Perth to host its first ‘Girls Rock!’ camp in 2019

Perth gets its first Girls Rock! camp in January 2019, coordinated through Western Australia’s peak music association WAM.

Girls Rock! is a week-long day camp that aims to empower young female, trans, and gender diverse people through music and education.

It originated in Portland, Oregon in 2001, and has since spread across the world to the UK, Japan, Finland and more.

The first Girls Rock! camp in Australia was held in Canberra in 2016, with camps now also hosted in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and new programs in Wollongong, Adelaide, and here in Perth now in development.

The Perth event runs from Monday, January 14 to Saturday 19 at a venue still to be confirmed.

Over the week campers will hone skills on their instrument of choice (guitar, bass, drums or vocals), join a band with other campers, write a song together, and then perform at a Girls Rock! showcase on the Saturday.

Daily creative and empowering workshops, as well as lunchtime performances by local musicians, will also be included in the program.

The program tackles the issue of gender imbalance in the music industry with a focus on the key areas of creativity, positivity, community and empowerment.

The week will be spearheaded by Perth teacher and local musician Em Burrows.

She says, “I have heard so many established female musicians saying that they wish they had something like Girls Rock! when they were starting out as songwriters and performers.

“Girls Rock! is such a great program and a great way for Perth to nurture its next generation of musicians.

“It gives young people the chance to learn from experienced musicians and industry personnel in such a welcoming environment. I’m so excited to work with WAM to get this program off the ground!”

Interest to participate in the camp can be expressed here.