The role of music between clubbing and mental health We asked Dj and mental health advocate Vanessa Maria Wilson about music healing power and social meaning

"I'm so grateful to be a part of this world, I wouldn't be here without all the amazing women I've met along the way."

When we ask Vanessa who and what inspires her, the answer is one: women. An Englishman of Jamaican descent, Vanessa Maria Wilson is a DJ, activist and creative producer for NTS, Rinse FM, BBC 1xtra, Mixcloud, Pirate Studios and BoilerRoom. After completing a degree in the field of psychology, she worked at the University of Bristol where she campaigned extensively on student mental health, a topic close to her heart. Driven by the need and responsibility to give a voice to those who don't have one, she delivers through her music a message of inclusivity and awareness on issues such as racial and gender discrimination. She began her career in music in 2018 in Bristol, where she enrolled in "Mix Nights," a course run by record label "Saffron Records" led by women who in turn help others take their first steps into the music business and beyond.

"Less than 5% of the music technology industry is made up of women, non-binary or trans people and less than 1% are people of color! There's been slow change, which is great, but there's still so much work to be done."

The Mix Nights project was born precisely as a social manifesto in the fight against gender discrimination. The goal has always been to introduce more female DJs to electronic music, both locally and internationally, thus helping to support minorities by breaking down social constructs.

Sharing her passion for music with the public has helped her not lose her standpoints, which she has been in danger of losing as a result of the extreme stress she has been under.

"The mental health of the music scene was definitely affected. It was a very difficult time for everyone, financially, socially and mentally. The lockdown has been a struggle. We've all been restricted, out of work and unable to do our jobs. Some of our favorite venues have closed, club nights have disappeared and nightlife has been completely suspended. But I believe in the recovery of the industry. The nights are growing in number and musical and cultural nuance; we're on the right track!"

With Vanessa's words, we are witnessing here a true stance, where one refuses to give up and is spurred to never give up. Thanks to the strong connection that has characterized the public scene, we have succeeded in the intent to believe, hope and aspire to a better future. So was born the relationship with Alessandro "Sgamo" Nuzzo, the dj based in Milan that with the platform wegoing.sound connects independent European artists who, after two years of forced closure of borders, feel the need, now more than ever, to export their talent beyond their borders. This desire to get back into the game is shared by the entire Italian music scene, in particular by two of the most active DJs of the Milanese nightlife: Filippo "Milangeles" Tortorici and Floriano Macchione, founders of "Nice Club" at the Apollo who, night after night, are rewriting the history of clubs, making them a place where you dance, breathe and get free. Thanks to their desire to start again and to give voice to the musical language, the post-covid night Milan is showing new nuances.

Here fun is seen and experienced not only as a recreational act but as a mirror of the soul of the city, where music starts to work when it is perceived as a global, hybrid and multifaceted value.