By Ava Hall
Sat in the leafy garden of the Fox and Hounds pub in Battersea, I chatted with Florence about co-founding See You Next Tuesday, a female-led DJ collective based in Newcastle, and her experience as a female DJ entering into the industry. Despite being an old school friend of mine, attending Florence’s set at their first charity event inspired me to learn more about the collective and her experience as a female DJ.
Despite only starting out roughly two years ago, Florence tells me that she was interested in DJing since she was about 15, but it wasn’t until her now-friend and mentor Poppy Gunnerud really encouraged her to learn a few years later. “Seeing her vibe, talent, and how interested she was in it was super inspiring” she describes, as we then go on to discuss the lack of female DJs in the media during our childhoods, as well as our lack of exposure in the countryside where we grew up.
Also studying undergraduate Fine Art and History of Art in Newcastle, Florence explains that DJing and the music she listens to whilst creating can have a massive impact on the outcome of her artwork, with this really illustrating how intertwined these two creative practices are for her.
AH: So, tell me about See You Next Tuesday and how the collective started?
“Whilst working for events companies, a few friends and I noticed the lack of female-run events, especially in Newcastle at the time”, and after learning the basic ins and outs, the three friends co-founded the collective. Florence tells me they were quick to establish that their priority was for it to be “female-led, with female DJs and in aid of primarily North-East women’s charities.” Through these fundamental values, they have helped to platform other female student DJs,
particularly those based in the North-East, ultimately creating what Florence describes as “a space where we felt more equal whilst also supporting other women”.
See You Next Tuesday have supported charities including Get Your Knickers in a Twist, a Durham-based charity providing clean underwear to homeless women in the city, Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services, and most recently, Newcastle Women’s Aid, which offers help to women and girls in abusive domestic situations. The female-led collective has put on a diverse range of DJ events, from club nights to spin classes, with Florence explaining that they wanted to tap into Newcastle’s big drinking culture, but also put on more accessible events that had a primary focus on the music.
Florence’s sets include a mix of two step garage and upbeat 90s house tunes, with her recently putting together a mix for the Peckham-based radio station Foundation FM and their ‘off-the-record’ hour. Another recent moment of creative collaboration for Florence was DJing at the StolenSpace Gallery in Shoreditch, for DJ Fatboy Slim and artist Chemical X’s signing with Pepita Coffee.
AH: Being a female-led collective, has See You Next Tuesday faced any discrimination or issues within, what is often seen as quite a “boys-club”, industry?
“There is a lot of stigma still in the industry; you often get introduced as ‘the female DJ’ and the photographer will take lots of photos of you, but then you never get hired again” she tells me, also admitting that she is very outspoken about not working an event if she is going to get underpaid. “But I am also just starting out and still learning,” Florence explains, “so it is hard to draw the line between what’s discrimination and what’s just working your way up.” We go on to
discuss the venues she has played at in Newcastle, and the fact that almost all of them are owned and run by men, stating “we have yet to find a female club owner which is crazy!” However, it is clear that both Florence and See You Next Tuesday not only make it an absolute priority to always work with people with good morals and ethics, but are doing a brilliant job of promoting and supporting the women around them in any way they can.
For upcoming events from some of the North-East’s most talented DJs and See You Next Tuesday’s upcoming events, check out their instagram @seeyouncl !
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