At the far end of the sea gap, Trænafestivalen takes a clear stand. Every year they try to have as many women as men on stage. It is a problem for many Norwegian festivals. – After all, half of the audience consists of women. That should be reflected on stage, says festival manager Viggo Randal. He is now asking other festivals to get their act together and focus more on equality on stage. Festival manager Viggo Randal says Trænafestivalen every year tries to have a 50/50 distribution between men and women on stage Photo: Åsta Urdal / news Nor is Culture and Equality Minister Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap) particularly impressed by the gender balance in Festival Norway: – It are more than enough ladies who can play at festivals. Nevertheless, the festivals continue to book the most men, she stated recently. Last year, only 25 percent of those who stood on Norwegian festival stages were women, according to Vårt Land. Music has traditionally been male-dominated. That is why there are also most men on the stages, Randal believes. But recently, both the music picture and the genre have changed: – If you look at the biggest successes in Norwegian music in recent years, you see names like Aurora, Highasakite, Dagny and Sigrid, added the Minister of Culture. – I ask the festivals to think a little more about the gender balance when they book artists in the future. Both this year, but also in the years to come, says Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap). Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Asking other festivals to get together Those who organize festivals have several explanations for why there are most men on the country’s stages. – There are several male artists and bands with mainly men. So it’s also about accessibility, in addition to finances and several other factors, said the festival director of Bergensfest, Frank Nes, recently to news. And last year, the festival director of Oppturfestivalen Bodø, Ørjan Strand, had a similar statement when he was confronted with an artist list where one out of 21 artists was a woman: – We look at genre, topicality, availability and price. Such explanations do not hold for Viggo Randal in Trænafestivalen: – There are surely enough male artists who cost money too. I don’t think there is any argument at all. If it does not come naturally to festivals to have a gender balance, they should have a conscious attitude to who gets booked, he emphasizes. – More men than women are involved in music But it’s not necessarily that simple, says Gøran Aamodt, festival manager at Parkenfestivalen in Bodø. – There are many more aspects than you can count women’s names on a poster and conclude with a proportion. It has to be seen in a bigger picture. – I get involved because I am extremely concerned about it. We focus on gender balance, but we don’t always succeed, says festival manager for Parkenfestivalen, Gøran Aamodt. Photo: Parkenfestivalen Aamodt says that there is an important discussion that must be had, but that the picture must be nuanced. – No matter how you look at it, there are more men than women involved in music. And a female frontwoman can have an all-male band behind her. And vice versa. In addition, there has been a major change in how we think about gender, which must also be part of the discussion, he adds. PARKEN: The festival attracts thousands of participants every year, and has never sold as many tickets as in 2023. Photo: Parkenfestivalen The festival manager still believes that the booking of artists can quickly become skewed in terms of gender, if one is not aware. Aamodt mentions Aurora, Highasakite, Dagny and Isak as female artists for this year’s festival. – But CC Cowboys, Karpe and DAD also have female musicians with them. Showing off their own identity But is gender balance something that festival-goers are so concerned about? Very possible, believes Professor Sidsel Karlsen at the Norwegian Academy of Music. – People probably know that Trænafestivalen has a conscious relationship with gender balance. That may be one of the reasons why they choose that festival. What they show becomes their own identity, says Karlsen. She believes it is a challenge in the entire music field that more male artists and composers are lifted up and given an arena to show themselves. Sidsel Karlsen is professor of music pedagogy at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Photo: Charlotte Wiig / NMH Which festival people choose depends, among other things, on social class, generation – and also gender. – The relationship between music and identity is multifaceted and complex, but we listen to music we can identify with. Then it is clear that gender is a not insignificant part of it, she says.
ttn-69
Trænafestivalen goes against the grain – has the most female artists – news Nordland
