Permission to Play: our recipe for community

Time and time again since YSWN started we’ve seen the amazing things that can result when women and people of minority genders have the chance to explore music technology on their own terms. Building confidence and skills, meeting people and making connections, taking risks and trying new things without fear: all are at the core of what we do.

Our Permission to Play project, which recently concluded its two-year programme, was designed to provide just these kinds of opportunities. With funding support from Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Arts Access and Participation Fund, we unlocked potential for women and people of minority genders across the North of England to grow their music technology skills and audio creativity through a range of activities and events.

As well as professional support for YSWN’s freelance Associates, a major part of Permission to Play took place in partnership with YSWN’s network of affiliated regional groups – the grassroots collectives formed to skill-share, socialise and build a sense of community. With Covid-19 restrictions still in place at the start of the project, this initially took the form of supporting online meetings and workshops, some of which continued once in-person events returned.

Alongside funding so that groups could plan and run their own workshops, we offered mentoring, networking and kit purchase – there’s always a need for more headphones – supporting more than 40 events to take place. Highlights included a live workshop from turntablist NikNak, building DIY radios, an all-levels synth jam, building an 8-channel installation inspired by the Yorkshire coast and contributing field recordings to one of the musical sheep in Kirklees Year of Music’s HERD extravaganza.

During the course of Permission to Play we helped strengthen existing collectives with roots in Calderdale, Huddersfield and Sheffield, and supported the founding of new groups in Bradford, Derbyshire, Wakefield and the North-East.

We learned a lot from the project about the ingredients needed to successfully support women and people of minority genders’ involvement with music technology, and as the project wraps up we’ve created extra resources to support YSWN-affiliated groups in the future with activities such as fundraising and organising workshops.

We’re also sharing some useful tips for those looking to start their own feminist sound collective in our mini-report Permission to Play: How feminist sound collectives can support women and people of minority genders’ participation in sound and music technology.

You can download it below, and if you’re interested in talking to us about starting a YSWN-affiliated group in your own area, do get in touch.

Download Permission to Play factsheet here [opens PDF]