Do you know about the Bechdel test? Let me bring you up to speed then. The Bechdel test asks whether a movie, or any work of fiction really, features at least two women talking to each other about something other than a man. Surprisingly, just about half of all films pass the Bechdel test, according to wikipedia, user-edited databases and the industry press. The test serves as an indicator for the active presence of women in films and other fiction calling attention to gender inequality.
So, how about the music business then. Enter, We Make Waves. A three day music festival and conference in Berlin next week November 9–11 for women, trans, and non-binary people determined to bring disruption to the music industry, and possibly beyond. The conference program shows a whole range of TED-like panels and talks, from ‘Parenthood and Music’ and ‘Gender in Journalism’ to ‘Feminist perspectives on music criticism’.
On the musical ticket then are household names like Julianna Barwick, JD Samson, The Chicks, Meredith Graves, Vaginal Davis and many more. Attached below is a very personal and still uplifting poppy track by Oakland’s Ah-Mer-Ah-Su entitled Klonopin, fully carried by the lush melody and her smooth vocals. The piece is off her self-released EP Rebecca that came out earlier this year. She plays ACUD on Friday.
We Make Waves finds its shoreline on and around East Invalidenstraße, at St. Elisabeth church, Elisabeth villa and ACUD. Day tickets run at a reasonable 20 euro face value with the 3-day festival and conference bundle competitively priced at 40 euros. Team Poule says, surely a lot of bang for your buck.
