Review: Lady of the House Cultural Exhibition

Lady of The House is a Bristol-based women-led collective with the mission to champion, celebrate, give voice and honour women and non-binary people in the dance music industry. Formed by Bristol music promotor Laila McKenzie in 2020, the collective has gone from strength to strength over the last two years. 2021 saw Laila and writer Ian Snowball publish Lady of The House, a hardback coffee table book featuring over 120 interviews and photos telling the story of the women who make the house music scene what it is, including Candi Staton, Rowetta, Kym Sims, Nicky Trax and DJ Maxxine.

Last week we joined the Lady of The House team for their inaugural Cultural Exhibition at Lost Horizon in Bristol - three days of inspiring talks, panels, masterclasses, and, of course, parties, from and for women who are passionate about the dance music industry. Queer artists Sita Abellan and Russian Berlin-based activist and artist Katya Kov also made their UK debuts with a photography exhibition that reflects their cultural journey and the Lady of the House ethos.

The event kicked off on March 8th, International Women’s Day, with a special day of masterclasses and talks for under 18s. Read on for highlights from the crazily exciting programme of panels and masterclasses on the following Thursday and Saturday, as well as the big Saturday night afterparty, headlined by Radio 1’s Charlie Tee and the absolute legend of house music Barbara Tucker, who was teleported to Lost Horizon via the magic of hologram.

Thursday, March 10

Words by Fran Pope and Kerry Mead

Lady of the House kicked off Thursday lunchtime with a panel discussion on a theme that ran through several of the conversations over the course of the two days: Mental Health and Wellness in the Music Industry. GetAhead founder and CEO Jennifer Cochrane introduced the organisation’s work both to raise awareness around burnout and to help people recognise the warning signs and take steps to protect their mental health. It was refreshing to see a wide range of women from all corners of the music industry honestly addressing and discussing the importance of mental health awareness in an industry that has always been a petri dish for burnout when you take late nights, punishing schedules and a need to always be seen to be positive and driven into consideration.

This was followed by Driving Change in Social Deviances Towards Women in the Music Industry; a discussion that included several members of Save Nightlife, a movement linked to the Night Time Industries Association. In partnership with Lady of the House, Save Nightlife produced a survey in 2021 that confirmed the huge prevalence of deviant behaviours towards women – everything from ignoring, discrediting and undervaluing women in the workplace, through to aggression and assault. As several of the speakers pointed out, the results of the survey were “disappointing, but not surprising”. The need for education, mentoring, and network and community building, as well as for recognition of power and privilege, were all raised in this insightful talk.

We were then introduced to Moving the Needle, an organisation that focuses on education and mentoring in schools and universities. The organisation aims to inform young people about the wide range of roles that exist within the music industry as well as supporting women at any stage of their careers in the music industry. Nikki McNeill (owner of Global Publicity) and Jennifer Cochrane (founder of GetAhead) shared insights from their own years in the industry, including the need to challenge the gender pay gap.

Reimagining the Future of Electronic Music addressed the urgent need for greater equity and diversity in the music industry. Fascinating contributions came from artist manager Becky Rascal on the importance of understanding the Black and queer origins of house music, and from Simon Braines (he.she.they) on being the queer minority on boards and in meetings and of managing artist Maya Jane Coles, as well as on the economic benefit of diverse line-ups.

Next up was Fireside - a three-way conversation between Lady of the House founder Laila McKenzie and artist managers Maria May (CAA) and Lynn Cosgrave (Safehouse Management). It was truly eye-opening, revealing some of the harsh realities that have long faced women in music business professions, as well as positive shifts being made towards greater recognition. Laila, Maria and Lynn spoke candidly about some of the adversity they have met with during their careers. However, the discussion placed great emphasis on the positives: the huge importance of mentoring, community and network building; the power of women choosing to work together for change and the subversive force of kindness – especially in the face of some of the industry’s more toxic aspects.

L-R, Eats Everything, Sarah Story, Danielle Montana, Melle Brown and Miranda Rae via videolink.

After the final panel discussion, The Future of Radio, which saw some of the biggest names in national and community radio today; (Eats Everything, Sarah Story, Miranda Rae, Danielle Montana led by Melle Brown) champion the importance of shifting the power back to the community and underrepresented voices if radio is to thrive and move forward, everyone was ready to hang out and enjoy some of the female talent the Bristol music scene is currently throwing our way. The standout highlights were a killer set from DJ Alexisitry and a live performance by Dutty Moonshine Big Band MC, MARIA alongside Martin Badder, performing ‘Home by 9’; a hard-hitting track that perfectly expressed the anger and frustration felt by women everywhere in the face of sexual violence.

Saturday March 12th

Words by Erin Lister and Fran Pope

The Saturday again brought together a brilliant mix of pioneering women in electronic music, sharing their knowledge, outlining the huge shifts in the industry and explaining just where it might go next. It kicked off with an energetic production masterclass from Just Her, who explained all the basic methods she uses when producing her music. Beginning the class with a great quote from Ira Glass about ‘the gap’ – the time between when you begin to create art and when you actually become good at it – Just Her’s class was a great reminder that the only way to learn an art such as production is to just get stuck in.

Following that, there was a quickfire round of production top-tips from Ceri, who joined on video link all the way from Ibiza. Ceri not only reiterated some of the brilliant points made in the previous masterclass but gave us many, many more. With practical advice such as making a sample bank and ensuring you equalize your tracks, to more personal tips like believing in your ability to succeed, Ceri was inspiring and encouraging.

Next up was Lex on the Decks, who shared her DJ skills and knowledge in an exceptional workshop. As with both Just Her and Ceri, Lex on the Deck’s expertise shone throughout as she walked us through the essentials of all things FX, song selection and equipment. Informative and hands on, Lex provided us with some invaluable tips and tricks.

Later in the afternoon came an interesting panel discussion: In conversation with Women in Bristol Night Time, supported by Bristol Nights and including Lost Horizon’s creative director and founder Kaye Dunnings, owner of Lakota Marti Burgess, Bristol night time economy advisor Carly Heath, events manager Hayleigh Beckles, and DJ and radio presenter Deli G. The panel covered a wide range of topics, from the changes in the dance music scene over the last few decades to what could be done in the future to ensure more women are introduced to the industry. The talk was a compelling insight into the Bristol night time scene and the role that women play in keeping it one of the best in the country.

One of the most uplifting and impassioned panel discussions we’ve ever heard was Back 2 Black: Reflection of Black/Brown Women in Dance Music with Janice Robinson, Marti Burgess, Hannah Shogbola, Vanessa Maria and Barbara Tucker. The speakers – women of different ages and different points in their careers – brought honest and eye-opening realities to the conversation, particularly focused on the kinds of structural discrimination that women of colour have been and are still faced within the music industry. Despite this, many causes for hope and celebration were also raised, including women’s ability to champion each other and build each other up, and the key role of education and mentoring. The talk was a brilliant reminder of the powerful women we have working both behind the scenes and on the stages of dance music. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this talk was the importance of being original, as all five women reiterated the need for authenticity to succeed in the industry.

In another inspiring exchange, Queens Can Conquer – Discussing Being a Woman in Dance Music Overcoming Challenges and Taboos, the participants drew attention to several stark incidences of sexism in the music business, with a focus on how they have learned to thrive in their careers despite the obstacles in their way. A wealth of ideas, tools and actions were shared, including ways to champion other women, the need for “brave spaces” as well as safe spaces, the essential nature of self-care and awareness, diversity at every level of the industry, and how to push back against related issues including ageism and unhealthy work pressures.

Overall, the talks and classes of Saturday were more than enough to inspire any woman, young or old, looking to get into the dance music industry.

Once the day’s talks had drawn to a close, Lost Horizon was transformed from a conference room back to its usual shape as a club space, and by 10pm the party was well and truly underway.

Greek-English DJ and producer The Yard Woman was killing it on the decks, splicing house and techno with huge, in-your-face drops that got the crowd moving in earnest. The Yard Woman, who has featured on BBC radio, says “after years of clubbing in Bristol, I wanted to transfer some of that Bristol energy into my own production” – and that energy was definitely felt in her set at Lost Horizon.

Next up was Tee Tee, who brought deep basslines and Afro house to the mix. Her set was ridiculously fun to dance to, and the crowd loved every minute of it – as can be seen from her Instagram videos of the night!

The final DJ we were able to catch was Charlie Tee. A presenter, broadcaster and writer, Charlie Tee hosted a show on Kiss FM for eight years before taking up the reins on several BBC Radio 1 shows. The energy was ramping up during her set, and the crowd was growing by the minute and it was certainly hard for us to tear ourselves away from!

This was a truly stellar all-female line-up, demonstrating once again (and as if we needed convincing) that the electronic music scene is positively overflowing with immensely talented women – behind the decks, in the studio, presenting the shows, booking and managing other artists, and in just about any role you could think of. The Lady of the House cultural exhibition was a spotlight on many of these inspiring women, and the female DJs who played the afterparty helped end the event on a real high.

Follow Lady of The House, order a copy of the book and keep up with everything they are doing here.