Spotlight on discrimination at work: Italian actresses’ construction of digital spaces of feminist struggle

Abstract

The article contributes to the studies of digital spaces and women’s action by analysing the case of Amleta, a collective founded during Covid-19 pandemic by a group of Italian theatre actresses. Using a digital ethnographic approach that combines data coming from Amleta’s Instagram account and in-depth interviews with content creators, this study considers how actresses employ digital spaces to challenge violence and discrimination in the workplace. By looking at actresses’ digital action, the study sheds light on the reinterpretation of #metoo narratives and on the construction of non-conventional digital spaces in the struggle for an equal environment in the cultural and creative industries. Given the centrality of informational activism and communicative labour for Amleta’s activities, we argue that knowledge dissemination becomes a political tool, both challenging the status quo and allowing women to move their experiences from an individualised understanding towards a level of collective awareness. The research accounts for how feminist practices can promote social change beyond branded uses of social media platforms.