Inspired by the LOUD! Camp initiative championed by JM Norway, "Play it Loud!" started in April 2020 thanks to fundings by the European Youth Foundation and the Erasmus+ Program. The process already engaged over 100 young musicians, cultural operators, staff of targeted member and partner organisations and experts in youth work, music industry, cultural & events management, gender equality and inclusion. "Play it Loud!" includes surveys, training sessions, and expert meetings. And soon, it will become a transversal element and approach within all JMI Programs.
Play it Loud!
Building a safe space for all youth in music
"Play it Loud!" strives to ensure that more young women and under-represented youth can be empowered through music. It challenges intersectional discrimination and harmful norms across the Youth & Music sector, simultaneously increasing equality and inclusion in all JMI programs, activities and organisations.
A transversal element across all JMI Programs
A norm-critical approach
Gender equality is a fundamental human right, but the music and the cultural sectors still struggle to meaningfully foster an environment where women, people who identify as nonbinary, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, and under-represented groups in general, are equals. Everywhere in the world, adolescents easily fall into established gender roles. Even when it comes to music: girls primarily sing, while boys play instruments or do technical tasks.
These stereotypes and "norms" reflect severe gender gaps and imbalances in the music-making industry. Hence, "Play it Loud!" uses a norm-critical pedagogical approach to create safer spaces where the power imbalances and misconceptions that norms create can be tackled as a systemic issue.
Building awareness and providing guidelines
"Play it Loud!" works towards a more inclusive, equal music sector, where all youth can participate, rise to their full potential and enjoy positive recognition. To do so, we created a set of guidelines that will hopefully inspire and guide other organizations to address intersectional discrimination and build more inclusive spaces for young musicians.
FIND OUT MORE ON THE WEBSITE!
Discover the people and the organizations behind "Play it Loud!". Find out how to get involved and download the "Play it Loud!" guidelines and toolkit!
