female – and so she thinks

Reykjavíkurdætur

admin — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 07:48:22 +0000

What do you do if….

You have lots to say but no-one seems to be listening.
You can’t sing in that traditional, melodic, holding a note sense of the word.
You want to have fun and hang out with other women.
You have a day job that drags and gives you no creative or intellectual stimulation – but plenty of time to think.
You have kids to factor into the whole ‘follow your dreams’ thing.

You set up a 13 (or 15, or 20, depending on what you read) strong all female feminist hip-hop band in Rejkjavik. Reykjavíkurdætur (meaning daughters of Rejkjavik) was founded in 2013 and through collaborative approaches, DIY gigs and a hell of a lot of fun are making their voices heard across the city, and latterly the world – and raising eyebrows in the process. Which, given that they’ve told the Icelandic Prime Minister to ‘suck my pussy’ live on TV, written songs about anal sex and last year performed on stage at Iceland Airwaves wearing nude underwear in a bold attempt to champion body positivity, you kinda imagine is the aim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpu-_vwSRb0

Being bold for change – Kent creativity

admin — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 13:11:59 +0000

March 8th is the annual International Women’s Day, celebrated globally. Since its beginnings in the 1900s IWD grown in its mission to celebrate the unity of women, females and girls around the world, whilst at the same time advocating gender parity. Some ask whether we still need such a day, but when you consider that illiteracy, employment, violence and poverty all limit women harder than men, it’s startlingly clear that we do. But IWD isn’t just about raising awareness about the bad – it’s all about celebrating the good. Artists, politicians, scientists, mothers, friends, activists – women have played all of these roles, and continue to do so.

Folkestone’s creative hub will be marking the event with a whole host of events that demonstrate harmony, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – through the creative angle. This year’s theme is ‘#BeBoldForChange’ and the Quarterhouse programme embraces this. February and March are packed with films, talks, workshops and events that inspire and demonstrate the power and potential of women.

On February 11^th Hollie McNish, poet, writer and performer spoke about and read from her latest book, Nobody Told Me, stories and poetry about motherhood. She is completely convinced that we still need feminism, and sees creativity as playing a bit part in this. ‘I think creativity really is one of the best parts of humanity…and often brings out the structural and political issues I think and makes them easy to engage with in so many different ways. Hearing midwives say they’ve snuck my poems into hospital wards is probably the current highlight!’

Motherhood clearly changes things for women, and through their sessions the Motherhood & Identity Project are seeking personal testimonies and autobiographical exploration of what this might look and feel like through physical, social, or political aspects through workshops and an exhibition at The Brewery. It seems that even in an age where choice is apparently celebrated, that choice only counts when it is career orientated.

As Catherine from the project says ‘There is a certain boldness in claiming public space for women with babies on their hips and noisy messy small children to be welcomed in and to have their ideas heard. So much potential is lost when we treat women in this stage of life as only caregivers, or only value their contributions when they leave their family elsewhere.’

Ethnicity and nationality are also in the spotlight. In The Diary of a Hounslow Girl on Mar 29^th, by Ambreen Razia with Black Theatre Live shows the experiences and challenges of growing up amongst the city temptations as a 16 year old Muslim girl. Comedian Bridget Christie’s acclaimed show Because You Asked For It (Mar 31^st) challenges us to think about what leaving the EU means – all through humour and a bold female voice.

It’s not just gender that plays a role – age, ethnicity and social class all impact and diversify the lives of women. Boss(y) Girls is for and by young women aged 13 to 25 who are passionate about empowerment and speaking out. Their workshops offer the opportunity to talk, design, create, meet like-minded people and have fun. Inspired by Beyoncé’s words, ‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’ boldness infiltrates every part of the project. As founder Emma says ‘this project is all about teaching young women to be bold, and that you don’t just have to accept things the way they are – you can change them.’ ‘Guerilla girl action’ is on the agenda, where the team will be sharing the outputs from their collaborative sessions.

At the other end of the age spectrum, but not necessarily issues, Older Women Rock! is an innovative project run and devised by Leah Thorne, whose work explores identity and liberation. They’ll be combining visual arts, poetry and vintage clothing to raise awareness and explore issues that face women in their mid-50s to early 70s. As well as a pop-up shop and exhibition at the Space Gallery, a panel discussion on Mar 11^th, a debate with the founders of the iconic magazine Spare Rib, the Women Over 50 Film Festival (Mar 1^st), screenings of Carrie Greenham’s Home (Feb 22^nd) and Stories from the She-Punks (Mar 8^th) they host the brilliant Profanity Embroidery Group on Mar 5^th for an embroidery session to stich not frills and flowers, but controversial but necessary phrases on and in their clothes.

Subverting stereotypes through a ‘feminine’ activity sounds like a brilliant twist, and Professor Julia Twigg, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the University of Kent and a huge advocate of the work says that such activities are ‘vital’ to women. ‘I certainly want to endorse the responses of women to dress that are bold, whether through the wildness of their dress, or through their refusal to be bothered by it. I think we need each other to be bold.’

Entrenched attitudes are not easy to shift. But creativity can help us think about and challenge these patterns, and give everyone the confidence to do so as part of such a collective event. From boldness great change can come. It certainly will be coming out of Folkestone this spring.

her – Half Moon Theatre

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 14:13:14 +0000

Life as a fifteen year old girl can be hard. But living in London it can be difficult to remember just how hard. In conflict zones across the world just the basic struggle to survive is a daily reality. In her, a live graphic novel, combining stage action, film and animation through clever technology, writer and Brolly Productions and Half Moon Theatre explore the theme of displacement, identity and community, all at a rather timely moment in our history.

The story of a London teenager who finds that suddenly and inexplicably she has become an alien in her own country. Shala Nyx plays five versions of the same girl, after finding out that her world has changed, and she has no house, no home, and what feels like no hope. To start with she’s a familiar teenager on her mobile phone, worried about boys and shoes and arguing with her mum. But then things change, and we move to the stages of discovering that your world is falling down, needing to flee, travelling and being ‘processed’ – quite literally as a number.

As her image and accent shifts from Londoner to Arabic to Scottish, it’s startling how differently the situation portrayed appears. What seems unthinkable becomes a potential reality; what seems incomprehensible becomes identifiable. Terraced houses and bombed shelters all mingle, and the audience does feel a sense of collective identity, even from the safety of this beautiful venue. Although shooting and shadows replace loud music and youthful vigour for all, it may well be hardest for females. We see the girl forces and degraded in order to access basic needs, and ‘be less than I am.’ Independence and identity are irrelevant, and shame and judgement pervade.

Director Dominic Hingorani and designer and illustrator Rachana Jadhav have used the resources well, and Nyx risen to the challenge. Doors open and close and the screen action reaches into the live. In one poignant moment the familiar streets become coated in blood, and when in a café and call centre, being lured to finding a sense of belonging once again freedom fighting group the scene is surrounded by sinister tentacles. When so much has happened, for soldiers and refugees, the need to survive outweighs ideals, and some ‘turn on my truth.’

Half Moon is local venue that supports and provides for young people in the community, and the performance of her an important one to show. Engaging the audience and showing a hint of the struggle that some go through, whilst also capturing their attention and provoking debate is hugely important – for all generations. After every show there’s a question and answer session with the cast and team, as well as a day of workshops planned. Whilst I’m not sure that I could say I enjoyed her, I did absolutely love it. Creative activism certainly has a role to play in influencing the future, and her is a wonderful step towards that change.

[vimeo 169065570 w=640 h=360]

Bryde – Honey

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:45:31 +0000

Girls and guitars are either described as angry or gentle – the binary divides that exist in much of our lives plays out even when it comes to music. But Bryde is both fierce and fragile, and on new single Honey she echoes early PJ Harvey, more upbeat and intense than her previous single Wait. Attitude heavy and searing with ballsy energy, Sarah Howells turns up the electric guitars in the thrilling tune, and ropes The Coral’s Bill Ryder-Jones on production duties. A thrilling addition to the set on her upcoming tour.

New EP to be released in November via Tipping Point Records.

13.10 – London, The Courtyard Theatre
01.11 – Brighton, The Hope And Ruin
02.11 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
03.11 – Bristol, The Old Bookshop
04.11 – Southampton, The Notes Cafe
06.11 – Glasgow, Broadcast
07.11 – Newcastle, Head Of Steam
08.11 – Manchester, Fallow Cafe
09.11 – Leeds, Oporto
10.11 – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
17.11 – Norwich, The Shoe Factory Social Club

Lucy Dacus – I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Any More

admin — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 13:52:27 +0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9bDpfMKwiY&feature=youtu.be

In I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Any More Lucy Dacus explores the role of women in music throw twanging shifts of rhythmic guitar and warm vocals. There’s an understated energy and downplayed wit to her tunes, which, supported by a talented task of Richmond based musicians, transcends the personal. Taken from album No Burden on Matador Records, it’s a casual tune that subtly captures the listener, like a friend that you never meant to make. Heading to UK shores in September, make sure you check her out, because whilst the lyrics of I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Any More might suggest otherwise, Lucy Dacus is anything other than subordinate.

Swipe

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 20:11:02 +0000

For some reason, despite the fact that we’re all glued to our phones and screens like an extra limb, and that we communicate with everyone else important in our lives through technology, the idea of meeting a partner online is still slightly taboo. Alyssa Salter of all female theatre company New Match Collective realised how daft this is when she broke off a relationship with a guy she met on Tinder, and ‘realized how awful it is that I felt alone in this experience when at least five of my friends had experienced the same thing.’

It was then, back in June 2015, that she decided to write a show about online dating. Swipe, now performing at the Camden Fringe festival, is an hour long performance of sketches and vignettes exploring dating in the modern world, and how choice can be paralysing, communication confusing, and the whole experience of finding love very much in flux.

‘All the scenarios derive from real experiences, and it contains a lot of my dating trials and triumphs. It’s a very real play that is swimming in the experiences of so many women.’ she says, but it spans the sexes. The tales are drawn from over one hundred interviews with women around the world, and whilst originally intending to be a cast of men and women, in the writing Alyssa realised that she ‘only had a voice for women this time.’ This doesn’t stop it resonating with both sexes though. The small theatre was filled equally with men and women, and the nods and laughter came from both.

Corny chat up lines are nothing new of course, but the ease with which someone can disappear when you only know them from through your phone – ‘ghosting’ they call it; the simplicity of sending a dick pic, wanted or not; the disconnect between the persona you portray on and offline; and the temptation of simply moving on with only a swipe are all very much modern dilemmas.

Love’s not easy. New Match Collective have assembled dating horrors and highs through the lens of technology and modernity to create an hour’s entertainment that’s amusing, entertaining and utterly identifiable.

Running 18th -21st August at The Hen & Chickens Theatre, London, as part of The Camden Fringe. Tickets available here.

Happiness is a Cup of Tea

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 21:15:51 +0000

Written and performed by Annie McKenzie and directed by Michael Tonkin-Jones
Judging a book by its cover, or a play by its name, is a risky thing. Happiness is a Cup of Tea, a one-woman play written and performed by Annie McKenzie is not a whimsical look at the little things in life, but centred around central character Beth’s return home to Beachyhead to write her mother’s eulogy.
Running at this year’s Vault Festival, the bare walls of the cold tunnels make for an ideal setting on which to place the stark stage on which only a phonebox, lone bench and windy blows are set. At times the pathetic fallacy weights down heavy, but let’s not forget that this is Beachyhead, the UK’s most notorious suicide spot.
The conversational monologue is immediately identifiable. At least for me, someone who also as a child would creep into my parents’ bedroom to check their breathing and make sure they were still alive and would worry about death but not know what I was worrying about. We know that the ‘d’ word happens, indeed to all of us, but there’s a pervasive cultural fear of talking about it. It’s a brave topic to tackle, and the family stories, the moments where Fiona smells her hands to remember the scent of oranges on her mother’s or munches on a Kit Kat to try to find herself back in the space of her childhood are the highlights. However, the interludes of poetry and references to being ‘particles of stars returning to burn in the aftermath’ jar with the deeply intimate scene created and feel too try hard.
It’s a deep and dense subject to explore, and one where the personal story sometimes feels loose – we know she lost her father at a young age, but when and how is never explained; we know she’s been away, but again why and where remains a mystery. As a meditation on what happens when you can no longer hear the laughter of a loved one, or how ‘life goes on, even when it doesn’t’ Happiness is A Cup of Tea is a brave piece of work. However, it meanders a little too much, and whilst the narrative does reflect the fact that memories are unreliable and the past filled with merging dreams and realities, it does feel a little unsatisfying. Endearing and charming, McKenzie’s youthful face captures the audience, but her performance does also feel a little childlike.
McKenzie is hoping to take the hour long piece to Edinburgh Festival later this year, and with a little more honing and direction it could do very well. The content is there, the emotion available (it is part-autobiography) but currently the structure feels more to serve the performer than the audience. Leave it to brew a little longer however, and things could be very different.

Feminist and under thirty

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 19:39:00 +0000

Book review – I Call Myself A Feminist: The View from Twenty-Five Women Under Thirty
First published on Alt.
The f word has become something of dangerous one to utter. Far more controversial than the other f word, feminism is no longer something to be proud of, a mark of political and social awareness, but instead seen as a sign of angry, unhinged, dramatic women who like to moan. But why? As the Dalai Lama stated, if you believe in women’s rights and equality, you’re a feminist.
I Call Myself A Feminist: The View from Twenty-Five Women Under Thirty collates essays from twenty five women under thirty, and numerous quotes from other individuals from Suzy Orbach to Mary Wollstonecraft about what feminism means to them, and why they are not embarrassed to use the word. Martha Mosse, daughter of author Kate Mosse, describes how she lived a life upholding feminist ethos before it became labelled as one, and Amy Annette writes a short monologue about feminism is about taking up space and owning your world with your body. From Amy Annette’s urging to ‘own your space’ to June Eric Udorie’s discussion of how religion intersects with her experience of being a woman, Yas Necah’s assertion of herself as being a ‘angry, feminazi, cat loving, queer, gender non conforming hippy’ there are as many different explanations of feminism in here as there are females.
This for Caroline Kent is what the appeal is, that feminism allows for complexity and ‘does not expect I smooth my edges of fit its box.’ All the stories in this collection are aware of how society and systems have shaped the lives of women, and that it can be very difficult to untangle the rules imposed by ourselves and those around us. Gender does not exist alone, intersecting with race, class, disability and the other categories that we put ourselves into, but it would be blinded to believe that the experience of being a female in the world is not fundamentally different to that had we born a man.
The book does not place value to any one’s experience over another. Casual sexism is not deemed inferior to rape culture, because as Alice Stride says, ‘words are the fabric of everything….the heart of life’ and gendered slurs build up into dangerous actions and systemised oppression. The actions of political activists are as important as those who stand up to their fathers. Motherhood is celebrated, and spinsterhood reclaimed. Body image discussed, and intellectual discussion explored.
Anyone who has a voice is encouraged to speak up, and that’s what this book provides the platform for twenty five women, and inspires many more, to do so. It’s a conversation, and one where the f word is more than welcome.
“If you don’t understand, ask questions. If you’re uncomfortable about asking questions, say you are uncomfortable about asking questions and then ask anyway. It’s easy to tell when a question is coming from a good place. Then listen some more. Sometimes people just want to feel heard. Here’s to possibilities of friendship and connection and understanding.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

the girls are weekend @ The Forge

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 19:54:43 +0000

We’re getting there, but women still under-represented in the music industry. Kate Bush might be back, but other than major names and pretty pop singers, the female presence is lacking – as journalists, photographers, producers, engineers, programmers and performers. So the fantastic supporters of females in music the girls are and Camden venue The Forge have come together to produce a weekend dedicated to supporting female musicians, and women in the music industry. Taking place over the weekend of Friday 17^th October – Sunday 19^th October 2014 will be a number of events, meetings, gigs and workshops all aiming to increase the inclusion of women in this most exciting of industries.
It kicks off on Friday with Namvula, who combines the folk and urban traditions of her Zambian homeland with her Scottish roots with London’s eclectic music scene, in a blend African sounds and rhythms with Latin, jazz and folk. There’s a Live Music Review Workshop, 12pm – 1pm where editor and founder of the girls are, Annette Barlow, Deputy Editor Cheri Amour and Jazz & Classical Editor Rosie Hanley offer advice and tips on how to write an engaging live music review, followed by a Live Music Photography Workshop in which Emily Barker, Picture editor at the girls are guides you through her top tips to taking an excellent live music shot. More music comes from Esther Dee, a singer-songwriter concerned with all things dark and beautiful. Haunting fairgrounds and magical, blood hungry wolves dominate the stories of her musical collective. She has lent her stunning soft silky tones to projects as diverse as chart topping classical act Mediaevel Baebes, gypsy swing jazz favourites Trio Manouche and Grammy award winning spectacle Riverdance The Show. On Sunday morning make sure you are up bright and early to hear the Albany Piano Trio perform three exciting works by contrasting female British composers. Written within a century of one another, the works offer a rich variety in instrumental colours and musical styles.
Whilst later in the day hear some newer, contemporary music, courtesy of ensemble rarescale. They present a selection of chamber works by female composers. putting classic works by Kajia Saariaho, Thea Musgrave and Pauline Oliveros are heard alongside works by a younger generation of composers, demonstrating the breadth of female compositional talent working today.

the girls are is a UK based online magazine championing women in music, posting daily content from a global team of writers and photographers. Feeling that the machinations of the music industry are largely based on antiquated, irrelevant, inherently sexist values, and as a result women working within music are often under – or mis – represented, their coverage aims to redress this imbalance. Founded as a blog in 2009, www.thegirlsare.com has rapidly grown a network of loyal followers with over 100 contributors and an editorial team of ten. Without the collaboration and support of this team of creatives and music-lovers, the site simply would not exist.

Introducing – Courtney Yasmineh

admin — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 19:54:37 +0000

Ballsy and confident in demeanour, Courtney Yasmineh is charming and captivating, and her music direct and delicious, a potent cocktail of alternative rock, folk, pop and even a little gospel, all blended and blurred into a dazzling and blistering output. A complex and tough upbringing saw her flee to great north woods of Minnesota where she started working on a six song EP, including the fanciful tune Married To Bob (Bob Dylan once fled from the same woods.) Since then she has grown and developed, but still always raw and honest. Brazenly emotive, her music perches on the brink of various styles but gathers up their substance, eclectic yet distinctive. New album Wake Me Up When It’s Over has a rather misleading title. Despite tough times and adversity Courtney strikes as the kind of woman who grabs life, attacks it head on, and rides out her thrills and demons. Opening with Ballad To My Other Self, a bold statement of awareness as to personality fractures and how people change, all glitch and guitars, the album flickers through slow and fast, happy and sad, grunge and folk. Scrutiny sees soft flirty vocals, and Bury Me makes you squirm with its raw and open wounds from an unhappy marriage. The ditzy named Pretty Kitty is a highlight, howling loops and compulsive riffs under slightly husky vocals, building up to a brash and almost seismic shifts. Released on her own Indie label, Stupid Bitch Records, she will be playing songs from it when she visits Europe.
26.09 – 12 Bar Club,London
27.09 – The Troubadour, London
30.09 – Gaslight Club @ Oporto, Leeds
01.10 – The Blues Bar, Harrogate
03.10 – The Victoria, Swindon
04.10 – The Jet Lounge, Amsterdam
05.10 – Het Podium, Hilversum
06.10 – The Music Village, Brussels.
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