How do I make a Smash By Event?
the secret is to really begin! You don’t need to go through us or ask for permission for a Smash By event. Smash By is a week of DIY, self-organized activity. The socials and wesbite are primarily a promotional platform for the week, not the organizing hub. Figure out what you want to do, where you’ll do it, who needs to be involved, what equipment or materials you need, when you can do it, and make it happen! Send the details once you have it planned so it can get promoted and put on the calendar.
If you have questions or need help you can reach out. Things we may be able to offer limited support with:
- suggestions of & connections to spaces that could host
- circulating calls for equipment, volunteers, or performers
- research relevant to your event
- feedback to help develop an idea you have
- assistance with flyer design & promotion
Is SmashXSmashWest An Organization? What are its demands? What does SmashX want?
Smash By Smash West is not an organization or an activist campaign, a call to directly fight or end SXSW, or a platform to make demands from the powers that be. We are not focused on asking anything of SouthBy or fighting it head on; we don’t just oppose SouthBy because of any particular problematic element (of which there are many), but because we oppose the techno-capitalist & gentrifier economy which produces things like SXSW.
SmashBy is a open invitation and a brand for people to engage in disruption, divestment, and action. We wish to carve out time to make our own plans, build our own skills, and take action on our own terms. We want to gather and share knowledge and skills between people from across the country, skills which will help us take control of our lives and build a culture of militancy in Austin.
How do I join SmashXSmashWest?
Anyone can organize a SmashX event! You can join SmashXSmashWest by taking action in its spirit–on your own or, ideally, with friends. SmashXSmashWest is a loose constellation of initiatives, projects, actions, shows. It is an open brand that you can use for all activities you take in the spirit of this invitation, that are not part of and express antagonism to SXSW. If you organize your own event, send the announcement for promotion and further collaboration to smashbysmashwest@protonmail.com. If you take action or host a secret event, you can send an anonymous reportback for circulation as well.
For ideas of how to get started, look at this list of suggestions from the first SmashX, get ideas of who to take action against from the Research page, and read through previous SmashX reportbacks for inspiration.
How do I play a SmashX Show?
SmashX shows are not centrally organized, so we cannot directly put you on a bill. The best way to get on a SmashX show is to reach out to bookers and event promoters in the city who are organizing showcases. You can look at last year’s calendar to see who organized shows and reach out to them, or you can hit up other people you know in the city and ask them to put together a SmashX show.
If you want help looking for showcases, send us a lil image + blurb about yourself (genre, how to contact you) and we can post it on our socials–or better yet, you can post it on yours and tag us so we can boost it!
I’m coming into town for SmashX, where can I stay?
Your best bet for finding a place to crash during SmashX is to reach out to friends or friends of friends. If you have money for a hotel that is a fine option, though hotel prices are often much higher during the days of SXSW.
If you are involved in a SmashX event–as a performer, speaker, organizer, etc–and need a place to stay, reach out to us and we will do what we can to assist. If you need a place to stay and are not otherwise involved in a SmashX event or know people in Austin, you can reach out to us and we may be able to assist on a case-by-case basis.