1 Thinking intersectionally
Women composers are not the only group who have traditionally been excluded from the classical music canon. Composers have also been excluded along the lines of race, ethnicity, class, disability and/or neurodiversity, religion, and sexuality/sexual identity. When thinking about developing more diverse programmes, it is really important to think intersectionally and not to focus exclusively on gender.
Intersectionality is a theory used within sociology and cultural theory. It was coined by US Civil Rights activist and prominent critical race theory (CRT) scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. It describes how the overlapping or intersecting of marginalised identities (such as gender, race and class) contribute to discrimination and oppression.
Activity 1
How might intersectionality affect composers?
Discussion
Certain composers can find themselves doubly marginalised. For example, because of their race and because of their gender, or because of their class background and because of their disability status. The intersectionality between their different and various characteristics can make it even harder for some composers to have their music heard.
While you are thinking about including more works by women composers, ensure that you also consider including works by composers who have been excluded from the traditional classical music performing repertoire for other reasons. As you move to including more works by women, try to ensure that you are not just focusing on middle-class, able-bodied, white women, but also thinking about including as diverse a range of different women composers as possible. In Week 2 you heard Róisín Maher talking about how she always tries to include non-white composers on the programme for Finding A Voice and in Week 5 you head Angela Slater discussing the issue of class privilege within classical music and how she tries to ensure that composers form different educational backgrounds are represented on her programmes with Illuminate.