Mission Statement

This statement details our current phase of policy work from January 2021 onwards, and our previous phase of policy work from January 2018 - December 2020.

FairPlé aims to achieve gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. We advocate for equal opportunity and balanced representation for all.

For the current phase of policy work, our aims are as follows:

• Continued political lobbying in order to create real lasting change within the music scene and across the arts in general.

• Advocate for increased inclusivity for all, especially marginalised groups. 

• Continuing a discussion in relation to gender-balance and fair practice at work in all capacities. 

We seek to do this through:

• Engaging with key political stakeholders, creating a cross party initiative and propose the establishment of an independent body with the power to adjudicate and investigate complaints about discrimination, harassment and abuse within the arts sector.

• Lobbying for counselling and support services for survivors of sexual harassment and/or other traumatic events.

• Providing information and signposting for survivors of sexual harassment/ sexism/ gender objectification/ oppression and/or traumatic events. 

• Supporting and advocating for more research and funding. 

• Creating a campaign for Pride month to promote inclusivity within the scene.

• Organising a one-day event with representatives from key organizations and stakeholders within the tradition to discuss and create solutions to tackle issues of gender imbalance, sexual harassment and create an inclusive scene for all.

• Organising a Rising Tides no3 to celebrate achievements to date and advocate for an inclusive scene for all.

You can read a more detailed report of our ongoing work here.

Although we advocate for women, we are an inclusive organisation seeking equality for all genders, allowing for non-binary and non-essentialist understandings of gender.

FairPlé invites participation from ALL. We are an inclusive, grass-roots organization founded in recognition of the true ethos of folk music: music by all, for all. 

Founded in 2018, FairPlé was established to achieve gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. We advocate for equal opportunity and balanced representation for all.  

We sought to do this through: 

• Initiating a discussion in relation to gender-balance and fair practice at work in all capacities. 

• Advocacy, mentoring programmes, and promoting more equal opportunity for women in the industry. 

To date, we have: 

• Organised a two-day event focused on addressing the gender deficit in traditional and folk music. This featured a gender-balanced concert, panel discussions with music industry professionals, academics and musicians with a focused section for 18-25 year old women and men.  

• Held a day of positive musical activism, promoting balance, inclusivity and creativity to raise audience awareness and support our members. 

• Created a global support network through our website and social media. 

• Compiled a directory of women performers for festivals, promoters, venues, musicians and educators. 

• Connected with the Arts Council, third level academic commentators and other stakeholders to develop an evidence-based approach to the collection of gender-equality data in the folk and traditional music sectors. 

You can read a report on our previous phase of policy work here.