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Call for Musicians to Participate in Nationwide Study on Gender and the Music Industry

30 June 2021

Researchers from the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) are seeking artists of all genders and musical backgrounds to participate in the project Gendered Experiences of the Irish Music Industry, the first nationwide study on the relationship between gender and musicians’ experiences on the island of Ireland.

Instrumentalists, singers and DJs that represent a diversity of voices, music scenes and genres are invited to participate in a national survey that will gather information on pathways to becoming an artist and day-to-day experiences within the music industry, including in performing and recording settings.



Speaking on this topic, Dr. Ann Marie Hanlon, lead researcher on the project and lecturer in Popular Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology said:

Little attention has been paid to documenting the impact gender may play in an artist’s career trajectory in Ireland. As the first research project of its kind, this study will promote informed and meaningful dialogue in relation to intersectionality and creativity in Ireland.

The dramatic interruption to the music industry caused by Covid-19 has created space for reflection upon the fact that the Irish music industry has a gender equality problem. Reports published by the Why Not Her? Collective in 2020 and 2021 reveal that 78.1% of hit singles in the last twenty years were by Irish male artists or groups. Women and non-binary artists typically get less than 20% of the airplay on most Irish radio stations.

This project is supported by the DkIT Summer Undergraduate Research Programme, a collaborative initiative in which a student is given the opportunity to be mentored by academic staff and gain experience in research. Ellie May, a third-year student in the BA (Hons) Production of Music and Audio will be working under the guidance of Dr Ann-Marie Hanlon and Dr Georgina Hughes.

Research findings will be made freely available to the public via the project’s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where the survey can now be accessed. It will remain live throughout July 2021.

Take the survey

 

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