Las Pibas: working for positive, systemic change in the creative industries

Can you give us a little background on Las Pibas’ origins, how you started out, the motivations, and—of course—how you chose the name?

Las Pibas was born in Barcelona with the intention of creating a safe space where we could gather to make culture together. All of us were migrants and not yet integrated into the city’s cultural network, so we began building our own space. What started as a personal need quickly became a place of belonging for many people, specially for migrants, LGBTQIA+ and FLINTA* communities.

Our first event, a weekly open mic event that continues to this day, became a local classic. The project grew organically: every gathering brought more people, venues became too small, and we had to expand, finding larger spaces and developing new activities and networks.

The name Las Pibas came naturally. In our region, it means “the girls” and it’s used to refer to one another with affection and complicity. Saying Las Pibas means “I’m not alone, I'm with my people.”

FLINTA* stands for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender people.

What is the community you seek to serve, and in what particular context? I understand your work to be focused on the creative industries, particularly the music industry? 

Our work focuses on women, lesbians, transgender, intersex, agender and non-binary people, especially migrants, who face barriers to accessing, producing, and developing within the creative industries. While much of our work centers on music, we engage with culture in its broadest sense.

What are some of the issues you are working to overcome in these industries?

We seek to transform a context still marked by gender inequality, lack of representation, and labor precarity by creating safe, collaborative spaces for learning, creation, and work. We believe in another way of making culture, one based on respect, care, self-management, and mutual support.

Do you think that there are common misconceptions about the creative industries, in this context?

There’s a widespread belief that creative industries are naturally progressive spaces, but our experience shows otherwise. Beneath a veneer of diversity and openness, systemic issues such as gender inequality, racism, and economic precarity remain deeply rooted. Our work seeks to challenge these contradictions by building truly inclusive and equitable cultural spaces.

How did shifting from a collective to a functioning nonprofit change things?

Transitioning from a collective to a nonprofit association was a major transformation. It allowed us to consolidate our structure, access institutional resources, and give our projects greater continuity.

At the same time, it brought new challenges, particularly administrative and bureaucratic ones, as we had to learn to operate within new legal frameworks. However, this change strengthened our collective identity and allowed us to professionalize our work without losing the spirit of self-management and community that defines us.

Can you speak a little about your work in Argentina, how it amplifies Las Pibas’ mission, and how it differs from your work in Spain, if indeed it does?

Our work in Argentina expands Las Pibas’ mission and strengthens the connection between artistic communities across both territories. There, we continue promoting the participation and visibility of FLINTA* and LGBTQIA+ communities in culture, though the context and challenges differ.

Both spaces feed into one another, what we learn in one country nourishes the other, helping to build an international network of artists and cultural workers who share the same values and goals.

Can you describe a ‘typical’ event Las Pibas might run?

A great example was our anniversary celebration, on November 1st, at Fabra i Coats, in Barcelona, where the association is part of the residency program. The event featured two workshops: “Invoicing for Artists and Independent Projects” and “How to Create a Protocol for Preventing Gender-Based Violence”—two recurring challenges in our sector. We also hosted a panel discussion titled “Culture Against the CIStem: Alternative Ways of Making Culture”, featuring aligned associations and artists. To close the day, we hosted a musical bingo event and live performances by Ruïnosa y las Strippers de Rahola and La Tía Borracha, a cumbia band formed by members of Las Pibas. Admission was free, and we had over 300 attendees.

Has Las Pibas’ mission changed since 2018? Have there been cultural movements or events that have changed your focus or the way you seek to bring change?

Since 2018, Las Pibas mission has remained consistent, creating safe, inclusive spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community within culture. What has evolved is our approach: beyond music, we now include training workshops, discussion spaces, audiovisual content, and radio.

The rise of far-right movements in both Europe and Latin America has made our work even more urgent. This reality has driven us to strengthen our campaigns, expand our presence, and reaffirm culture’s role as a space for resistance, transformation, and joy.

What are the greatest challenges to running an organisation like Las Pibas today?

Our main challenges are lack of funding and limited time for organizational work.

We face the same labor precarity that affects many of our members, especially migrants, women, and gender-diverse people, in industries still marked by inequality. Sustaining safe, self-managed spaces over time requires constant effort.

Coordinating projects and networks across countries is another challenge that demands creativity and collaboration.

More broadly, there is still insufficient representation of migrant and LGBTQIA+ communities in positions of power and decision-making. Addressing that lack of representation remains one of our key goals, as long as we work only among ourselves, we cannot truly transform the structures of the industry.

How has the Impact Grant been helpful to your organization?

The grant has been essential in strengthening the work of Las Pibas and expanding the impact of our cultural initiatives. Thanks to this support we were able to consolidate internal organizational processes [and dedicate time to] planning and team care, as well as sustaining gender-focused training activities. We also completed our website, and continued with projects that promote the participation, visibility, and recognition of women, lesbians, trans, travestis, and non-binary people within the cultural sector.

In summary, it has been a key boost in ensuring the continuity and growth of our cultural work.