Keychange launches open call to find 74 innovative women & gender minority artists & innovators to take part in year-long programme 

Applications are open to artists (writing & performing their own music) and industry professionals (working in music) in Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

The pioneering international initiative Keychange has today launched an open call to find the next cohort of participants who will take part in an impactful capacity building and talent development programme throughout 2020. 

Led by Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), PRS Foundation (UK) and Musikcentrum Öst (Sweden), Keychange is looking for 37 innovative, emerging artists, with a distinctive and original talent who write/perform their own music, and are ready to export to new international territories. As well as the comprehensive training programme, artists will get the opportunity to showcase at one of the 13 festival partners. Mixed gender groups are welcome to apply for showcasing, with the woman or gender minority member taking part as a Keychange participant. 37 industry professionals will also be recruited, who must be pushing the boundaries of music industry practice, demonstrating an interest in new business models and innovative ways of working with growing professional track record. 

Each successful applicant will get a bursary and a programme of stimulating activity facilitated and overseen by the new project management team. Partners in all 12 countries will select the 74 participants at a selection panel taking place in London in December. 

The participants will get: - Participation in full network meet-up in Stockholm in February 2020
- Showcasing or participation at one of our 13 festival partners
- Participation in full network meet-up at Reeperbahn Festival in September
- Mentoring via SheSaidSo
- For artist applicants: performance at one of our 13 festival partners
- Promotion via the Keychange database
- Capacity building with a bespoke training programme 

The deadline is 6pm GMT on Wednesday 30th October. 

Each country has local partners and slightly different criteria, before you apply you must read the full criteria / guidance here:

APPLY 

Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music whilst encouraging festivals and music organisations to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022. 74 emerging artists and innovators each year from across Europe and Canada will take part in international festivals, showcase events, collaborations and a programme of creative labs. Keychange aims to accelerate change and create a better more inclusive music industry for present and future generations. 

Keychange is led by Reeperbahn Festival, PRS Foundation and Musikcentrum Öst, supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, in partnership with Tallinn Music Week, Iceland Airwaves, BIME, Oslo World, Linecheck/Music Innovation Hub, Ireland Music Week, SACEM, 

Liverpool Sound City, Way Out West, Spring Break, MAMA, Mutek and Breakout West. Keychange is sponsored by FACTOR, Fundación SGAE, GEMA, Gorwelion Horizons, IMRO, Roskilde Festival, Smirnoff Equalising Music, SOCAN Foundation, Songtrust, SoundCloud, STEF and STIM.