Overview

• WISWOS identifies the need for action to tackle issues of inequality and gender bias in sound and music technology. Our current project, Research In a Box aims to make pedagogical interventions to bring women and young girls into inclusive learning zones.

• Women in Sound Women on Sound (WISWOS) is an international hub of networks and individuals, including artists, researchers, technologists, musicians, archivists and everything in between, with an interest in sound, technology and education. This network plays a pivotal role in supporting this interventionist activity.

• We have built on the work of others, such as YWSN, SONORA, the publications of leading scholars in the field e.g. Born and Devine. This has allowed us to identify the gaps for our action and practice. We are also influenced by other online organisations such as Women’s Audio Mission.


Goals

Our goals shift in response to our findings, and as we make new network connections; they began with making visible women who work in the multitudinous areas of sound from music technology to sound art, sound and society, the politics of sound, and every area in between. WISWOS created event spaces in the UK, Lancaster and London where we have presented workshops, symposiums, peer-to-peer networking opportunities and performance/exhibition opportunities. One of our goals is to explore how secondary school education shapes girls participation in the fields of music technology and the sonic arts. We have developed our Research in a Box Toolkit, Activating Women in Sound. This physical and online educational tool will be available for schools to rent from September 2017. A further project is to develop an online interactive space, which highlights women's varied contribution to sound and music studies. The space allows researchers, students, artists etc. to locate the work of female authors both contemporary and historic in new and engaging ways. The space is also open to contributors; by going to this link you can add an author to our list along with other resources about that work.

Network

The WISWOS network is currently made up of people from Latin America to the USA, Canada and Europe. We have organizational support from groups such as the Octopus Collective, the Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster University and Goldsmiths University. We are always open to new members or supporting organisations.

Website

This website is an ongoing project open to new ideas about highlighting or shaping women's contribution to sound. Please feel free to contact us to give support or ideas. Also, see our events page for the London WISWOS activities, there is always something happening. Finally, we constantly promote jobs in the field of music technology and the sonic arts through our social networking sites, so please follow us on Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date on future opportunities and events.