female:pressure
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Goal

Female:pressure is an international DIY network of 2600+ women and non-binary artists and activists from 80 countries. The network aims to make under represented artist demographics visible, and to create a starting point for connections and opportunities for it’s users and this way further female and non-binary participation in electronic music and arts as well as numerous other subsections.

Description of the tool

Female:pressure’s network and online data base lists women and non-binary artists, as well as resources and initiatives operating within culture, activism and science. While initially focused on those working in electronic music and digital arts, the network now includes a huge number of feminist women + non-binary lead organisations across a much broader spectre of interests and specialties. These include resources on cultural production, mentoring + learning and advocacy. The database is searchable by different categories. In addition to existing as a network and a database female:pressure also runs the research project FACTS about female and non-binary performers representation at electronic music festivals. They host monthly podcasts and radio shows and regularly take part in conferences and festival panels. They occasionally hold events and release compilations via Bandcamp. The network is open source code built, and maintained and governed by its founders and the individual entries by the members who submitted them. It is a space to find allies, peers and inspiration. It is free to join female:pressure.

Steps of application

Start by looking at your organisation and evaluate the degree to which your cultural programming and activities present different genders. What is making you programme and feature the artist you do? Which factors affect your decision making? Ticket sales? Audience reception? Funding opportunities? Collaborative partners or management and artist representatives? Where are the obstacles to changing the artists presented in your cultural activities? How can they be addressed and challenged? One way of assessing these factors is using the FACTS survey, which is a data analysis project outlining the participation of women and non-binary persons in electronic music, crosss disciplinary art and technology festivals across the world. This will allow you to compare your representation ‘score’ and more importantly discover which invisible barriers may be in place and what you can do to remove these. Female:pressure maps a network of all things related to electronic music, digital arts and technology, feminist actisvism and everything in between. As this is a pretty straightforward and user friendly database, there aren’t many steps to using the main tool itself. View female:pressure as a portal and community, which you can join, to find information and collaborators and peer support. The route around the network will naturally depend on your specific requirement or area of interest and desired outcome. In addition to the database the network has a platform to give it’s musical artist coverage, in the shape of weekly podcasts hosted by and playing music by, members of the community. So if you are a female or non binary musical artist, collective or representative organisation looking for a platform or a cultural producer searching for non-cis-male talent, the podcasts will introduce you to female:pressure’s world of music. If you want to be part of the female:pressure network as an individual or an organisation, you can send an e-mail with the information you’d like to share to info@femalepressure.net with the subject "new member". Once the information and the according consent are confirmed you are part of female:pressure, and the administrators will give you an introduction to the network and a couple of questions for your entry in the database and a possible subscription to our mailing list.

Background

Female:pressure is a long running artist and activism network which started in 1998 and was designed and founded by Vienna based musician Electric Indigo, with open source code expert Andrea Mayr creating the programming and continuing the development and upkeep of the network. female:pressure is by its own definition for “..women*, AFAB, transgender, transfeminine, transmasculine, intersex (+gender optional), genderqueer, gender nonconforming, a-gender or/and non-binary DJs, musicians, composers, producers, visual artists, agents, journalists and researchers working in the realms of electronic music and digital arts…. and is a publicly accessible source of information, a tool to disclose the existence and the work of women* in this seemingly male dominated field.” The network and the associated outlets added over time, such as the blog, the monthly podcast, the FACTS survey, continue to ask the originating question: “Why are there so few women in electronic music?” and challenge the notion by demonstrating the vast number of under recognised players in the scene via the platform. As the network has strengthened, it has taken shape as both a very active community and also serves as an archive of past activities and a history of the female and non-binary involvement in electronic music and digital art and technology around the world. Female:pressure maps DJs, producers, musicians, composers, singers, MCs, VJs, video artists, graphic designers, photographers, cultural workers, journalists and agents active in the field of exploration, as well as the grass roots organisations supporting gender equality in general. This practical approach recognises the importance of connections and peer support, while opening the doors for interaction, sharing knowledge, finding allies and building basis for collaborations The aim being to ultimately change representation to be more equal and inclusive across factors beyond gender. The network has grown consistently in scope and reach since it’s beginnings, and members of the network have represented female:pressure’s agenda and mission in debates and panels at many festivals and conferences.

Context of origin

Visual representation

Documentation

Main site, database: http://www.femalepressure.net/Wordpress site for podcast and FACTS access: https://femalepressure.wordpress.com/

Suggestions

Have a browse through the data base to get an idea of the scope and reach of this network, and see where it takes you.

Credits

Electric Indigo, Andrea Mayr, the whole of the female:pressure network.