The Activism of FairPlé: A Rolling Report (2021-)
Introduction to Rolling Report
This rolling report provides a synopsis of FairPlé’s activities and initiatives across the island of Ireland from January 2021, and will be updated on a rolling basis. It has been compiled and edited by Joanne Cusack, Kate Barry, and Niamh Ní Charra. As FairPlé’s main objectives have been fulfilled, we are currently onto our next phase of policy work which will be detailed in this report.
Aims & Objectives
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 next 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.
Political Lobbying
Meetings
09/03/2021 - Linda Coogan Byrne of WhyNotHer?, and Dr Karan Casey of FairPlé meet with members of the Labour Party. Topics discussed include issues pertaining to gender equality and the arts, and proactive ways in which to tackle sexual harassment within the arts
31/03/2021- Activists of FairPlé, Dr Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Ní Charra, Kate Barry, and Joanne Cusack meet with Senator Fintan Warfield and members of Sinn Féin Ireland. Topics discussed include issues pertaining to gender equality and the arts, and proactive ways in which to tackle sexual harassment within the arts.
Caption: Activists of FairPlé meet with Senator Fintan Warfield and members of Sinn Féin Ireland.
29/04/2021 - Activists of FairPlé, Dr Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Ní Charra, Joanne Cusack, and Kate Barry alongside Anna Ní Nualláin (#MiseFosta/ FairPlé) and Linda Coogan Byrne of WhyNotHer? meet with Lynn Boylan and Séamus Mac Floinn from Sinn Féin Ireland to discuss radio airplay, gender imbalance and sexual harassment across the arts.
06/05/2021 - Activists of FairPlé, Dr Karan Casey, Joanne Cusack, Niamh Ní Charra, Pauline Scanlon alongside Anna Ní Nualláin and Deirbhle Sheppard (#MiseFosta/ FairPlé) meet with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin. Issues discussed include proactive steps to tackle issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Irish traditional/ folk music scene, and issues faced by the arts in general.
02/07/2021 - Activists of FairPlé, Dr Karan Casey, Kate Barry, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Ní Charra, Niamh Parsons, and Anna Ní Nualláin (#MiseFosta/ FairPlé), meet with Richard Boyd Barrett from People Before Profit to discuss proactive ways in which to tackle sexual harassment and inequality within the arts.
18/06/2021 - Activists of FairPlé, Joanne Cusack, Ríoghnach Connolly, Kate Barry, Dr Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Niamh Ní Charra, Niamh Dunne, Anna Ní Nualláin (#MiseFosta/ FairPlé) alongside Dr Úna Monaghan meet with Mary Nash and Kathleen Hannigan from Arts, Film and Investment Unit, and Department of Justice official, Deaglán O Briain. Issues discussed include proactive ways to tackle issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Irish traditional/ folk music scene, and the arts in general.
17/11/2021 - FairPlé and MiseFosta were invited before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, to discuss “A Safe and Respectful Working Environment for the Arts” (see below for more info.).
16/02/2022 - Safe Arts of Ireland (SAOI) alongside Irish Theatre Institute and Arts Council Ireland spoke before the Houses of the Oireachtas at a meeting titled, ‘Safe & Respectful Working Environment in Arts’ (see below for more info.).
11/03/2022 - Activists of FairPlé meet with Deputy General Secretary of SIPTU Ethel Buckley, and members of SIPTU Michelle Quinn, Frank Connolly, Andrea Holmes, and Rachel Ryan to discuss proactive measures to tackle issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Irish traditional/ folk music scene, and the arts in general.
23/03/2022 - Umbrella group "Safe Arts of Ireland", of which FairPlé is a member, meet with Minister Catherine Martin to discuss upcoming announcements and implementation of resources for the dignity and safety of all arts workers.
22/05/2023 - FairPlé activists meet with Safe to Create and are consultants for Safe to Create’s “Report + Support” initiative.
24/04/2024 - FairPlé activists meet with Safe to Create to discuss progress over the past year and current issues in the scene.
Oireachtas Joint Committee Invitation and Report, and Safe to Create
FairPlé and Mise Fosta invited before Oireachtas Joint Committee || 17 November 2021
On 17th November 2021, FairPlé and MiseFosta were invited before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, to discuss “A Safe and Respectful Working Environment for the Arts”. Representatives on the day included co-founders of FairPlé Dr Karan Casey, Joanne Cusack, and Niamh Ní Charra, alongside Anna Ní Nualláin and Andrew Jackson of MiseFosta.
Opening Statement:
To view our “opening statement”, click here. (given by FairPlé co-founder Dr Karan Casey).
FairPlé’s recommendations for a “Safe and Respectful Working Environment”– Briefing Document:
In advance of the meeting, FairPlé also submitted a briefing document to the Oireachtas Joint Committee, which outlines in detail all of FairPlé’s recommendations for a “safe and respectful working environment”, including:
the establishment of a statutory independent body with investigative powers which can receive and deal with disclosures;
the placement of conditions on all public arts funding for individuals, organisations, venues and festivals;
a reform or review of existing equality legislation for freelance arts workers;
a drastic increase of funding overall to ensure solutions and reform are long-term and sustainable.
This briefing document was created by FairPlé co-founder Kate Barry. To view our “briefing document”, click here.
Transcript of Proceedings:
To view the official government transcript of meeting proceedings, click here.
Caption: Anna Ní Nualláin, Niamh Ní Charra, Dr Karan Casey, Joanne Cusack outside Dáil Éireann (17/11/2021). Second Image: FairPlé social media post (15/11/21).
Safe Arts of Ireland invited before Oireachtas Joint Committee || 16 Feb 2022
Safe Arts of Ireland (SAOI) is an umbrella group of activists representing artists and arts workers across multiple sectors of the Irish arts including poetry, fiction, publishing, comedy, theatre, music and others. Member organisations include Wake Up Irish Poetry, FairPlé, Comedy Safety Standards, Trans Writers Union, Reawaken The Feminists, and members of the Mise Fosta campaign.
On Wednesday 16th February at 1.30pm, Safe Arts of Ireland (SAOI) alongside Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) and Arts Council Ireland spoke before the Houses of the Oireachtas at a meeting titled, ‘Safe & Respectful Working Environment in Arts’.
The recommendations put forward at the meeting mirrored those presented by FairPlé at the Oireachtas Joint Committee in November 2021 (see above).
Oireachtas Report on "A Safe and Respectful Working Environment in the Arts” (21 September 2022) and Launch of “Safe to Create” (5 October 2022)
On 21 September 2022, the Oireachtas Joint Committee launched a report on "A Safe and Respectful Working Environment in the Arts". The report contained information on key recommendations for a safe and respectful working environment in the arts, stakeholder contributions, a list of public oral hearings and written submissions, and orders of reference of the committee.
On 5 October 2022, Minister Catherine Martin announced the launch of "Safe to Create". Safe to Create is a collaborative programme of supports for artists and arts workers looking to transform workplace culture and practices, and to provide safe and respectful working conditions for those working in the arts and creative sectors. It is managed by Irish Theatre Institute, in partnership with the Arts Council, Screen Ireland and Minding Creative Minds, on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
The planned supports include:
A resource-rich website featuring practical information, guidance, toolkits and templates for artists, arts workers and organisations regarding ‘Dignity at Work’ rights and responsibilities. Safe To Create wants artists and arts workers to know their rights, to have information regarding dignity at work, and to know what services and supports exist when things go wrong.
A Wellbeing and Support Service for victims of harmful behaviours, including one-on-one counselling, access to legal advice and a 24-hour trauma helpline.
A training programme developed specifically for the arts and creative sectors on Dignity at Work issues, including on the topics of tackling bullying and harassment, bystander training, intimacy coordination and more.
A Code of Behaviour that organisations are asked to adopt, developed to enable arts and creative organisations to create workplaces free from bullying, harassment and intimidation of any kind. The Code will be accessible on the ‘Safe to Create’ website, along with a register that organisations and individuals can formally sign.
Workshops to provide information for individuals and support for organisations to utilise and implement the ‘Safe to Create’ supports and Code of Behaviour;
A ‘Report to Support’ anonymous reporting system, designed to provide a facility for those working in the arts and creative sectors to report incidents of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment without the need to identify themselves or disclose sensitive and personal details. Information collected via the “Report to Support” pilot will be aggregated twice annually and will be used to inform the development and delivery of additional Dignity at Work supports. The Safe to Create website will have information on steps individuals can take to make a formal or informal complaint on individual experiences.
A research programme of further study.
FairPlé welcomes the announcement of the creation of "Safe to Create". This is an important advancement for people in the arts. We also welcome the Oireachtas Report on "A Safe and Respectful Working Environment in the Arts" and are hopeful that this report will be the start of real, legislative change to create a safe and fair arts scene for all.
We are so proud of our contribution to these and what we have achieved this year and previously to bring attention to the problems within our sector. are hopeful that this report will be the start of real, legislative change to create a safe and fair arts scene for all.
In particular, we welcome an acknowledgment of the issues we brought forward both to the Oireachtas committee and in separate meetings with Minister Martin, and with the Arts Council, such as gender disparity in pay, gender imbalance at gigs, sexual and verbal harassment and assault. We would like to once again thank and acknowledge all of the courageous women who came forward and reiterate that YOU made a difference. To people who have experienced harmful behaviour in the arts, we see you, we hear you, we believe you.
We thank Catherine Martin and the Department for listening. We look forward to seeing the full implementation of the Safe to Create tools and initiatives and call on our political leaders to commit to sustaining and funding these resources. We encourage stakeholders, organisations, and practitioners to disseminate and utilise the valuable resources available on the Safe to Create website to ensure a safe and equal scene for all. This is only the start of the changes needed to make the arts safe and inclusive.
Research/ Talks
28/05/2021 - FairPlé activist Dr Jessica Cawley discusses Tes Slominki’s Trad Nation (2020), FairPlé, and how to make Irish traditional music more inclusive at the SMI/ICTM plenary conference.
18/06/2021 - Dr. Tes Slominski discusses her new book "Trad Nation: Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Irish Traditional Music", followed by a panel discussion with LGBTQ musicians & dancers from across the US Irish traditional community.
19/06/2021 - Anna Ní Nualláin, #MiseFosta and FairPlé activist speaks at “CANCEL CULTURE - Addressing the Elephant in the Room” panel discussion as part of the “Staying Safe in Sound Series” organised by Safe In Sound NI.
26/06/2021 - Kate Barry, FairPlé cofounder, alongside activists from sister organisations KeyChange and Safe in Sound NI, speaks at “Staying Safe in Sound Series”. They discuss how to make our music sector safer, more productive and enjoyable for everyone working in it.
26/01/2022 - FairPlé co-founder Niamh Ní Charra speaks at “The Futures of Irish Music”, Temple Bar Trad Fest seminar on how Irish music can centre equality, diversity and inclusion moving forward as both an artform and as an industry.
01/02/2022 - Talk by FairPlé co-founder Niamh Ní Charra, “100 years of Women in Irish Traditional Music”, as part of Dublin City Council’s Brigit2022 Festival.
21/04/2022 - Talk by FairPlé cofounder Niamh Ní Charra, “100 Years of Women in Irish Traditional Music”, at the Notes & Narratives series organised by Na Píobairí Uilleann.
24/01/2023 - FairPlé cofounder Dr Karan Casey talks at “Talking Trad - Beyond the Male!” as part of TradFest Temple Bar 2023.
10/01/2024 - Talk by FairPlé co-founder Dr Joanne Cusack, “Women and Irish traditional music: Contemplating the relationship between research and activist work” at the MuWi Aktuell seminar series, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria.
21/03/2024 - As part of the Arts in Action series, Lecturer in Music Ann-Marie Hanlon will speak to Pauline Scanlon and Laura O'Connell (Lolz), founding members of FairPlé and the Gash Collective.
29/05/2024 - Talk by FairPlé co-founder Dr Joanne Cusack, “Activism, Research & Musicianship: Women and Irish Traditional Music”, Institut für Musikforschung, The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany.
28/05/2024 - Talk by FairPlé co-founder Dr Joanne Cusack, “Understanding the Experiences of Women in Irish Traditional Music”, Institut für Musikforschung, The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany.
FairPlé Festival Line-Up Challenge
Beginning with a statement released on International Women’s Day 2022 (08/03/2022), FairPlé made a direct call out to all promoters, festival organisers and event programmers to make substantive gender balance a priority. To raise awareness and encourage festivals, FairPlé announced that they would be collating data on as many festivals within the traditional and folk music scene on the island of Ireland.
From 3 May 2022 - 5 May 2022, FairPlé released the first set of data results- “We have reviewed the line-ups of 16 folk and traditional festival events taking place in the first half of 2022. The gender breakdown of total performers for each festival is given, along with the breakdown for headline acts where known. On average, women make up only 24.9% of the performers”.
In July 2023, FairPlé released part two of the Festival Line-Up Challenge. This follow-on report looks at 40 folk and traditional festival events which took place from June-December of 2022. On average, women make up 36.2% of the performers and 27.6% of headline acts. From the information available, we did not identify any non-binary performers.
To view the full reports containing stats on each festival and information on what funders, organisers, sponsors, and audiences can do to help create a more equal, diverse performance space, click here.
Survey Distribution
We support new research in the field and regularly distribute surveys via our social media platforms and/or contacts. Research surveys distributed include:
Speak Up ACTiON Survey - Irish Theatre Institute
Safety and Inclusivity of Music Venues and Arts Spaces - Molly Sterling
Gendered Experiences of the Irish Music Industry - IMI Gender Research
The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Career of Music Artists - Isabel Thomas
The experiences of music industry practitioners, parenthood, and those who care for a parent or parental figure - Dr Joanne Cusack.
"Speak Up ACTiON" Survey and "Speak Up: A Call For Change Report" - Irish Theatre Institute
FairPlé advocates consulted on the ‘Speak Up ACTiON’ survey with the Irish Theatre Institute. The survey is a cross arts sector initiative recognising that issues exist across a number of artforms.
The ‘Speak Up ACTiON’ survey will inform policy and provide supports and training to create a safe and dignified workplace for all engaged in the Arts in Ireland. It will provide an overview of incidents, frequency, type and context of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and other experiences of artists and arts workers across all publicly funded artforms.
In parallel with the survey, a suite of training tools is being developed for arts organisations to utilise, in order to build awareness of such issues and how to respond effectively to them.
The results of this survey were launched on 21st October 2021, titled: Speak Up: A Call For Change Report”, and can be viewed here. Activists of FairPlé attended this launch and released a statement in response to the report (which can be viewed below).
In 2023, FairPlé activists were invited to meet with Safe to Create to discuss current issues in the field, and consult on Safe to Create’s “Report + Support” initiative. In 2024, FairPlé activists met with Safe to Create again to discuss progress over the past year and current issues in the field. FairPlé stressed the need for an independent body with investigatory powers, as outlined in FairPlé’s briefing document brought before the Oireachtas Joint Committee in 2021.
Pride Campaign
FairPlé advocates for equal opportunity and balanced representation for all. We believe in a safe and inclusive music scene for all practitioners, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, socioeconomic background. Music by all, for all. In June 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as part of Pride Month, FairPlé launched a pride campaign in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. This included promoting LGBTQIA+ events and encouraging traditional music stakeholders/ practitioners to share their support via social media.
Outreach Activities
We continually reach out to and link up with sister organisations and umbrella groups at both international and national level. These include:
Action against Abuse
Reawaken the Feminists
Support and Training
Update to FairPlé’s “How to Deal with Sexual Harassment” Guidelines
First compiled by FairPlé’s Deirdre Mulligan, Kate Barry, and Joanne Cusack and published in July 2020 in collaboration with Rape Crisis Network Ireland, FairPlé’s “How to Deal with Sexual Harassment” guidelines provide signposting and information for survivors of sexual harassment. These guidelines were updated in July 2021 and in February 2022, with further resources, supports, and information on how to deal with sexual harassment. You can view these guidelines here.
Publication of FairPlé’s Bystander Tips and Advice
On Wednesday 16th March 2022, FairPlé published bystander guidelines. This resource provides information on:
what to do if you witness harassment;
offering support in the aftermath of sexual harassment/ sexual assault;
selfcare/ resources for supporters of victims.
FairPlé would like to thank the Rape Crisis Centre for their support in developing this resource.
Disclosure Training
On Friday 24th September 2021, members of FairPlé attended a one-day virtual training programme hosted by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on awareness and disclosure of sexual assault/ violence. This programme provided members with important information on how to support oneself when dealing with disclosures of sexual assault/violence and also how to support survivors that come forward. FairPlé would like to thank the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for their support and time in facilitating this workshop.
We continue to advocate and promote equality throughout the field. Please follow our social media accounts to keep up-to-date on FairPlé activities, sister organisations, and new research/ surveys:
