A group of Nova Scotia artists, writers and musicians have taken the lyrics of two wealthy pop superstars, Britney Spears and Taylor Swift, and rewritten them to express their dissatisfaction with the capitalist system.

Zachary Gough, a karaoke artist who sometimes goes by the stage name Joseph Beuys II Men, is part of the group launching a songbook to reflect contemporary labour conditions that are uncertain, temporary and part-time.

Gough came up with the idea of reshaping the Little Red Songbook, publication by the Industrial Workers of the World that's been used over the last century to mobilize union support and solidarity between workers.

The group has now rewritten the songs, in some cases borrowing from modern pop music, to produce a new book: Precarious Creative Workers of the World Little Red Songbook.

Difficult work conditions

Gough said he believes Halifax has a strong creative community of artists, writers and musicians, but it is difficult for them to find a job. Even when they do, he said, work conditions aren't good, leading to depression and anxiety.

He doesn't believe the songbook will change work conditions, but he hopes it would help bring creative people together rather than have them compete with each other for gigs or contracts.

"The book is for us creative workers to shift the way we see ourselves," he said. "We are often told it is only from a place of privilege that you get to work in a creative line. But creative work, is work and should be paid in dollars, not in credit, or exposure or that kind of thing."

Promotion and sponsorship

The songbook project was sponsored by the Mayworks Festival, an "annual multi-disciplinary arts festival that celebrates and recognizes the history and struggle of the working people of Nova Scotia."

It was also promoted by the Radical Imagination Project, a platform to study and analyze radical ideas.

"[The working conditions] are taking its toll on young workers who are struggling to pay off impossible debts and can't afford the sorts of economic security that their parents might have enjoyed and that we all deserve," said Max Haiven, the co-founder of the Radical Imagination Project.

"If we want a truly creative economy, we need to abolish capitalism."

Book launch event

Twenty people contributed to the project, including Alanna MacNevin, a web developer and writer. She became part of the project to be more creative outside of work.

"I think sometimes when you are doing creative work for a job then it stops feeling like it is creative," she said.

MacNevin believes the songbook and its launch event will be a fun way to find solidarity.

The book will be launched today at The Company House, where a karaoke party and a singalong will take place.

Gough, who is part of the international conceptual art karaoke group called Weird Allan Kaprow, has developed karaoke slides for the party. Here's one: