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White House Teams With SXSW For Special 1-Day Festival

President Obama speaks during the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas, in March.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama speaks during the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas, in March.

Back in March, both President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spoke at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Now, inspired by the trip, the Obama administration is collaborating with SXSW to host a miniature version of the festival at the White House. As reported by NPR member station KUT, it'll be called South by South Lawn and will be held Oct. 3.

The one-day festival will pack in all three elements of the normally sprawling SXSW festival: Interactive, Film and Music. The elements will feature panel discussions, short student films and live performances. According to the official White House statement, the event "will bring together creators, innovators, and organizers who work day in and day out to improve the lives of their fellow Americans and people around the world."

If there's someone you'd like to see at South by South Lawn, the White House is accepting nominations on its website. The deadline is Sept. 10 at 5 p.m.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
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