4th Annual F-List Research Conference: The Personal is Political
“The personal is political: THE CULTURE AND POLITICS OF MUSIC SYSTEMS”
Wednesday, 21 May 2025 – Thursday, 22 May 2025
Hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP), at Queen’s Park Campus, London (hybrid)
The F-List Research Hub is a growing collective of feminist and interdisciplinary researchers, dedicated to evidence-led activism which aims to create an environment where women and gender-diverse people in the music industries will be able to more successfully start and sustain their music careers for longer.
This year’s theme is broadly exploring the systemic challenges or barriers we face in the music ecosystem. On 30 January 2024, the UK Women and Equalities Committee in their Second Report on Misogyny in Music, opened with a finding:
“Women working in the music industry face limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination and sexual harassment and assault as well as the persistent issue of unequal pay in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances. Despite increases in representation, these issues are endemic and are intensified for women faced with intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination.” (p. 3)
The evidence showed that the issues are often viewed as women’s issues which masks their true character,
“Too often, problems of discrimination, harassment and misogyny are seen as women’s issues—that it is their role to experience, avoid, overcome, withstand, analyse, discuss and understand misogyny so men don’t have to. While necessary, preventative measures risk normalising behaviours and place the responsibility on women as potential victims rather than men as potential perpetrators.” (p. 4)
The current systems need revision, if change is to be achieved,
“Women in the music industry have had their lives ruined and their careers destroyed by men who have never faced the consequences for their actions. People in the industry who attend award shows and parties currently do so sitting alongside sexual abusers who remain protected by the system and by colleagues. The music industry has always prided itself on being a vehicle for social change; when it comes to discrimination, and the harassment and sexual abuse of women, it has a lot of work to do.” (p. 4)
Our focus will turn to systems and move away from individuals. This also includes the culture in the music industries. According to the WEC’s findings, the culture has been described as “toxic,” and a “culture of silence” enforced by Non-Disclosure-Agreements (NDAs); or “a culture where a female artist’s worth is judged first on their looks and perceived sexual availability;” or an industry, where “white British people are favoured over other ethnicities;” or culture, where sexual harassment is normalised and seen by most women, as a normalised part of the business. Our interests include research on women and gender-diverse creatives, across all intersectional ties. We will explore any related institutions, including educational institutions; or the collective management organisations (CMOs); or government agencies, such as the UK Intellectual Property Office.
The Conference Schedule
Day 1 (Wednesday, 21 May 2025)
08:15-09:00 Registration and welcome (with Coffee)
09:00-09:15 Welcome Address: tbc (ICMP and The F-List)
09:15-10:15 KEYNOTE (60 minutes)
Vick Bain THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL.
10:15-10:30 Comfort Break
10:30-11:30 Practice Research I (60 minutes) Unmasking Autism in Song: but who’s going to listen to that?
Led by Lauren Alex Hooper
11:30-12:00 Break
12:00-13:00 Research Papers I (60 minutes): Wellbeing, Community and Belonging.
Moderated by tbc (affiliation)
Ragnhild Nordset: The Cycle of Myths: Occupational Myths and Artist Wellbeing.
Natasha Hendry: Presenting the Racial Literacy Pyramid Model.
Alessandra Micalizzi: The Gendered Economy of Music: Women, Money, and Systemic Inequalities.
13:00-14:00 Lunch (F-List Networking Event)
14:00-15:15 Practice Research II (75 minutes) Transformative Power of Women’s Songs.
Moderated by tbc (affiliation)
Lucy James: The Future Self Project.
Jo Collinson Scott: Slain by The Azure of the Windowpane: A practice-based ontological exploration of the rejection of music’s harms.
15:15-15:30 Comfort Break
15:30-16:30 Workshop I (60 minutes):
“How to Stop Sexual Harassment” A Guide for Musical Organisations.
Led by Vick Bain, Naomi McCarthy (Independent Society of Musicians) and Sophie Cowell (Equality and Human Rights Commission).
16:30-16:45 Comfort Break
16:45-17:45 Roundtable I (60 minutes)
“Sister Organisations: the Politics and Solidarity of Activism.”
Led by The F-List, with Sister Organisations
17:45-18:00 Comfort Break
18:00-20:00 Liberty’s Mother EP Launch.
***
Day 2 (Thursday, 22 May 2025)
08:15-09:15 Workshop II (60 minutes)
Sunrise Wellbeing Session: The Voice as a Tool for Stress Relief and Well-Being.
Led by Simone Niles.
Sponsored by Independent Society of Musicians.
09:00-09:30 Registration (with Coffee)
09:30-11:00 Research Papers II (90 minutes) Questioning Power Differentials in Music: a Global Inquiry of Systems.
Moderated by tbc (affiliation)
Metka Potocnik: A Feminist Reconstruction of IP Laws in Music.
Yvonne Kiely: Access to Justice in Ireland’s Music Organisations: the Paradox of ‘Equal Opportunity’ and ‘Equality.’
Cande Sánchez Olmos: Commitment to Gender Equality or Popular Feminism? An Evaluation of Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Programme in Spain.
Lulu Le Vay: Underground Resistance: Ageing and the Significance of Visibility for Female DJs in Dance Music Culture.
Elevator Pitch with Ruby Safa (5 minutes): SkullBox Records: The Women’s Powerhouse for Horror Scores and Sound Design.
11:00-11:15 Comfort Break
11:15-12:15 Roundtable II (60 minutes):
Songs in Non-music research: the That’s Me Experience in Songwriting.
Led by Metka Potocnik, in conversation with Rejoice Abudar, Lucy Barka – Luce and Thiago Jorge.
12:15-13:15 Lunch (F-List Networking Event)
13:15-14:15 Practice Research III (60 minutes) Power Through Connection.
MIRI: The Art IS Showing Up.
Lucy Barka – Luce: The Same Strength: connection through song in sexual violence recovery.
14:15-14:30 Comfort Break
14:30-15:30 Workshop II (60 minutes) Unlocking Your Voice: Challenging Judgement and Social Barriers.
Led by Lucinda Allen.
15:30-16:00 Break
16:00-17:45 Research Papers III (105 minutes): Systemic Barriers across Genres, and Genders.
16:00-16:55 Shauna Stapleton: Investigating the systemic & structural barriers for female DJs in electronic dance music culture.
Grace Boylin: Record, Mix & Master: a Woman’s Perspective.
Sarah Mengede: Feminism, Solidarity and Myth in Contemporary Rock Journalism.
16:55-17:00 Comfort Break (5 minutes only)
17:00-17:45 Joy Ellis: The Conversation has Changed, but is it still Just Talk? Exploring Experiences of Contemporary Young Women Learning Jazz in London.
Sotos Kourtellaris: Diva at centre stage: Torn Between music industry and gay audiences.
Anna Pokrovskaya: Algorithms of Inequality: How E-Commerce Platforms Perpetuate Systemic Barriers for Independent Artists in the Music Industry.
17:45 – 18:00 Comfort Break
18:00-19:00 Roundtable III (60 minutes):
Music and AI: AI Bias, Songwriting and Gender Music Metadata.
Led by Professor Sophie Daniels, with Professor Eva Navarro, and DigitalFems
19:00-20:00 Closing, F-List Networking, with Music
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