After the success of its second programme in Auckland this January, Girls Rock! Aotearoa is excited to announce the launch of Girls Rock! Pōneke in 2019. Girls Rock! is a week-long holiday programme where female, trans, and gender-non-conforming young people can build confidence and make great music. Girls Rock! Pōneke will take place 8-13 July 2019 at Massey University’s Wellington campus. Applications to participate in Girls Rock! Pōneke will open in March.
Over the course of one week, up to 40 participants aged 12-17 will join bands, learn an instrument of their choice, write an original song, guided by female, trans and gender-non-conforming professional musicians, and perform to family and friends at an end of week showcase.
Alongside collaborative learning, participants will take part in workshops and hear from musicians such as previous Girls Rock! performers Tiny Ruins, Jess B, Julia Deans, & Street Chant.
The first Girls Rock! Camp was founded in Portland in 2001 as a summer day camp. Since then it has grown into an international community of youth-focused arts and social justice organisations. The kaupapa of Girls Rock! Aotearoa is to empower young women, transgender and gender non-conforming youth by giving them practical skills and role models in a safe, supportive space.
With women making up only 23.8% of songwriters who belong to APRA AMCOS in New Zealand* and only 10% of the total royalty pool paid to writers**, it’s still vital to support young women into music.
Coordinator of Girls Rock! Pōneke, Ali Burns says she had wanted to play music when she was younger but felt like it wasn’t her place. “If I had been to a Girls Rock camp my experience would have been very different! I want kids who may not see themselves represented to know that their voice is valid and that we want to hear it, and I am so excited to launch the programme in Pōneke.”
Feedback from past participants is overwhelmingly positive. A 2018 graduate says “Everyone was so friendly. We all felt part of something fantastic! It got me into singing and helped heaps with my confidence, and I made so many new friends.”
Girls Rock! Pōneke will be run by a group of forward-thinking individuals with a wide range of music industry experience, dedicated to providing a space for creativity and equality in music to flourish.
Girls Rock! Aotearoa is supported by MAINZ, The New Zealand Music Commission, Recorded Music New Zealand, Auckland Council, Creative Communities, Massey University, Toi Pōneke Arts Centre, and Spark.
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