and the creative industries had little opportunity to develop their skills and put them into practice. The Secret Sessions Festival connects with these communities and gives them a platform to show off their talent, work with an experienced festival team to develop their skills and gain valuable work experience.
For the very first Secret Sessions Festival, organizers are launching three categories to find sensational solo artists and groups invited to play the festival main stage and / or our stage, which is exclusively dedicated to women and non-binary artists and from Girls to the front is curated and programmed.
The closing date for entries is Sunday, August 1st at 11:59 p.m. More information can be found at https://www.secretsessions.co.uk/competitions/
Tickets for an adult campsite for five nights cost £ 241.50 including booking fee, (bring your own tent. Bell tents and luxury yurts can be rented)
Adult day tickets cost £ 49.50 including the advance booking fee. There are reduced prices for small children and teenagers
More information is available at www.secretsessions.co.uk
