An eclectic cast of cutting-edge performers took the stage of the 2025 Women from Space Festival, bringing together Toronto artists.
The event took place between March. 7 to 9 at the Music Gallery.
Established in 2019, Women from Space has become one of the city’s ultimate destinations for adventurous listeners, eager to explore experimental music and improvisation on stage, which is the main goal of the lineup for this event.
“We gravitate towards artists who are trying something new and different, artists whose work is defying boundaries across genres, artists whose practice centres around improvisation,” explains Bea Labikova, co-founder behind the festival. “Each year we have a set that includes people who we think might play well together– we call it matchmaking. We also try to include one music-movement improvisation performance each year. We want to have a nice balance of amazing local artists as well as visiting international artists. We want to include artists who come from a variety of genres, a variety of disciplines, some next generation artists, some veteran improvisers etc.”
The chosen dates are not random, it was intentionally hosted during the Women’s Day weekend. As the lineup, the festival’s directive is to celebrate and amplify the art of visionary women, a reflection of its organizers.
“Kayla Milmine, the other co-founder, and I are both really involved in the experimental music scene here in Toronto. In 2018 she thought it would be cool to organize a little festival featuring women-led experimental music around International Women’s Day and got the inspiration for the name from the legendary experimentalist Sun Ra,” Labikova noted.
Labikova is a saxophonist and improviser whose music traverses free improvisation, avant-garde, modern jazz and Slovak folk music.
She also has been developing her own innovative style on the fujara, a Slovak overtone flute, adapting the instrument for use in free improvisation, taking it out of its traditional folk music context.
As a woman artist herself, the festival could not have a different purpose.
“I believe the more that organizations and festivals elevate the incredible music that’s being made by women and gender non-conforming people the more it’ll be accepted as the normal” she explains.
In total, the event had more than 40 performers, working together to transform the event into a celebration of music, diversity and art.
“We are always happy to include more people who would like to help out and make something special happen in the city. Getting in touch through email or social media usually works! As for the artists, many message us through email and we occasionally do an open call.”
For more information visit womenfromspace.com.
