In 2022, only 28% of artists at electronic festivals did not identify as men, with hardly any of those headlining major events. Despite female pioneers like Delia Derbyshire, composer of the distinguished theme for Doctor Who, women have often been sidelined. In a world where DJs are more popular than ever, what steps is Newcastle taking to address unequal representation behind the decks?
Newcastle based DJ, Amelia Leigh, manages an event called ‘ROOD!’ formed as a university project. Backed by local DJ epicenter, World Headquarters, the event aims to project marginalised genders into DJing. Speaking about her experience in becoming a female dance artist, Amelia stated misogyny continues to be an issue in the industry: men often “step in and take over” on the decks and “a lot of my friends have been grabbed by men and sexualised.”
The challenges for female DJs extend beyond the decks. Booking agents and promoters often overlook women; an anonymous female DJ told The Guardian in 2016 that she had to invent a male manager to be treated fairly, doubling her fee and significantly bettering her terms and conditions of work with fabricated white, middle-aged ‘Dave’. This should not be the reality that aspiring female DJs have to settle for.
However, events like ‘ROOD!’ at World Headquarters and ‘Ladies & Decks’ at Cobalt Studios are introducing safe spaces, and have offered DJs like Amelia, who may face a preconceived prejudice within the industry, the opportunity to play massive events at noticeable venues in the area. Working with ‘ROOD!,’ Amelia now hosts female-led workshops for aspiring women to learn the tools away from possible misogynistic limitations.
Despite the fact that we are existing in a male-dominated club industry, where who you know takes precedent over talent, Newcastle's best female spinners are giving us hope for the future. We are being propelled into a new future of female representation in the dance and music scene.
