Spotlight Interview- Dr Michaela James - Girls to the Front

We chat with Dr Michaela James from Girls to the Front about how they started and the support they are providing across Wales for young women.

Can you tell us a bit about Girls to the Front and how it started? 

Girls To The Front (GTTF) advocates for young girls to find their voice and make space through movement and creativity.

It's rooted in a DIY ethos and designed to create safe, inclusive spaces where girls don't just participate, they lead. It started in 2021 and, honestly, it would not have started if it not for my friend Owen giving me the nudge and space to do it; I started something that I absolutely needed when I was younger. 

Can you tell us about the programmes you run?

Our activities are designed to dismantle the barriers of low confidence and fear of judgment that often cause girls to disengage during adolescence. Everything we offer is underpinned by co-production; we just provide the "skeleton,", adapting every session to suit the needs and voices of those that attend. We have two pillars of GTTF. We use movement as resistance and self-publishing. 

We have a weekly flagship movement session where we reframe physical activity as a tool for agency and making space. Traditional sports often demand that girls adapt to rigid, competitive systems so we offer an alternative rooted in play and autonomy. 

We use the DIY ethos of the 1990s Riot Grrrl movement to show girls they don’t need permission to be heard. Girls create and self-publish their own magazines (zines) to explore identity and express opinions. By self-publishing, girls share their experiences without requiring validation from media, institutions, or authority figures.

Is there anything you’d particularly like to share with our community?

We have a weekly movement session that runs every Tuesday at 4.15pm in Swansea. I am just in the process of designing what 2027 will look like in terms of bigger events and projects! 

What does the next year look like for Girls to the Front?

We currently have some funding applications submitted which should really make things exciting! I want to start thinking bigger for GTTF, I am often guilty of thinking small and chronically over-thinking so the next 12 months will be trying to overcome those barriers and do some scary ideas! 

Where can we find out more about your work?

We have a number of resources available on our website: https://www.grrrlstothefront.com/store - these are all co-produced and shine light on exactly what is needed for young girls to thrive! 

You can see GTTF online on Instagram at @grrrlsttf.

We also have a website: grrrlstothefront.com