By: Pooja Shah (@Pooja_Shahnanigans)
Hi guys! Its Pooja from Festival Addicts here again with another mental health focused piece!
Festivals have become more than just a meeting place for music, they’ve become the intersection of music, art, technology innovation and community. Within the community aspect, theirs is an ever increasing need to discuss mental health: a wellness issue that does not discriminate.
This weekend, the inaugural 320 Festival will be taking place fully online from May 8-10. In its first year, the goal of the festival is to change the way we talk about mental health, and between May being Mental Health Awareness Month and the current state of the world, it's more important than ever to find ways to keep this conversation going.
The Festival was created by Kevin Lyman (Founder of the Vans Warped Tour, USC Professor and CEO of the Kevin Lyman Group and Unite the United) and Talinda Bennington (Co-Founder of 320 Changes Direction and Widow of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park) 320 Festival aims to change the way we talk about mental health through educational sessions, musical performances, workshops and more.
Each day will kick off at 8:30am PT with a "Mindfulness Daybreak" - activities including yoga, meditation, etc. Following, there will be various educational sessions, such as Mental Health in the Workplace, Social Media: The Age of Anxiety, and Entertainment Industry and Mental Health, to name a few. In between sessions, there will be performances from Lindsey Stirling Kiiara, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and more, from 9am PT-5pm PT. You can see the full three-day schedule HERE. The virtual event is free and open for all to join and participate. RSVPs for the 320 Festival are now open at https://bit.ly/320FestRSVP.
Bennington created 320 Changes Direction in honor of her late husband, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Following his suicide, she continues, "We need to change the culture of mental health so that those in need - and their family members - are able to speak openly about their struggles so that they can seek the care they deserve."
Whether it was Aviici or Chester Bennington losing someone whose talents inspire others is something our industry sees too often. 320 Festival looks to address that by tackling the conversation head on by the loved ones who have been affected. Sponsors include Chipotle, Fender Play, Ernie Ball, Gibson, Club Tattoo, Everfi, Femme Fatale Productions and more.
For more information on 320 Festival Online, you can head to www.320Festival.com.
And if you ever need help, always feel as though you can reach out to a friend. We are not in this alone.
Happy Quarantine!
-Pooja
Pooja Shah is an LA-Based IT Consultant and the FestivalAddicts Website monkey. When she’s not posting articles, getting sponsors, or headbanging to the latest Lost Lands Compilation Album, you can follow her festival adventures on Instagram @Pooja_Shahnanigans