New York DJ collective Discwoman doesn’t want you to be intimidated by a soundboard. This weekend, its three members, Frankie Hutchinson, Emma Burgess-Olson, and Christine Tran, will travel to Berlin to host a workshop at OHM Berlin teaching women and LBGTQ people how to DJ on Pioneer’s famed DJ deck, the CDJ 2000. The free event requires attendees to bring just one thing: a USB of their favorite music.
“We’ve done a number of workshops, panels, and educational events to not only open up space for folks who feel vulnerable when it comes to wanting to learn something that ‘traditionally’ hasn’t been meant for you,” Discwoman tells i-D, “Doing these kinds of workshops has been super effective and also indicative of greater challenges marginalized folks face and the importance of creating your own spaces. Because opportunities aren’t being handed out to those who need them most.”
The three-piece has spoken out in the past about how the DJ scene is a boys club, and it is known for purposefully hiring female booking agents, label managers, and promoters. The “techno feminism” movement is also spreading worldwide, with all-female workshops cropping up in cities from Toronto to London. As their movement moves forward, the future is becoming female.
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Text Annie Armstrong
Photo via @discwomannyc