- Keychange welcomes Lublin based festival, Different Sounds as official partner in Poland

- Open call to all Polish women and gender minority artists and innovators - there is just over one month to apply to join the prestigious network Keychange Participant Programme 

Today, Monday 23rd August Keychange announces a new partner in Poland - Different Sounds festival of art and music is the latest signatory of the Keychange Pledge, the pioneering international campaign to achieve at least 50% representation of women and gender minorities in an area of their work. 

Agnieszka Wojciechowska – Program Director of Different Sounds & Rafał Chwała – Artistic Director of Different Sounds say:

“Different Sounds Festival joined the Keychange network in 2019, and now, in 2021, we have become its official Polish partner. This is a momentous development for us. The values and goals of the Keychange community are congruent with our festival and essential to us, both as members of the community of cultural operators and recipients of cultural events.

We believe that equality and transparent policies should always be the foundations of all activities involving the public. From the very first days as the directors of Different Sounds, we have avoided focusing on particular music styles or specific genres. Instead, we have been committed to offering our audiences a broad perspective and a chance to experience the richness and diversity of music from all parts of the world. Music is an international language that goes beyond gender, age, race, and borders, and our approach naturally reflects it.

Now is the perfect moment for the Keychange movement to expand in Poland. Each year, as curators and bookers, we observe a steady increase in the number of women involved in the music sector in Poland. They are artists, managers, speakers, journalists, and experts in many music fields, including sound engineers and stage technicians. It’s high time to give them a platform for speaking and a voice, and we are thrilled and proud to be a part of this process.”

 Keychange Project Lead Merle Bremer says:
“As our new partner in Poland, Different Sounds will undoubtedly enrich the Keychange movement. The festival offers a diverse programme that inspires and combines music with art and culture. We are sure that Different Sounds, with its expertise as one of the most inspiring music events in Poland, will contribute exciting impulses for partners, artists and innovators. We are very much looking forward to the collaboration.”

Different Sounds was founded in 2008, evolving from 2014 into the festival of art and music it is today celebrating eclectic genres, traditions and cultural influences. Taking place annually in the heart of Lublin, the largest city in eastern Poland, it is known for its forward thinking lineups of high profile and emerging talent in contemporary and alternative music, featuring artists such as Mouse on Mars, Ministry, Goldfrapp, Einstürzende Neubauten, Tony Allen and George Clinton. The festival is also recognised for embracing ambitious cinema, literature and contemporary art. Different Sounds is supported by the City of Lublin, Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, the National Centre for Culture and other partners.

This latest partnership news follows an eventful summer for Keychange which recently celebrated its 500th  international signatory to the Keychange Pledge, representing a significant milestone and impact on gender equality in the music industry and beyond. Keychange has also been partnering with Music Innovation Hub (Italy) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign on their first major music and activist event called ‘Play:Fair’. 

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CALLING ALL POLISH WOMEN AND GENDER MINORITY ARTISTS AND INNOVATORS: APPLY NOW TO JOIN THE KEYCHANGE PARTICIPANT PROGRAMME!

Keychange would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the Keychange Participant Programme to Polish women and gender minority artists and innovators. The programme encourages women and gender minorities to demand more from the music industry and provides them with the tools to empower themselves and each other. Funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Keychange hosts an annual participant programme to champion, spotlight and upskill exceptional women and gender minority artists and innovators from 12 countries: Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the United Kingdom.. 

The Open Call invites women and gender minority artists and innovators from these 12 countries across Europe and Canada to apply to take part in the next 12 month programme, and to become part of the prestigious Keychange participant network. 

Go to the Keychange website to read more and apply: keychange.eu

“My experience with Keychange was nothing that I could ever have expected. First, when we had our only meet up in Sweden, I was blown away by the amazing people I met as fellow Keychange participants, incredibly smart, talented, worldly, creative humans. Then the pandemic hit and all the travel I was looking forward to throughout 2020 was cancelled, but Keychange never stopped and with the amazing network, we provided each other with support…Keychange kept me feeling connected with the outside world during those dark times of Spring 2020.” 

Mar Sellars, Keychange Innovator 

Application deadline: 4th October 2021