Photo courtesy of David Rackley via sxsw.com.
From Mar. 9 to Mar. 13, the Interactive Festival at South by Southwest will bring people together from across the world to discuss the latest developments in society.
Story by Zoya Zia
The festival is set to kick off with a keynote featuring Esther Perel, a relationship therapist with global experience. Known for her multilingual background, popular TED Talks and acclaimed book, Perel will describe the importance of mutual understanding between attendees and those in their lives as they head into the opening party on Friday.
Dozens of events, speaker sessions and networking opportunities compose the schedule over the weekend and into next week. On Mar. 11, Philanthropist Melinda Gates will participate in the other interactive keynote alongside a panel of innovators as they consider how the workplace is changing with technology, social movements and a widespread goal to challenge the status quo.
Speakers will share their perspectives not only on the workplace, but also about different issues related to brands and marketing, coding and programming, style, design, health and wellness and even intelligent future. In addition to these topics, convergence tracks such as government, social impact and sports provide another set of opportunities for learning.
ORANGE Magazine has compiled five engaging sessions and what to expect from them at this year’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival.
RompHims and Boyfriend Jeans: Ungendering Fashion
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Mar. 9
Track: Style
Photo courtesy of sxsw.com.
This panel will analyze the fashion industry and how it currently perpetuates gender stereotypes. While prejudice remains, there are ways to make clothing gender-neutral in order to become more open and accessible to differently-identifying people.
Athletes for Justice
Time: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Mar. 11
Track: Sports
Former NFL wide receiver and current criminal justice activist Donté Stallworth will describe his fight for change while Ed Chung from the Center for American Progress serves as moderator for the discussion on the historic relationship between activism and sports.
Photo courtesy of sxsw.com.
How Gerrymandering is Reshaping Politics
Time: 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. on Mar. 11
Track: Government
By centering the conversation on an issue faced by Austinites and other Americans, a panel of three will describe what gerrymandering is and how it influences politics before taking a step back to consider possible solutions before 2020.
Making Health Equity a Reality
Time: 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. on Mar. 12
Track: Health
As one’s zip code becomes increasingly linked to their access to opportunity, this panel will offer attendees a chance to hear from professionals and leaders working to first recognize and then address health inequality.
Beyond Bars: Art and Incarceration
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Mar. 14
Track: Social Impact
Rapper Damien Duncan spent three years in adult prison but his journey has led him to become a mentor and speaker at this panel. He will join a discussion about art as a method for trauma recovery and promoting awareness about juvenile incarceration.
