The Activism of FairPlé: A Summary Report (2018-2020)

Written and edited by Dr Karan Casey & Dr Jessica Cawley 

Contents

Introduction to Summary Report

Aims & Objectives of FairPlé

History, Context and Evolution 

FairPlé Day: A Day of Action

Rising Tides: Two-Day Festival of Music & Ideas

Directory

Global Support Network

Additional Activism & Outputs 

Impact

Acknowledging the Network

This summary report provides a synopsis of FairPlé’s activities and initiatives from its establishment in early 2018 until December 2020.  It has been compiled and edited by Dr Karan Casey (chair) and Dr Jessica Cawley (secretary). As FairPlé’s main objectives have been fulfilled, we are currently onto our next phase of policy work. 

FairPlé is an inclusive, grass-roots organisation, founded to address gender balance in Irish traditional and folk music performance, production, and promotion. We advocate for equal opportunity and balanced representation for all. At the beginning of our journey FairPlé made a commitment to: 

1.     Initiate a discussion in relation to gender-balance, representation, and fair practice at work in all capacities. 

2.     Mentor others, advocate, and promote more equitable opportunities for women in the music industry and more broadly within the world of traditional music.

To achieve the above aims, FairPlé planned, worked together, and organised the following:

• FairPlé Day: A day of positive musical activism, promoting balance, inclusivity, and creativity to raise audience awareness and support our members.

• Rising Tides: A two-day event focusing on how to address the gender deficit in traditional and folk music.  

• A Directory was compiled of female musicians for festivals, promoters, venues, musicians, and educators.

• A global support network was created through our website and social media.

• Advocacy: FairPlé also provided consultations, provoked conversations, and shared knowledge with the Arts Council, third level academics, and other stakeholders. 

A Brief History of the FairPlé Movement

Beginning in 2017, strong, female voices within the traditional music community, like Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, Niamh Dunne, and Karan Casey started to question and explore why there were so few women performers headlining festival line-ups and concert billings. These women, along with other founding members of FairPlé, started a campaign to advocate for appropriate gender representation on stage, paving the way for the next generation of artists and performers. As FairPlé gained momentum, female performers started to speak out and share their stories with one another. As women and men joined the movement, a feeling of solidarity began to grow into a community of musicians and singers hoping to make traditional and folk music a more diverse, vibrant, and representative sphere. The early formation of FairPlé was dynamic, enriching and empowering to all involved. 

FairPlé developed into a coalition of people dedicated to changing the socio-cultural environment for women in the worlds of traditional and folk music. The voices and motivations of the group are varied, but members of the movement are bound together in their work in advocating for deep societal change. The organisation has worked to end sexual harassment, to improve working conditions, and address the gender imbalances so evident in concerts and festival line-ups. 

The FairPlé movement developed in a transnational context of countless women who have begun to question, reframe, and take control of how they are treated in the workplace, artistic sphere, and in wider society. From Waking The Feminists and Sounding the Feminists here in Ireland, to the #MeToo movement which began in the United States, FairPlé was inspired by numerous campaigns groups and individuals. Within the context of Irish traditional and folk music FairPlé acknowledges the contribution of female musicians and note that numerous strong women have spoken out over the years, including the group Macalla.

A Call  for Change - Onstage & Online

On stage in January 2018, Karan Casey found herself to be the sole woman among seventeen performers. She spoke out on that night about her experience as an artist in this milieu. In response, Síle Denvir and several other performers rallied around Karan and began discussing issues of gender. Following this, Karan voiced her experience on Facebook. The post was widely shared on social media and national radio; further fuelling discussion and debate around gender inequality. This moment in FairPlé’s history is quite representative of the live and online nature of the network; the impact of our organisation was delivered both through live events and through the global support network made possible online and via social media.

Public Meetings: Debate & Dialogue 

The first public meeting, held in Jury’s Inn, Dublin on 28th January 2018, officially launched the FairPlé movement. This was the meeting where the name FairPlé was first suggested. Issues such as funding and grant options, a mission statement, social media outlets, mental health and equality issues, partnering with other women’s groups and the gathering of statistics, research and data were also discussed.

From the very beginning, FairPlé invited participation from all members of the public, as we aimed to form an inclusive, grass-roots organization to reflect the true ethos of folk music; music by all, for all. For this reason, FairPlé hosted a series of public consultations, meetings, and discussions. Examples include:  

• 6th February 2018 University of Limerick: During this meeting, our strategic core group decided to apply for an Arts Council grant. Our proposal was ultimately successful, enabling us to organise Rising Tides; our two-day event in Liberty Hall. Pauline Scanlon, Úna Monaghan, Síle Denvir, Niamh Dunne, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Karan Casey led FairPlé’s core group. As well as the grant plan, other strategic objectives were voiced at this meeting, such as the directory, testimonies and website.

• 18th February 2018 in the Cobblestone (Dublin): During this meeting attended by 40 people, the group decided to channel the frustrations of many women into an active campaign. 

• 3rd May 2018 in the Cork Opera House: A Munster collective of FairPlé members met in the Cork Opera House in May. At the meeting, we discussed many issues from commercial to non-commercial musicians’ experiences and planned a range of events and sessions for FairPlé Day.

It was not only FairPlé supporters we aimed to speak to; we hoped to spread the word and start a discussion on this important (yet often unspoken about) topic. The overall response was overwhelmingly positive, supportive, and constructive. However, during the meetings and debates, some FairPlé advocates experienced various levels of push-back and criticism, both in-person and online.  In the early stages, we spent a lot of time explaining and defending to our sceptics why women needed and deserved equality. Perhaps this was part of the process to raise awareness; we first needed to communicate to the general public why it was an issue in the first place. 

Those who would like to learn more about gender imbalance within traditional and folk music can read Úna Ní Fhlannagáin’s statistical research (available at https://una.ie/stats-on-gender-in-trad/ )

The process ultimately paid off as the discourse and debate further clarified our mission. Indeed, interacting with people with opposing views highlighted the assumptions in society that our organisation aimed to address. Members of FairPlé have been unwavering in our assertion that everyone would benefit from a more just and equal society. As a volunteer organisation, advocates within the movement learned best approaches to activism ‘on the job’. We realised that changing societal perspectives takes a long time; it is a gradual process which needs to happen in various stages. Our work always set out to provoke social evolution, rather than incite an overnight revolution. 

FairPlé planned and hosted a series of inclusive events on the 9th June 2018 to highlight women’s involvement in all aspects of Irish traditional and folk music. This day of action – FairPlé Day – aimed to start community-led conversations, which were ultimately very successful in raising awareness of gender disparities within traditional and folk music. Twenty eight events took place worldwide from informal pub and kitchen sessions to formal events, including performances in the Mansion House in Dublin. From Ennis, Boston, New York, Belfast, Rostrevor, Vienna, and all around the world, the day was a resounding success which chimed out for the sisterhood and for change. 

Stories & Conversations

Conversations arising from FairPlé Day highlighted a plethora of issues related to gender inequality that needed to be understood and addressed. Gender imbalance onstage at traditional music concerts and festivals is quite an obvious problem, but it is also clear that there were many other concerns that needed public support and attention.

People began emailing stories. We reacted, responded, and shifted our focus from discussing gender balance and quotas to the more pressing and serious issue of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Such issues were always spoken about privately within FairPlé’s organisation, but the number of stories we received indicated that we truly needed to tackle this issue directly and without delay. This phase was extremely difficult for members of FairPlé. Sexual harassment is a stark and consistent reality for many female performers.

In addition to the noticeable bias on concert and festival stages, the brutal truth is that too many female musicians have to deal with demoralisation, demeaning attitudes, sexual innuendo, and/or sexual assault. This can happen anywhere, to anyone. It could be at the local pub where a player is socialising and playing for fun. Or it could be someone’s place of work or potential work.

Such dark, offensive behaviours needed to be brought into the light. No one person can change this, everyone needs to change it. Considering the serious implications of what we were hearing, FairPlé contacted and took advice from the Musicians’ Union of Ireland about how we might best support female performers in need.

Stories, narratives, and personal histories have power; they provide perspective on issues and can change people’s way of thinking. Stories shared during FairPlé Day helped to clarify the issues that really matter to women within the world of traditional music. For this, we deeply thank the participants for sharing their experiences.

FairPlé’s next large-scale event was our two-day festival of music and ideas, Rising Tides. Taking place in Liberty Hall in Dublin on 8th & 9th September 2018, Rising Tides was a culmination of seven months of work by advocates and volunteers within the FairPlé movement. The weekend was an opportunity to network, learn, connect, and consult with people within the traditional and folk music world in Ireland. Academics, students, professionals, amateur music-makers, and enthusiasts alike attended in great numbers for panel discussions and for the music itself. Created with thanks to Niamh Dunne and Seán Óg Graham, video highlights from each of the three panels are now available (see below). The event received 3 pages of coverage in Fonn magazine (pages 8-11). FairPlé also wishes to acknowledge and thank Niamh Parsons and Úna Ní Fhlannagáin for transcribing, editing and uploading the panel discussions.

 The festival started with an opening address by Karan Casey; transcript available here. It then continued with three panel discussions, and closed with an open floor discussion.

Panel 1: She Means Business - Making Music Work

Panellists: Eleanor McEvoy, Peter Cosgrove, Liz Doherty & Dermot McLaughlin. Chair: Lynette Fay.  

This panel discussion with industry professionals evaluated the role of women in the business of Irish traditional and folk music. We discussed how musicians and performers negotiate the politics and practicalities of creativity, touring, recording and earning money through art. Through the lived experiences of the panellists, we explored questions surrounding women in Irish music and the conditions that lend themselves to a largely male dominated industry. See video highlights here, and for a transcript of the discussion, click here.

Panel 2: Playing with Power - Sexual Harassment & Workplace Policy

Panellists: Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, Paul Henry & Pauline Scanlon. Chair: Úna Monaghan

This panel discussion addressed the issue of sexual harassment in the arts and Irish music and focused on the self-employed status of musicians. Our participants explored the rights and responsibilities of employers, promoters, agents, sound engineers, teachers, producers and performers of all genders. See video highlights here, and for a transcript of the discussion, click here.

Panel 3: Emerging Artists: Shaping The Future & Open Floor Discussion

Panellists: Shane Gillen, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Ciara O’Leary Fitzpatrick, Tóla Custy & Nuala O’Connor & Eamon Murray. Facilitator: Joanne Cusack. 

A cursory look at participation in Irish music suggests that equal numbers of boys and girls learn music as children, yet at the level of professional performance, the public face is overwhelmingly male. Our panel of experts teased out this issue and offered early career advice to all participating musicians. See video highlights here, and for a transcript of the discussion, click here.

The Rising Tides concert featured leading folk and traditional artists and celebrated the creative contribution of women in Irish music. Taking place the night of Sunday 9th September, artists included The Friel Sisters: Sheila, Clare, Anna Friel, Marty Barry, Cathal Ó Curráin; Niamh Parsons, Graham Dunne, Emma Langford, Úna Monaghan, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Dunne, Karan Casey and John Spillane, Atlas: Cillian King, Cillian Doheny, Lucia MacPartlin, Maria Ryan, Seán Warren; Síle Denvir, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Barry Kerr, Donal Lunny, Seán McKeon, Amy Campbell, and Jane Walls.

FairPlé’s work highlights how artistic programming in Ireland tends to be unconsciously biased against women performers – a situation not dissimilar to several other countries and cultures around the world. Since the organisation’s formation, our underpinning philosophy has been grounded in the belief that we need to work together with people in the community to articulate our point of view and bring people along with us to enact any real change. For this reason, we have reached out to festival and concert promoters to advocate more balanced line-ups and programmes. FairPlé also created a directory of women artists to make it easier for people within the music industry to find and contact women performers. At the time of writing, there are currently over 150 women represented on the Directory, hosted on fairple.com. 

Spearheaded by Pauline Scanlon and Eamon Murray, FairPlé created and managed a global support network through our website and social media. This work has been invaluable to the movement, particularly activists within FairPlé USA. Ciara O’Leary Fitzpatrick also deserves recognition for her work in sustaining and maintaining this online presence. Sites include: 

o   www.fairple.com

o   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FairPleMusic/

o   Twitter: https://twitter.com/FairPle

o   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfvRsSSTOYlkd9N2zUHHjng

o   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairple_music/

In addition to the larger events above, FairPlé members participated in many other festivals, concerts, research symposia, and events in the community to advocate for gender equality within traditional and folk music. Our organisation has also worked closely with the Arts Council to bring about change. This section briefly highlights and documents the variety of outputs to which our members have contributed in the past two years.

Work with the Arts Council

In addition to delivering our events FairPlé Day and Rising Tides, FairPlé attended a series of meetings and worked closely with the Arts Council to establish a code of practice based on dignity and respect for female artists. A copy of the Art Council’s Equality, Human Rights & Diversity Policy & Strategy is available at: http://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/EHRD%20Policy%20English%20version%20Final.pdf

Meeting with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin. 

On the 24th September 2020, FairPlé members Pauline Scanlon, Kate Barry, Joanne Cusack, Karan Casey, and Niamh Dunne attended a meeting with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin. Issues discussed included ways in which to address/ tackle sexual assault and gender imbalance in the Irish traditional and folk music scene.

Presentations, Talks & Meetings

Many members of FairPlé raised public awareness through various presentations and talks at symposia, festivals, and meetings including: 

• 21st March 2018, Trinity College Dublin for the Trinity Traditional Music Club: Talk by Karan Casey and Tara Finn.

• 8th March 2018, University of Limerick for International Women’s Day: Talk by Karan Casey.

• 8th March 2018, University College Cork for International Women’s Day: Talk by Jessie Cawley

• 23rd August 2018, Masters of Tradition: Talk and performance by Pauline Scanlon and Karan Casey. 

• October 2018, O'Flaherty's Irish Music Retreat, Texas: Talk by Niamh Ní Charra, entitled “100 years of women in Irish Music, culminating in the work of the Fair Plé movement.”

• 9th February 2019, Research Symposium at NUI Galway (see below)

• 8th March 2019, Mary Immaculate College for International Women’s Day: Talk and performance by Niamh Dunne.

• 16th July 2019, Warwick Folk Festival: Talk by Niamh Dunne and Karan Casey.

• 8th  March 2020, University College Cork for International Women’s Day: Talk by Ciara O’Leary Fitzpatrick.

• 24th September 2020, FairPlé members Pauline Scanlon, Kate Barry, Joanne Cusack, Karan Casey, and Niamh Dunne attend meeting with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin (see above)

• 12th December 2020, Trad Ireland/ Traid Éireann, TradTalk 2020: Talk by co-founders of FairPlé; Kate Barry, Karan Casey, Joanne Cusack, Pauline Scanlon, and MiseFosta advocates; Andrew Jackson, Anna Ní Nualláin (see below)

As part of Cork Midsummer Festival, FairPlé hosted a concert in association with Live at St. Luke’s on 16th June 2018. The concert featured Mary Mitchell-Ingoldsby, Rosaleen O’Leary, Máire Ní Ghráda, Caoimhín Vallely, Robbie Overson, Stephanie Rainey, Karan Casey, Niall Vallely, Pauline Scanlon, The Whileaways, Kate Ellis, Anna Mieke and Julie Goo.

On 27th October 2018, FairPlé hosted a concert in the National Concert Hall entitled ‘Freedom Doesn’t Fall from the Sky’. Performances were provided by a diverse group of women and allies, including Eleanor McEvoy, Pauline Scanlon, Sean Óg Graham, Liz Carroll, Niamh Dunne, Eamon Murray, Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Marry Waterson, Reem Kelani, Karan Casey, Niamh Ní Charra, Kevin Corbett, Niall Vallely, Kate Ellis, Louise and Michelle Mulcahy, Connor McCreanor, the Cloughanover Community Choir led by Nicola Joyce, Kate Barry, Síle Denvir and Niamh Parsons.

On 23rd November, FairPlé participated in the Sounding the Feminists Symposium to share our knowledge, research and experience. The one-day symposium was organised and hosted by the Department of Creative Arts, Media & Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology, in association with Sounding the Feminists and the Centre for Creative Arts Research. Representing FairPlé, Niamh Ní Charra spoke on a panel, and Joanne Cusack presented a paper entitled, “A consideration of post-feminism in Irish traditional music with particular focus on the all-female band, The Bridies.”

On the 9th of February 2019, FairPlé co-hosted a research symposium entitled “Women and Traditional | Folk Music”. The event was organised by the music research network Comhrá Ceoil, at the Centre for Irish Studies, NUIG, in partnership with (and in response to) FairPlé. An opportunity was provided to explore, challenge and react to the experiences of women in traditional and folk music. The symposium hosted an international field of presenters, including academics, musicians and singers, researchers and those involved with the archiving of traditional and folk music.

Twenty-two papers were presented, many of which are due to be published in a special issue of Ethnomusicology Ireland 2021, entitled ‘Women and Traditional | Folk Music’. Among the diverse topics presented were some in-depth statistical analyses of the position of women in Irish traditional music. An audio installation was presented by Úna Monaghan, featuring voice recordings of a collection of 121 anonymous testimonies on gender and Irish traditional music. Dr Tes Slominski from Beloit College (Wisconsin, USA) gave the keynote address entitled ‘ “Shut Up and Play”: Aesthetics and the Silencing of Social Critique in Irish Traditional Music.’ For more information see Joanne Cusack’s Review in the 2019/2020 edition of Spéis (https://www.ictm.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SPEIS-2020-DIGITAL-version.pdf).

On 8 March 2019, members of FairPlé performed for President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin marking International Women’s Day. Noriana Kennedy, Ciara O'Leary Fitzpatrick, Joanne Cusack, Aoife Blake, and Lisa O'Sullivan (pictured below), represented our organisation so well.

On the 7th and 8th of June, FairPlé hosted a series of events including panel discussions and workshops as part of the 2019 Women’s Work Festival in Belfast. This was funded by Help Musicians N.I. through the Women in Music Fund. Kate Barry and Jane Cassidy organised the FairPlé events in this collaboration, which included a workshop on career development with Inni-K (Eithne Ní Chatháin) and a workshop on live sound engineering for traditional music led by Úna Monaghan. The first set of events came in under budget and Help Musicians N.I. confirmed that the underspend could be used to run a further workshop with Úna Monaghan, which went ahead in February 2020. 

As part of the Voices of Culture event at Goethe-Institut Prague, Imogen Gunner represented FairPlé at the Brainstorming Session. Focusing on gender equality and gender balance in the cultural and creative sectors, Voices of Culture took place from the 4-5 September 2019. For more information, see the Voices of Culture report at (https://voicesofculture.eu/2020/02/25/brainstorming-report-gender-balance-in-the-cultural-and-creative-sectors/).

Trad Ireland/ Traid Éireann, TradTalk 2020

TradTalk is an annual initiative from Trad Ireland / Traid Éireann, funded by The Arts Council Project Award 2021. Part Three / Cuid a trí was curated by FairPlé co-founders: Karan Casey, Kate Barry, Joanne Cusack, Pauline Scanlon; and Andrew Jackson, Anna Ní Nualláin from Mise Fosta. The panel discussed enabling factors that contribute to sexual harassment within the Irish traditional music scene, and ways in which we can actively create a safe, inclusive & respectful environment for all, including the establishment of the new anti-harassment policy which can be implemented across the arts.

Other Work & Outputs by FairPlé members

Written for and performed by Pauline Scanlon and Úna Monaghan 

Song lyrics from the poem ‘Weather Vane’ by Maureen Boyle

In late 2017, Úna Monaghan composed a piece called “What Haven’t We Heard?” about gender balance in Irish traditional music. It was first performed at IMBOLC Festival on 31 January 2018 and was also performed at Rising Tides. For more information about the piece see Úna Monaghan’s website,  http://www.unamonaghan.com/?p=445, You can see a video of the first performance here:  https://youtu.be/6Swf8NzRvRw .

In 2018 Úna Monaghan launched a research project that aimed to increase understanding of the behaviours and contexts that contribute to gender inequality in Irish traditional music, through the thematic analysis of participants’ experiences. She made an online call for anonymous testimonies, asking for “a true story that relates to gender in Irish traditional music”. Using an online questionnaire, people were invited to share their narratives in a safe environment. The FairPlé network helped to promote the project, and we send our gratitude to Úna and to all the participants. People make sense of the world through sharing, listening, and understanding stories. Úna’s work and research has helped our organisation understand the important issues of gender inequality in a more nuanced and holistic way. Úna’s invitation for stories can be viewed at https://youtu.be/WmfQ2_BZpVM .

The 121 testimonies cover a wide range of themes and topics. Voice recordings of these written accounts were made by volunteers, and the collection now exists as both an audio archive and in text. The work was funded by Newnham College, University of Cambridge. We are grateful to the volunteers who lent their voices to this project, and we are aiming to make it available to all via the Irish Traditional Music Archive. A publication is forthcoming on the initial analysis of the collection. 

FairPlé Archive

From the very beginning of the movement to the present we were conscious of the need to preserve and collect material relevant to the FairPlé movement which might aid future research and cultural understanding. Our members and followers were encouraged to share and make their own work accessible. Niamh Ní Charra, a founding member of FairPlé and an archivist, has graciously agreed to gather and catalogue all relevant material. This will be donated to the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA).

In addition to achieving the aims and objectives set out at the beginning of our journey (see above), the FairPlé movement has: 

• Enabled women to share their stories and voice their concerns, sometimes for the first time. This in itself helps people feel that their traumas, setbacks and hurt have been heard and acknowledged. It is only after this process that people can begin to heal.

• Contributed to critical discourse on feminism in traditional and folk music, within academia and in Irish society.

• Advocated for women in leadership positions within the arts and music industry.

• Collaborated with the Arts Council to make traditional music a more inclusive artform.

We have observed that concert and festival organisers are notably more conscious about the gender balance of their billings. Many festivals embraced the call to change and actively used the FairPlé logo in a display of solidarity. This collective consciousness has resulted in a positive cultural shift. FairPlé acknowledges the support and work that many concert and festival organisers have done in relation to the issue of gender representation on stage. 

We chose our name carefully; the word plé (Irish for ‘discussion’) was conscious and purposeful. We aimed to start conversations with enthusiasts, teachers, academics, singers, dancers, musicians, industry people, sound engineers, roadies, agents, advertisers, and people working in the media. We hoped to engage with the whole, diverse, wonderful gamut of traditional and folk music in Ireland – our sceptics and our followers alike. The diversity of views helped us to solidify our convictions, aims, mission, and our strategic planning. We quickly learned that in order to affect real change, we needed to work creatively and bring people on board with us. 

The American civil rights activist, Marian Wright Edelman once said, ‘You cannot be what you cannot see’. FairPlé’s journey began with the dream that all people should be able to see themselves up on the stage, in the session circle, in the set. We want equality to be second nature, so embedded within our children that it is subconscious. Our new, inclusive Ireland is made up of women, men, non-binary, transgender, gay, straight, able and disabled, and a vibrant, diverse group of migrants and newcomers. Traditional and folk music has always been the music of the people. This music belongs to all the people of Ireland and the rest of the world. 

The world of Irish traditional and folk music is full of extraordinarily talented women, vibrant and brimming with creativity. Many are highly trained, pushing hard at the glass ceiling. Others may have developed their musicality informally, perhaps playing tunes in their kitchen with as much expression as the best of them. Women deserve equal opportunities, a premise which has guided our every decision and action these past two years. We are proud of the voices that FairPlé have amplified, and the conversations that we have instigated. 

While FairPlé has concluded our strategic planning and organised activism, the ethos and values we created together will continue long into the future as our members continue their musical, artistic, and social justice work.

All the above work would not have been possible without the numerous FairPlé members and grassroots supporters. And so, it is only appropriate to conclude with our deepest thanks to them: 

Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Dunne, Síle Denvir, Úna Monaghan, Kate Barry, Ciara O’Leary Fitzpatrick, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Joanne Cusack, Niamh Parsons, Úna Ní Fhlannagáin, Aibhlín McCrann, Niamh Ní Charra, Mairéad O’Donnell, Tara Finn, Imogen Gunner, Méabh McCann, Jessie Cawley, Stu Fletcher, Jane Cassidy, Maurice Leyden, Mikie Smyth, Éamon Murray, Niall Vallely, Seán Óg Graham, Barry Kerr, Kieran Munnelly, Nic Gareiss, Tola Custy, Beoga, Kevin Noone, Emma Harney, Ellie Byrne, The Cobblestone, Pauline and Tom Mulligan.

We are deeply indebted to the Arts Council for their strong support and display of leadership in the arts; particularly Paul Flynn, Catherine Boothman and everyone involved with Traditional Arts. FairPlé acknowledges and gives thanks to several other institutions for helping the cause, including:  

• Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins for their continued support of FairPlé, and the wonderful functions in Áras an Uachtaráin.

• The Musicians’ Union of Ireland for their moral support and use of Liberty Hall. Special thanks to Ethel Buckley, Frank Connolly, and Karan O’Loughlin. 

• The National Concert Hall for hosting Freedom Doesn’t Fall from the Sky. Our special thanks to Gary Sheehan and Olga Barry for programming the event, Mickey Quinn and Sinéad Doyle for their help with marketing.

• The Irish Traditional Music Archive for their support and for documenting Rising Tides and agreeing to accept our collection into the archive. Special thanks to Grace Toland.

• Former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mícheál Mac Donncha, for his help in organising FairPlé Day at the Mansion House in Dublin.  

FairPlé is so grateful to all the musicians and crew who supported our events: a special thanks goes to all who organised or supported an event on FairPlé Day.

FairPlé thanks Niamh Dunne and Pauline Scanlon for all their hard work as the main organisers of the Rising Tides Festival. Alan Doherty (filming), Blanche Ellis (artwork), Niamh Parsons (transcription of the panel discussions), Úna Ní Fhlannagáin (editing transcriptions), Niamh Dunne and Seán Óg Graham (video and audio editing of the panel discussions), and to the ITMA for documenting the event.

In terms of administrative and organisational support, FairPlé wishes to acknowledge and thank:  

• Niamh Ní Charra, Úna Ní Fhlannagáin, Stu Fletcher, and Rusty Weise for their work on our Directory of women performers.

• Jessie Cawley and Karan Casey for their work on this report.

• Deirdre Mulligan and Kate Barry for helping to prepare our submissions to the Arts Council. 

• Aibhlín McCrann for her work as a communications and strategic advisor.

• Kate Barry for her work on the constitution, company papers, governance, and submission to the Arts Council. Karan Casey, Jessie Cawley and Jane Cassidy for their work with the banking administration.

• Úna Ní Fhlannagáin for updating www.FairPlé.com in July 2020.

• Joanne Cusack and Deirdre Mulligan for writing our ‘How to Deal with Sexual Harassment’document: guidelines on what to do if you are sexually harassed at a festival or session, and information on support and advice services.

• Deirdre Mulligan, Kate Barry and Joanne Cusack for creating our Anti-Harassment Policy, published in December 2020.

In supporting our Global Support Network and for raising public awareness, FairPlé is very grateful to various organisations and people working in the media, including Peter Browne RTÉ, Ruth Smith RTÉ, TG4, Helen Ní Shé agus Sinéad Ní Uallacháin RTÉ RnaG, RTÉ with Ray Darcy, Six One News, Mary Wilson’s Drivetime, NewsTalk with Pat Kenny, Dundalk radio, Cork 96FM, Boston’s WGBH with Brian O’Donovan, Clare FM, Lynette Fay BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Alba, The Irish Examiner, Siobhán Long of The Irish Times, Dan Neely of The Irish Echo, The Irish Times Women’s Podcast, and Paul Keating of The Irish Voice. 

FairPlé acknowledges the huge amount of work and effort by Síle Denvir, Méabh Ní Fhuartháin, Verena Commins, Úna Monaghan and the Department of Irish Studies in NUIG who provided a venue and sourced funding for the Research Symposium at NUI Galway. 

To conclude, FairPlé would like to thank and acknowledge the entire network of strong women and men who dedicated themselves to the cause. We are grateful to the men who engaged in the conversation; so many of them were brave enough to examine their own perspectives, support our call for a more equal society, and actively volunteer their time and effort to the FairPlé movement. Working together has been an honour. We would like to end by dedicating the movement, and this report, to all the strong women playing, singing, dancing, and finding their own voices through traditional and folk music. Being a part of this musical and social collective has inspired and motivated our organisation in all our endeavours.

Click here to download a print version of this report.