Photo: Fletcher Media
This project examines intersections between ageing and gender for musicians in the South Australian music industry, to better understand how to support women to sustain their creative practice over the life course.
This research aims to:
- identify the barriers to continuing practice for female musicians; and
- make visible the ways that age and gender intersect over the life-course in relation to caring responsibilities, earning potential, opportunities, and career trajectories.
Research shows that women are underrepresented in many areas of the music industry from festival line-ups, radio play and award nominations to industry boards and other decision-making roles (Music Victoria 2015), shaping what music gets played and who is supported and profiled (Support Act 2022). The insecure and unsafe working conditions of musicians are further compounded through intersections of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, disability and parental status, among other factors (Elmes and Knox 2022; Strong and Cannizzo 2020; Support Act 2022). While there exists substantial literature on the career pathways of young/early career musicians there is limited research on the lives of musicians experiencing life course transformations like caring and ageing (Cannizzo 2023).
We hope that by understanding the experiences of women in the music industry, over their life course, we can develop a detailed picture of the barriers to and opportunities for continuing practice. This will inform strategies that support sustained career development. Experiences of sexual harassment, underrepresentation in gig line-ups, gendered pay gaps, artist invisibility, a lack of creative control, career stagnation due to caring responsibilities and the perception that women should taper their participation over time, are just some of the issues raised by interviewees.
A public report will be released in late 2024.
Research team
Dr Rosie Roberts
Dr Jess Pacella
Key contact
Dr Rosie Roberts
