For Us By Us: Decolonize this Dancefloor

To decolonize the dancefloor, one needs to dismantle not only the dance, the floor but also what we do and want with it and on it. This dismantling needs to stay true to both Ice T and Lisa Nakamura: and not hate the player, but hate the game. For Us By Us aims to destroy club culture’s ancient darling, the intentionally inaccessible and intimidating figure of the patriarchal DJ-god – and unapologetically centralizes equality and collectiveness over the hyper-individual: Last night we saved our lives ourselves.

For Us By Us is a platform and celebration for and by female and non-binary DJs, musicians, performers, poets, producers, artists, singers, screamers, music lovers, listeners, audiences, dancers and players. For Us By Us brings together the political, feminist, raptured and dystopian sounds of migration and #FortEU, dancing, laughter, joy, experimentation and playfulness.

Beyond the passive and silent roles that womxn are confined to in music and club culture, as audience, discreet recipients, groupies, muses, etc., For Us By Us brings forward, celebrates and connects radical and intersectional feminist sonic and performance practices that are reshaping the politics of the club, sound and space. For Us By Us embraces sharing trauma, desire and exuberance and re-defines and remixes them with desperation, pain and joy.

For Us By Us emerged out of the monthly DJ Workshop for Wxmxn series. The DJ Workshop for Wxmxn grew into an international platform that is in an ongoing conversation with like-minded, political, feminist and non-binary collectives, parties, radio stations and movements such as Disc Woman, Mahoyo, ATM party series, Warrior Poets or Berlin Community Radio. Within the tradition of womxn’s self-organization, networks and support, these (intergenerational) connections are crucial sources of communal and personal survival and thriving.

Programme