South by South Lawn
| Date | October 3, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 day |
| Venue | White House |
| Location | White House South Lawn |
| Organised by | Obama administration, South by Southwest, President's Committee on Arts and Humanities, Futurism |
South by South Lawn (stylized SXSL) was a technology and music festival organized by the White House under the Obama administration that took place in October 2016 in Washington, D.C.. It was modelled after the South by Southwest music festival.
Background[edit]
South by South Lawn was a technology and music[1] festival[2] initiated by the Obama administration[3] and modelled after and "organized together with" the South by Southwest festival,[4] President's Committee on Arts and Humanities,[5] and tech media company Futurism.[6] It was a one-day event[7] hosted on the White House South Lawn[8] that was live streamed.[9] Announced in September 2016 by the White House, the festival was schedule for and took place on October 3.[10]
The festival had panel discussions and exhibits relating to sustainability, climate change, and technology. Exhibits included a virtual reality experience by the Guardian and The Mill that showcased "what it is like to be in solitary confinement for nine minutes" and one from the American toy company Sphero that "gave visitors a chance to play with robots." The SXSL sign was programmed by Adam Savage to light up every time someone made a social media post with the hashtag #sxsl.[11]
The "main event" of the festival was a climate change panel led by President Obama that featured guest speakers actor Leonardo DiCaprio and the Canadian climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.[11] This also included a screening of DiCaprio's National Geographic climate[12] documentary Before the Flood.[13]
Musical guests[edit]
In late September 2016, then-President Barack Obama announced the musical line-up for South by South Lawn.[14]
- The Lumineers
- Gallant[9]
- the Dap-Kings[a]
- DJ Beverly Bond
Attendance[edit]
Attendees were chosen through a nomination process where attendees must have made positive impacts in their communities.[15] More than 20,000 attendees were invited.[11]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Sharon Jones was unable to attend due to illness and was replaced by Gallant.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Overly, Steven (October 4, 2016). "South By South Lawn tech, music festival loosens up the White House". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Sylla, Sophie (2016-10-04). "The White House Holds the First Ever South by South Lawn Festival". Global Citizen. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ "South by South Lawn". The White House. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Pilkington, Ed; Spencer, Jane (2016-10-04). "The Obama White House hosts the first – and last? – SXSL technology festival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ "Inspired by SXSW, Obama announces South by South Lawn Festival". KVUE. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ "Futurism". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Dickey, Megan Rose (2016-10-04). "Here's what happened at South by South Lawn at the White House". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ "Celebrities, innovators head to D.C. for the first ever South by South Lawn". SiriusXM. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ a b c Monroe, Jazz (2016-10-03). "Live Stream the White House and SXSW Festival South by South Lawn". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Schneider, Marc (2016-09-02). "White House Announces 'South By South Lawn,' SXSW-Inspired Micro Festival". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ a b c Bajohr, Donny (October 5, 2016). "Here's What You Missed At the White House's First-Ever South By South Lawn Festival". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Billboard, Gil Kaufman (2016-09-26). "Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Stranger Things' Cast Set for President Obama's South by South Lawn Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Kiefer, Halle (2016-10-04). "Leonardo DiCaprio Comes Out Hot Against Climate-Change Deniers: 'You Should Not Be Able to Hold Public Office'". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Edelman, Julia (2016-09-25). "President Obama Plans His Own South by South Lawn Festival, Invites Leonardo DiCaprio and the Kids From Stranger Things". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Coulehan, Erin (2016-09-26). "Commander in cool: Obama's upcoming South by South Lawn festival is one more reason he'll be missed". Salon. Retrieved 2024-05-17.