Who we are?

CSAK is a system-critical feminist festival. In a week-long series of workshops, panel discussions, and art and music programs we discuss various aspects of the problems associated with patriarchy

Our goal is to create a local and city-wide platform that highlights and connects initiatives that draw attention to systemic issues affecting women. Through our programs, we would like to start a public conversation about feminism and provide a space for open and system-critical thinking. In addition to all this, we want to build a community, with an accepting and safe space for those escaping everyday sexism and patriarchal oppression.

The first CSAK festival took place in 2022, on the initiative of the Auróra team, at Auróra. Since the festival’s first year, we have already worked with many partner organizations. This  number of participating locations and venues is growing every year. We envision CSAK as a festival that takes place in as many locations throughout the city as possible, involving as many organizations as possible that are system critical and question patriarchy as the primary source of women’s oppression.

How you can join us

You can join the festival via the ‘OPEN CALL’ form, which operates on an invitation basis: we firstly seek out organizations and institutions with whom we would like to collaborate, but anyone is free to apply. We are open to any initiative that creates a platform for joint thinking and action, be it an art project, exhibition, reading circle, workshop, lecture, performance, joint creation, or anything else that fits in with the festival’s values.

As part of the festival, we want to address the situation of all women, and we especially want to include perspectives that have so far been underrepresented in our society —regardless of the women’s background (cis women, trans women, Roma women, migrant women, and everyone else). In previous years, we have addressed topics such as caregiving, double shifts, female poverty, ecofeminism, gender stereotypes, motherhood, violence at birthgiving, Roma feminism, queer and LGBTQ+ activism, women in the music industry, violence against women, women in politics, and many others. We continue to welcome programs that examine the situation of women from intersectional and structural perspectives.

We welcome applications from community spaces, exhibition spaces, entertainment venues, and any others that consider it important to maintain a safe space for their guests. We actively speak out against sexism, racism, transphobia and homophobia, and we expect the same from all venues that wish to join the initiative.

The festival staff will select venues and programs, based on criteria such as topicality, relevance, diversity in terms of both space and program type, and feasibility in relation to the available space and financial resources.