´óÏó´«Ã½

There’s a burgeoning feminist music scene in Scotland and an Edinburgh rock school created to cater for women only is at its core.

The Girls Rock School was the brainchild of friends Fiona Watt and Caro Kemp, who had been bothered by the noticeable disparity between the number of men and women performing live music. To encourage women into the scene they felt a new, supportive environment where they could learn and play instruments together was required.

On Hidden Lives Caro explains that the school began at a music festival, where she and Fiona ran pilot workshops in vocals, guitar, bass and drums.

“We had no idea whether it would work or whether anybody would turn up at all – and we were absolutely inundated with people,” she says.

Five years on from those first classes, the Girls Rock School now runs two six week-long sessions each year, culminating in a live showcase.

One participant, Tamsin Drew, explains the importance of the school. "It's fighting against stereotypes," she says. "Women aren't seen as playing instruments like the bass. I was handed a flute when I was kid, 'cos girls play classical instruments, right?".

Music is vital, according to tutor Lesley Crawford, "It's a really powerful thing, to have that tool to express yourself, in a way that you can't necessarily with words. People can channel all of those emotions, all of those frustrations, all of those feelings and say it through music and have people hear it. It creates this great sense of community and sisterhood.

"There's this whole community based around what Caro and Fiona started. It's like a seed and now there's a jungle."

This new DIY scene isn't solely confined to Edinburgh. In Moray, sisters Breagha and Onnagh Cuinn perform as feminist punk band Bratakus.

"We do play gigs where it's much more of an even bill and there's more women than men, says Onnagh. "But I would say still you can go to gigs and either you feel you're the token girl band, or you can attend gigs and be the only women in the crowd.

"Although it's getting better, there's still a long way to go."