Kathleen Hanna Named Guest Curator for Sled Island 2014

Published Feb 04, 2014

While it's unclear at present just which bands will be appearing at this year's Sled Island festival in Calgary, organizers have revealed that a chunk of them will be selected by newly named guest curator Kathleen Hanna.A press release for Sled Island, which will run across the city June 18 to 22, has confirmed that the iconic Bikini Kill/Le Tigre/ the Julie Ruin member has hopped on board to help shape this year's festivities. In addition to her musical background, Hanna's roles as a feminist activist and a zine writer are tantamount to Sled Island's decision to hand over the reins."As longtime admirers of Hanna's work across artistic media, the festival couldn't be more excited to see the shape the festival takes with her thoughtful input," organizers said in a statement, adding, "Both a contributor to the zine riot grrrl and co-founder of the movement of the same name, Hanna cemented herself as one of the most important voices in feminist activism in pop culture and punk rock."Past instalments of Sled Island have announced multiple guest curators, with the 2013 edition having been co-helmed by Thee Oh Sees' John Dwyer and electronic musician Tim Hecker before being called off mid-festival due to the Alberta floods . It's unclear at present if any additional guest curators will be named.Previous curators also include Andrew W.K., Pavement's Scott Kannberg, Fucked Up and Bogus Tokus.As previously reported, Sled Island was facing losses of upwards of $200,000 due to the flood, stemming from a series of expenses like artist, marketing, rental and production fees, as well as non-refundable deposits and travel expenses. However, 70 percent of pass holders kept the fest afloat by opting out of a full refund to instead invest in the Sled Island Relief Fund . Their donations were described at the time as "an investment in the development of arts and culture in Calgary and across Canada."Passes for this year's event are currently up for sale over here , with a Festival Discovery pass offering entry to any show (subject to capacity) currently running at $179 and a line-skipping Festival Discovery Plus Pass at $299. An all-ages pass will cost $50.