STAR KIDS X GARDEN @ FLOW FESTIVAL
Star Kids was founded a little less than a year ago, when the first-ever Star Kids event was held during Flow Festival at Club Kaiku. Star Kids is a club concept where everyone is a star – and every star can have fun. That’s why I’m extremely honored to celebrate Star Kids’ one-year anniversary by hosting the X Garden stage at Flow Festival on Sunday, august 10th – yes, the same day Charli XCX is headlining. Pinch me?
This opportunity is something I honestly never thought I’d have in helsinki: to have my own stage at one of the biggest festivals in the country, with a lineup filled with incredible international stars like Bambii, Toccororo, and the newest addition, electronic pop duo Fame Hunter – alongside local stars 2THEMAX, Katvyl, and Nea2K. Even the podcast collective She’s So Annoying!!!, which addresses societal issues through the lens of womanhood, will take the stage to speak.
But this platform, like everything else in life, comes with responsibility. I’ve spent all summer analyzing the situation and questioning whether I should pull Star Kids from the festival lineup. Why, you ask?
In 2018, Flow Festival was bought by the British live entertainment platform Superstruct – and last year, Superstruct was acquired by the global investment firm KKR. KKR has ties to Israeli companies, and Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, Palestine – something I can’t believe humanity has allowed to happen.
This has brought up a deep moral dilemma. An organization called Flow Strike has called on all artists to boycott Flow Festival and cancel their performances. The message behind Flow Strike is powerful and something I truly support, But the way it’s being executed doesn’t quite sit right with me. Don’t get me wrong – I fully support and admire those who have chosen to cancel their gigs. For example, Out of Sync, who I had originally booked for the Star Kids X Garden stage, decided not to perform due to KKR’s involvement.
But canceling my gig – i mean canceling the entire Star Kids X Garden stage because of flow strike – personally felt wrong. Almost like giving up, which i nearly did. Star Kids condemns every single horror that Israel has committed, and I still believe that performing at Flow Festival gives Star Kids and me a stronger platform to make a statement than withdrawing would.
I believe there are as many valid ways to protest and act as there are artists. No one should be forced to practice activism in a way that doesn’t feel authentic to them – even if someone else sees that way as the only valid choice. i heard Someone using the term 'pick-and-choose activism,' but I worry that forcing people into a specific form of action will only lead them to choosing to do nothing.
This is just my personal opinion, and you have every right to agree or disagree. Honestly, I dream of a music, culture, and club community where we can talk more openly – not just about this, but also about other crucial issues like fair wages for those working on and off stage. I dream of a space where we join forces and, first and foremost, see the human in one another, instead of pointing fingers about who’s doing what more or less “right.” most of us are on the good side – so can we please stop fucking fighting each other?
In the end, music has the power to bring us together and make the world feel a little less fucked up than it actually is. To me, that power feels more important now than ever. Even if it’s just for a moment, we should allow ourselves to have fun. because Reality remains, and it always returns – inevitably.
So, I have only one question:
If we lose all the fun, is there anything left worth fighting for?
With love and understanding,
Aino Collin,
Founder of Star Kids
P.S. If you’ve bought a Flow Festival ticket, I encourage you to donate the same amount you paid to Sumud – The Finnish Palestine Network.
