Picture this: It’s a balmy August weekend. You’re standing in a dystopian “city of iron” surrounded by massive industrial cranes. The air is thick with the bass of techno beats, the scent of sunscreen, and the unmistakable aroma of… inclusivity?
Welcome to Whole Festival, the brainchild of Raquel Fedato and Chris Philipps, where queer culture meets electronic music in a three-day extravaganza that’s part music festival, part social experiment, and entirely fabulous.
“WHOLE Festival seeks to connect queer collectives from all over the globe under one banner of creativity, passion, pleasure, and above all, good music,” the organizers told GICA. It’s like the United Nations, but with better outfits and a much better soundtrack.
More Than Just Another Festival (Though the Music is Pretty Great)
You might think: “What does WHOLE have to do with impact economy?”
Well, buckle up, buttercup, because WHOLE is about to blow your biodegradable glitter-covered socks off.
First off, it’s not just about the music (though with a lineup that reads like a Who’s Who of electronic music, it could be). WHOLE is a “community-based, co-created event highlighting Berlin’s queer electronic music scene along with global collectives that establish secure havens for their communities.” Eat this.
From Kazakhstan to Brazil: A Global Queer Utopia
WHOLE doesn’t just talk about the future – it creates that science fiction movie, great soundtrack included. This year, they were welcoming collectives from Kazakhstan to Brazil, Vietnam to South Africa. Like a global trip without the jet lag or questionable street food.
New additions this year included Hanoi’s “Equation Festival,” London’s “Inferno,” and Toronto’s “Pep Rally.” It’s a lineup so diverse, it makes the UN General Assembly look like a monochrome monotony.
But it’s not just about representation. As the organizers put it, these collectives are “employing dance as a dynamic instrument for socio-political progress and acceptance in their respective nations.” It’s activism you can dance to. Take that, protest marches!
Not Just a Party (But Also a Really Good Party)
WHOLE isn’t content with just being a fantastic festival. Oh no, they’re aiming higher. With workshops, panels, performances, and artistic expressions, WHOLE encourages “a profound exploration of queer identity.”
A university course on all-human studies, but instead of stuffy lecture halls, you’re in a technicolor wonderland where the professors are DJs and the textbooks are replaced by beat-drops.
And let’s not forget the venue. Once an industrial area, the “iron city” is turned into a future happy dream land. From the beach stage where you can dance the golden hour, to the colored forests, to the FLINTA play space, to the cruising village – It’s Disneyland for adults, but with less Mickey Mouse.
Breaking Barriers, One Beat at a Time
But the most impressive thing about WHOLE is its commitment to accessibility. This year, they introduced 1000 community tickets – discounted tickets for community members on a tight budget. Because everyone deserves to party, regardless of their bank balance. A nice example of how to do fair business – corporates, please copy.
They’re also expanding their solidarity program, providing a free festival experience to visitors who face economic barriers based on their identity or presentation. WHOLE includes free tickets, transportation, food vouchers, drink tokens, and camping gear. They’re saying, “If you can’t afford to come to the party, we’ll bring the party to you.”
The GICA Seal of Approval
At GICA, we believe in the power of innovative solutions to drive positive change. And while WHOLE Festival might not be planting trees or inventing new sustainable technologies, what they’re doing is just as important. It’s about values, community and the power of together.
They’re creating a space where people can be fully, unapologetically themselves. They’re fostering understanding and acceptance across cultures. They’re proving that diversity isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a recipe for future societies that tackle global challenges with positivity and creativity.
So, it is with great pride (pun absolutely intended) that we at GICA award WHOLE Festival our highly coveted, totally made-up, but extremely prestigious Editorial Medal of Honor. For services to inclusivity, for proving that serious issues can have a killer soundtrack, and for creating a world where everyone is welcome – as long as they’re ready to dance.
Remember: Every time you support events like WHOLE Festival, somewhere in the world, a narrow-minded bigot feels a sudden, inexplicable urge to listen to techno. And isn’t that a much better feeling than wondering if your festival wristband is made from recycled materials?
The future is queer, it’s colorful, and thanks to WHOLE Festival, it’s fantastic to dance to. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some naked swimming to do.
Join our impact network at gica.community and be part of the movement to create a more inclusive, diverse, and let’s face it, more fun world. Because if we’re going to save humankind, we might as well listen to great music while we do it.
Raquel on LinkedIn? Here!
