For the second year, the new program "Les Femmes S'engage" takes place in parallel with the artistic programming.
March 8, 1997, the festival "Women Get Involved" is created in Paris by Stéphane Amiel. For the founder and programmer of the event, promoting the place of women artists in contemporary music is a priority. For 25 years, this great event has been able to establish itself in the musical landscape, mark its difference, affirm its necessity and impose itself to meet their under-representation on a large number of stages of shows. Over the years, it has become the first international festival offering 100% female programming.
"Les Femmes S'en Mêlent" seeks to create a positive impact in the trajectories of women and non-binary people in the contemporary music sector, relying on support, participation and expertise, a network of actresses and actors committed to gender equality in contemporary music.
A new mechanism for action
In November 2021, under the leadership of Adriana Rausseo and Stéphane Amiel, with "Les Femmes S'engage", a new device accompanying the artistic programming is implemented to support gender equality in contemporary music. It thus paves the way for hundreds of women by allowing them to consider the approach of new vocations or perfect their experience. In 2022, it takes the form of workshops, conferences, professional meetings, screenings and debates. Its first philosophy: to push back the many obstacles to achieve real equality involving all professions and all levels of the music ecosystem.
Freedom of creation is reflected in the expression of diversity
Meeting with Adriana Rausseo and Stéphane Amiel
You have chosen to renew for 2022 the operation "Les Femmes S'engage", device launched in 2021 in parallel with your artistic programming "Les Femmes S'en Mêlent". Can you explain what the initiatives and actions are based on, how they are used and how they translate?
The proposals of Women Commit are the result of collective work. For almost 3 years we went to meet collectives, associations and other initiatives led by women in the sector, to understand their approaches, join forces and collectively build concrete proposals. The idea is to be able to contribute, humbly, to equality, diversity and inclusion in contemporary music. Through these exchanges, and thanks to feedback from artists and other professionals in the sector, we were able to identify themes, identify needs and adapt our actions accordingly.
Then we propose an evaluation to the participants of the device (workshops, conferences, projections, debates) and their feedback allow us to improve our initiatives by integrating other points of view.
Is diversity one of the key words of this system? What are the other main foundations?
Creative freedom is at the heart of the Les Femmes S'en Mêlent project and therefore of the Femmes S'en engage mechanism. This freedom is reflected in the expression of diversities, whether in musical aesthetics or in the cultural baggage of artists and interveners. Inclusion could also be one of the key words, or at least the will to inclusion and openness to various representations.
What were the feedbacks of the first Paris edition and some of its actions? Is it too early in time to see progress already?
Indeed, it may be a little early to see progress. However, there will be an increase in participation in proposed initiatives, including technical workshops. The observation we can make is that there is an interest and an increasingly important communication around the topics of gender equality in today’s music. This is also reflected in the many initiatives that have emerged in recent years throughout France. We hope, after this second, to be able to draw up a more complete balance by comparing the returns of last year.
Deconstructing prejudice: is it a necessary mixture of realism and utopianism?
As prejudices are social constructions, we can say almost realistically, that it is possible to deconstruct them. It is a long process that requires a willingness, a lot of pedagogy and kindness. This is what we try to contribute with women are committed by proposing meetings on specific themes that come to question these prejudices. Rather than a utopia, deconstructing prejudices is a vast project.
Thanks to this device, some women artists, technicians… (etc) dared to take the plunge and say "Finally, it’s possible!"
It is often said that there are not enough role models for women to project themselves into certain trades. This is a reality in technical professions, although there are developments, women are under-represented, for example.
Offering technical or writing workshops led by technicians, artists and musicians, could contribute positively and perhaps even create vocations, allowing women to identify and therefore project themselves in these professions.
One might think that making women visible in these positions could have an influence on the choice to "take the plunge". At least we hope so!
What should be the role of the State in this field?
One of the roles of the state must be to ensure equality and a fair representation of diversity in the arts. To ensure that there is equal access to artistic expressions for all in order to ensure a rich cultural offer.
How are your commitments experienced by artists and audiences?
Artists are happy to meet each other and discover other artists in an event that is committed to putting everything in place to offer a moment of sharing and celebration as caring and safe as possible.
On the public side it is more complicated to answer, because depending on the artistic programming or actions, we have very diverse profiles. it would be interesting to have their feedback on how they perceive our commitments. We work hard all year round to offer them the time of a concert, a workshop, a conference or a projection, a festive and committed space, a place of expression of freedom and celebration.
On stage, confirmed artists and new talents
Stella Donnelly + Banjo Lucia, Aoife Nessa Frances, Emilie Zoe + Francis of Delirium, Claire Days + Morjane Ténéré, Derya Yilidrim & Grup Simcek + Ora Cogan, Soom & The Stone Monks + Camille Esteban, Kalika + Sally, Miss K + Deleo, Les Vulves Assassines, Laura Cahen + Gisele Ppape + Inès Damaris, China Moes + Maë Defays, Tracy de Sa + Fanny Polly + Eline
Programming of the Festival in Île-de-France
The places
Point Ephémère . Petit Bain . FGO Barbara . La Cité Audacieuse . Queue 7 . Les Cuizines
Encourage artistic creation and the presence of women in live music
November 14: Introduction to MAO with Beats by Girlz
November 14: Computer Girls! beatmaking workshop with Sônge
November 15: Introductory workshop to the engineer’s profession. e of the sound studio with Jennifer Gros
November 26: Empowerment and group music practice workshop with Salut les Zikettes
Support the development of artistic projects
November 17: Writing a song workshop in 4 hours with Katel (FRACA!!)
November 17: Feminist writing workshop on the theme of bodies with Langue de luttes and Venus Flytrap
November 18: Scenic coaching workshop with Frieda
November 18: Workshop survive the job with Marie Dasylva and Venus Flytrap
November 19: Workshop be guided in his musical project with Musiciennes&Co
More women on stage … et ailleurs & Les voix des artistes
November 23: Meeting: When artists get involved – state of play and perspectives of artistic careers
November 24: Meeting: What ideas for a more inclusive and egalitarian contemporary music sector? with Fedelima
November 22
Raising awareness, preventing and combating gender and sexual violence and harassment (VHSS)
Meeting: State of play and collective responses to gender and sexual violence and harassment
Historical
With more than 400 musicians and composers programmed since 1997 including the first scenes of Christine & The Queens, Emilie Simon, Jeanne Added, Catpower, Feist, Soko, M.I.A, Yelle, Regina Spector, Nouvelle Vague, Daphné, La Grande Sophie, Corine, Austra, Courtney Barnett, Irène Drésel and her national influence (with an average of forty dates per edition throughout France) and international (remember London, Madrid, Brussels, Lausanne, Geneva, Montreal…), the festival has become a reference both for its influence in the musical sphere and for its action for gender equality.
Ways of Women by the company Le FilAs part of the International Day to Fight Violence Against Women on 25 November* 2022, at the request of Drac Ile-de-France, the company Le Fil in residence at Théâtre La Boutonnière presents the performance "Ways of Women"to students on Thursday, November 24, starting at 1 p.m., at theUniversity of Paris-Saclay in the theatre of La Scène de Recherche. Le Fil was born from the meeting of artists wishing to go beyond their own discipline to explore the interbreeding between the arts, the Fil is looking for decompartmentalization, dialogues between knowledge and integrates them into the artistic manifestations it organizes. *This day was introduced on November 25 1999 by the United Nations Organization (UN) . It was chosen in memory of the three Mirabal sisters, Dominican activists brutally murdered on the orders of the Head of State, Rafael Trujillo. |
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