Everyone who saw Karen Gwyer perform in our festival last month will remember what an amazing and disorientating journey she took us all on. It was pretty special. She opened with the deeply introverted track Missisissipippi and then by the end of her set somehow had us all wildly dancing. Here's the equally disorientating and oddly compulsive video for Missisissipippi. 

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"Probably [there is bias], if one looks at the data about the number of women museum directors, pay scales and salaries, maternity leave. But it’s also interesting that many of the most exciting organizations that give New York City its extraordinary texture, that nurture generation after generation of emerging artists, and that contribute so significantly to making this city the inimitable cultural capital of the world, are run by women (as are several of the great enduring galleries). It says something about women’s visionary approach to shaping culture, their determination to make things happen in spite of the system or the conventions of institutions. Theirs is a kind of emancipation that is deeply felt, and which they act upon day after day. They ask no one’s permission to do what they do. Sexism doesn’t stand a chance."
—RoseLee Goldberg, Founder, Performa

Staying on the subject of defiance (see previous entry), I was very encouraged to read this statement by RoseLee Goldberg this week. As someone who has recently organised a festival focussing on women artists and musicians, I clearly think there is a problem with sexism in the arts. There are of course other other prejudices, in particular class, but that statement from RoseLee got straight to the point for me which is that when you are shut out of an established system, for whatever reason, then there is really is only one thing to do and that is do something different and something that you believe in. If you apply what she has said to the UK, then it’s easy to reel off a list of amazing women who are simply getting on with it and in the process offering artists access to new opportunities, and the arts establishment new approaches and perspectives.

In terms of that list, those who leap to my mind (off the top of my head and in no particular order) are Irene Revell (Electra), Lina Russell (Electra), Eleanor Vonne Brown (X Marks the Bokship), Ami Clarke (Banner Repeater), Rebecca Shatwell (AV Festival), Emily Pethick (The Showroom), Helen Legg (Spike Island), Milika Muritu (Cell Project Space), Polly Staple (Chisenhale), Catherine Wood (Interdisciplinary Projects, Tate), Sara Nunes Fernandes (School of the Damned), Eva Rowson (Art Licks), Lisa Meyer (Supersonic), Sally Tallent (Liverpool Biennial), Anna Colins (Open School East), Claire Louise Staunton (Flat Time House), Sarah McCrory (Glasgow International), Michaela Crimmin (Culture + Conflict), Sue Jones (A-N), Judith Knight (Artsadmin), Tamsin Dillon, Kathy Noble, Karen di Franco, and so many more, all of whom I feel closely related to. Maybe it’s time to shout a bit louder about just how relevant what we all do is. As RoseLee says, these alterntive ways of working are a form of emancipation that is deeply felt and quietly acted upon day after day.

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Becoming a tiny bit obsessed with Mike Hadreas - I'm just really enjoying his defiance and the way that he has transformed prejudice and anxiety into something really interesting, and exciting for mainstream music. Looking forward to hearing the full album when it comes out this week.

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Listening to so much music at the moment. And seeing loads of good stuff too. Amazing to hear the new songs that have been released over the past few week by Mike Hadreas (Perfume Genius). I first noticed him when he contributed to a beautiful duet on Cate Le Bon's album Mug Museum. And in fact last saw her singing at Bedwyr Williams' 'The Starry Messenger' launch at the most recent Venice Biennial. Anyway, his new stuff is kind of extraordinary...

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