The DJs changing the record on the music scene

Two women are teaching the female DJs of the future in what they are calling a "kitchen revolution".

Isobel McGovern and Sophie Tott, otherwise known as Issy B and Tallulah Goodtimes, are behind Creative DJ Kitchen, a DJ school in Suffolk which provides women-only workshops and a safe space for a new generation of female talent.

Sophie says the name of the project is a twist on the traditional role of women.

"Revolutions were born in the kitchen, weren't they? Many aeons ago and still now...we sort of dig into that and this idea of communal space and sharing skills."

While the UK's music boardrooms reached a landmark 50% gender parity in 2024, the view from the DJ booth remains male dominated.

Across the country's festivals and clubs, the "booth gap" persists with women making up around 29% of UK DJs, according to a 2025 study by the Jaguar Foundation.

Tott and McGovern are determined to change this.

Tott has worked as a professional DJ for many years, in clubs and bars and on the festival circuit.

When she first started, she says she was often the only woman on the line-up and faced scepticism.

"I saw first-hand how intimidating the environment could be for a beginner," she said.

"Creative Kitchen DJ isn't just teaching a skill - it's dismantling a technical and social gatekeep that has existed for decades."

McGovern had a different journey. While always a passionate music lover and regular festival attendee, she didn't initially see herself behind the decks.

It was only later in life that she decided to turn her passion for music into practice, going on to support big names such as Don Letts, Norman Jay and Robert Owens.

The course run by Tott and McGovern includes weekly sessions leading to an end party where all the women perform to a dancing audience.

The workshops focus on mixing tracks, understanding phrasing and mastering the decks. But the real magic happens in the confidence building.

McGovern says: "Quite a lot of the online courses are very male and they talk in a very technical language... We can spell it out and talk in women's language. A bit softer, a bit more sensitive, a bit more emotional."

Their students have ranged from age 17 to over 60 and Sophie says the women are "united by a real love for music... that's what draws people to learn in a space together".

Kee, who is a student on one of the current workshops, said: "Being around women makes it a little bit more comfortable in all honesty. Like-minded women... it just makes it easier to learn something that you love."

Another student, Jade, said it was much more friendly than previous experiences she has had.

"I tried to get into it at university and nobody really had any time for me. It's really lovely being in a nurturing environment, a really supportive environment with women... everyone's lifting each other up."

"Watching our students take up space and own their talent is the best part of this," says McGovern. "The dancefloor belongs to everyone. We think it's time the booth did, too."

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