Robyn’s Tekla Festival Promotes Women in Technology

The topic of sexism is an important issue here at Dance Music Northwest. We have previously discussed the disparity between gender roles in the music and technology. We’ve also profiled Tatiana Alvarez, a female DJ who went undercover as a man to understand the reality of sexism in the world of electronic dance music. While there is an increasing number of female artists gaining recognition in the EDM scene, the issue remains the same: the music industry is a male-dominated arena. To help counter the social stigma, Swedish electropop artist Robyn is hosting a one-day festival in Stockholm on April 18th, which aims to promote female interest in STEM fields. The festival will include live performances, speakers, and workshops on programming and dance music, among other science and tech subjects. Robyn said in a press release,

Tekla is a festival for girls, in which they get to sample different areas of future technology in what I believe will be a fun and imaginative environment.

We would love to see more musicians reach out to the youth of our generation and encourage them to explore technology, eliminating male-dominated traditions. Outspoken artists like Krewella and Reid Speed are helping to pave the way for gender equality in dance music through discussing the hot-button issue, rather than shy away from it. Will the one-day Tekla Festival be enough to change the social structure of the music industry? No, probably not. But it’s a step in the right direction.

Would you attend an female-oriented technology event, like Tekla Festival, here in the Northwest? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section, on our Facebook page, or send us a Tweet!