Keychange receives EU funding for Training Programme and welcomes BMG as a new Pledge Signatory
The core-founders and partners of the global Keychange campaign are excited to announce they have been awarded €1 million from the Creative Europe Programme to fund their new Keychange Leaders programme. This crucial funding enables this new development programme to build on Keychange’s long standing work and movement of increasing gender diversity within the music industry.
Additionally, the international movement is equally pleased to announce that BMG, the world's fourth-largest music company has signed the Keychange Pledge and will henceforth support the campaign for a more diverse and sustainable music industry worldwide.
Keychange Team photo representing Reeperbahn Festival, PRS Foundation and Musikcentrum Öst
Photo credit: Marvin Contessi
The newly initiated EU-funded project focuses on underrepresented artists and innovators who identify as women and gender-diverse individuals and who must overcome professional barriers due to their identity. Following the signing of the grant agreement in the coming weeks, the programme is scheduled to start in November 2024 and run all the way until April 2027.
Under the leadership of Reeperbahn Festival organiser RBX GmbH, the following partners have joined forces for the project: Musikcentrum Öst (SWE), Keychange (BEL), Shiftworks/Tallinn Music Week (EST), Music Export Poland (PL), SACEM (FR), Oslo World (NO), Workshops of Culture Lublin/Different Sounds Festival (PL), and Artist in Bloom (PL). PRS Foundation (UK) will continue to provide support based on long-term experience as a founding partner.
The cooperatively developed Talent Leadership Programme (part of the Keychange Leaders) by the Keychange partners will train 40 participants each year in 2025 and 2026 at major showcase festivals and conferences in Europe and Canada. The selected participants will have the opportunity to network on-site and participate in hands-on workshops. The programme is supported by accompanying, individualised mentoring tailored to the specific needs of the participants. Additionally, the programme offers graduates the chance to join the Keychange Alumni Network and benefit from the knowledge of the international Keychange Community in addition to close ties to Keychange US, who have recently expanded the participant programme and increased Pledge Signatories in the US.
The key insights from the training initiative will be jointly evaluated by the Keychange Leaders Programme partners and made available to the entire music industry as a toolkit. Furthermore, the Keychange initiators are expanding their commitment with an intersectional data monitoring tool and an annual data analysis. These analyses are based on the experiences and feedback from 700 signatories of the Keychange Pledge and are aimed at promoting and monitoring gender equality and inclusion in the music sector.
This move is further bolstered by the recent support of the major global music company BMG who have joined the Keychange Pledge to increase diversity within the music industry. The Berlin-based company maintains 20 offices in 13 markets worldwide and functions both as record label and music publisher under one roof. BMG represents artists and songwriters including the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Lenny Kravitz, and Kylie Minogue, among many more.
Pierrot Raschdorff, Senior Director Global Corporate Responsibility at BMG says: “The music industry thrives on creativity, diversity and innovation. However, sustainable success can only be achieved if all genders are equally represented and valued. Equality is therefore not just a question of fairness; diverse teams are demonstrably more successful. We are delighted to join the Keychange initiative and look forward to working together to promote gender equality in the music industry and beyond."
Lea Karwoth, Senior Project Manager for Keychange at RBX GmbH says: "We are very pleased with the renewed support from the European Commission for our new programme and the simultaneous announcement of the partnership with BMG Rights Management. With BMG, we now count 700 Pledge Signers worldwide. This significant support enables us to further expand our commitment to a more diverse and inclusive music industry worldwide."
Alexandra Archetti-Stølen, Keychange Board Member and Oslo World Music Festival Director says: "We are thrilled to embark on this next phase of the Keychange initiative with the support of the European Commission. This funding will allow us to continue breaking down barriers and fostering an environment where underrepresented artists and innovators can thrive. By nurturing talent through our innovative Keychange Leaders programme, we are not only championing gender diversity but also driving a more inclusive and dynamic future for the music industry. I am excited to see the transformative impact this programme will have on participants and the broader industry landscape."