Mums That Rave: Party-loving mothers - The party is not over!
How long has it been since you last went dancing? Do you find yourself dreaming of those nights when you kissed the sunrise before you got to bed? Do you think those days are over?
Well, let me give you an option for your Raving dreams! Mums that Rave is a community and event where you can let your Dancing Queen loose while you talk and network with other Party-Moms.
1) For those who are not familiar with your community, can you tell us about Mums That Rave?
Mums That Rave is an online community and event, for Mums by Mums, a Power Mum panel, network, and rave for women to come and live their best lives.
2) Nikki, you come from a music background and Yvadney, you come from fashion - How did you meet and what made you join forces?
We actually met via instagram when Yvadney asked me if I would like to do an insta- take-over of her 'Mums That Slay’ page. I have been a DJ/Producer for over 25 years but also run clubs, club nights and events. Yvadney came to one of my parties in east London and we joked that it would be great to do something similar, but just for mums. Fast forward 1 year and we had put on 7 events and were nominated for our first award.
3) Did you feel that there was a need for mothers to have a space to let loose and meet like-minded women?
I certainly felt that there was hardly any visibility of mums like me in music; but also, in a more general sense that mothers are expected to give up certain things, like raving for instance. Women are expected to lead a completely different life once they have children. I believe in balance and not adhering to boxes or stereotypes and I didn’t see enough representation of women like us. So, just like in DJ'ing 30 years earlier, if you don’t see a lane for you, then create one.
4) Who are the women that are part of your community and is it open to non-mothers?
The mums are very diverse and from all backgrounds, different ages, looks, jobs but the things that unite us is a love of music, having fun, dressing up and also supporting & inspiring each other.
5) MTR has a very distinct aesthetic. I am obsessed with your Instagram feed; it is filled with so many amazing images and insanely cool outfits!
How did you curate such a unique personal style and brand?
Both Yvadney and I come from creative backgrounds. I always did music and art and I attended music school first from when I was a kid, then studied design, fashion and have a degree in Fine Art so aesthetics branding and colour have always been at the forefront of everything I do, from my record label artwork to all my club nights to photoshoots to styling our music videos, so it’s actually not that hard to create an Instagram feed. I feel like the Mums That Rave feed is just about fun, disco balls and sequins and who needs anything else really!
6) Can you tell us a little more about the types of events you run?
The Mums That Rave events so far have varied, we have thrown 8 or 9 in total, we started out with brunches, so first a cocktail, then a panel of power Mums which we host and ask questions and try to choose inspiring women and mums who have interesting stories which appeal to our attendees. Then we have a little time for mums who come to meet each other and have a chat and we also introduce mums to each other, so everyone feels welcome. At the brunches we have full menus with various choices and after we’ve had a good spot of networking, we RAVE! This usually entails me and our resident MC playing classics from old to brand new, hip hop, RNB, drum and bass, house, garage, grime. It's a total vibe. We have also hosted night-time parties and our ‘Christmas Mums That Rave’ was absolutely insane, I have rarely seen anyone party harder, it was so much fun.
7) I'm sure plenty of Cinemamas reading this interview are getting excited about your events. How does one join the MTR community and how can we attend one of your amazing events?
It’s really simple, just follow us on Instagram @mumsthatrave or join the mailing list via our website www.mumsthatrave.com we welcome all Mums !
8) Like MTR, Cinemamas was born out of my own personal experience of being a mother and belonging to a certain industry combined with the desire to create a community. Do you have any advice to offer any mothers wanting to create something similar?
If you are coming from a place of authenticity and you have a passion for it and you don't see representation of mums like you in your industry and that bothers you- go for it. We do this on top of our real jobs so it's a lot of extra work but the joy we have brought to other mums has been worth it. If you don't have time for a whole new big project, I would advise approaching people like us to be on panels or try to do interviews to show what you do; or start by writing blogs or posts on your social media. Another thing which is helpful is to find like-minded mums on Instagram or Facebook if they are not already in your friends group. Make new friends! Mums That Rave is particularly good for this. Motherhood can be isolating at times and its surprising how much support you can actually receive via social media. That would be my advice.
You can find out more about Moms That Rave, Nikki and Yvadney on their Social Media:
