UK MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMITS TO KEYCHANGE GENDER EQUALITY PLEDGE
- PRS for Music, The Incorporated Society of Musicians, the Featured Artist Coalition, the Association of Independent Music, the Music Managers Forum and the Music Publishers Association join the Ivors Academy, and the Musicians’ Union to commit to gender equality on their boards
- Booking agency ATC Live and funder Arts Council Northern Ireland also join over 350 organisations now signed up to the Keychange pledge
- Carla Marie Williams (Girls I Rate), planningtorock and Jess Partridge announced as new Keychange Ambassadors
- Collaboration with Sound City, the Musicians’ Union, Gorwelion Horizons on ‘Keychange Week’ panels discussing gender equality in each nation
- Keychange to play a central role in inclusive COVID-19 recovery
Eight UK trade bodies have signed the Keychange gender equality pledge towards achieving 50% board representation of women and under-represented genders; PRS for Music, The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), the Ivors Academy, the Featured Artist Coalition (the FAC), the Association of Independent Music (AIM) the Music Managers Forum (the MMF) and the Music Publishers Association (MPA). This commitment follows the Women in CTRL report on music trade bodies, which further highlighted the lack of gender and ethnic diversity in the industry.
Andrea C. Martin, CEO, PRS for Music, said: “PRS for Music is proud to sign the Keychange pledge in a positive step towards rebalancing the scales of gender equality on our Members’ Council. As an organisation, we look to reflect the broad diversity of our members at every level, and we are committed to investing in meaningful and long lasting change through the PRS Foundation and their impactful talent development programmes. We welcome all new signatories of the pledge, alongside the new ambassadors who will help to spread word of the vital work that Keychange achieves across the global music industry.”
Over 350 organisations and companies have now signed the Keychange Pledge since its launch in 2017. Today Keychange announces 25 new UK signatories including ATC Live, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Music Publishers Association (the MPA), PRS For Music, Girls I Rate, The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), Gorwelion Horizons, Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), Boudica, Bido Lito!, BLOC+, MMF (Music Managers Forum), Runway Artists, Future Yard, Last Night From Glasgow, Score Draw Music, Off The Record, Baltic Creative, Generator, Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA), Sound City Ipswich, Suffering Fools Records, UPROAR Ensemble and Brighter Sound. AIM, the Ivors Academy and the MU have all previously made pledges for gender equality in their work, and many, including the MPA, have made commitments in other areas of their work.
ATC Live is a booking agency with a roster of more than 350 artists, and with the live sector severely damaged by the pandemic, their pledge shows a commitment to building back a sustainable and diverse industry.
Alex Bruford, Partner, ATC said: “Despite all the challenges that 2020 has brought, at ATC Live we are determined to remain focussed on doing what we can to achieve equality and diversity in our industry. As part of this process we are signing up to the Keychange initiative and will work towards ensuring new additions to our roster and staff include 50% women and underrepresented genders . Every year the important conversation around the balance of festival bills and equality on our stages and across our industry resurfaces. We understand that the festivals can’t book the acts if the agents don’t represent them, so we are committing to playing our part in the process of achieving real change.”
Furthermore, in collaboration with lead UK partner Sound City, venues from Liverpool are committing to change, including new 350 capacity venue Future Yard, who have just opened during the pandemic with social distancing in place. The venue was founded to instigate positive change in the industry and leverage music as a force for good within the local community. Recognising that women and underrepresented groups will be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, PRS Foundation have extended their pledge; 60% of all music creator grantees will be women, mixed gender groups and gender minority music creators by 2022.
Joe Frankland, CEO, PRS Foundation said, “PRS Foundation welcomes the urgent action being taken by the above organisations and companies and urges the rest of the music industry and wider cultural sector to follow their lead to ensure that recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic helps us to build back better. We are presented with a unique opportunity to reset and to ensure that exciting diverse talent and executives from all backgrounds can thrive in the music sector. Rest assured, Keychange will play a big role in pushing for a more inclusive international music industry.”
Keychange is proud to announce the appointment of three new Ambassadors in the UK to further the movement for gender diversity: songwriter and founder of Girls I Rate, Carla Marie Williams, electronic musician planningtorock, and founding Keychange Project Manager Jess Partridge.
Carla Marie Williams said, “It’s important for me to bridge the gap between the UK and Caribbean diaspora, increasing music and culture experiences and opportunities for black womxn. I’m happy to be an ambassador of Keychange pushing to increase our visibility across the music and creative industries''
planningtorock said: “Achieving gender equality in music is so important and what’s also important is how intersectional that equality is. As a queer, non binary artist I’m very excited to be given the opportunity to be a part of Keychange and work together.”
Jess Partridge said: “The work achieved so far by Keychange is truly remarkable, not only in the change it's already affected but also the movements it's inspired. I could not be prouder to have had such an incredible opportunity to work on and develop it and cannot wait to see what impacts it has next.”
As campaigners for gender equality in music, Keychange, funded by Creative Europe, invests in emerging talent with a yearly participation programme, whilst continuing to encourage festivals, conferences and a growing range of music organisations and institutions to sign a pledge to include at least 50% women and under-represented genders in their programming, staffing and beyond by 2022. The current list spans 40 countries and over 350 organisations such as the BBC Proms, the Barbican, Blue Dot Festival, Wide Days, Cheltenham Festivals, the Southbank Centre, FOCUS Wales and more. See the full list here.
In addition to the ongoing Keychange Pledge, 74 participants – a roster made up of emerging artists and innovators within the music industry – are selected each year from across Europe and Canada to take part in international festivals, showcase events, collaborations and a programme of creative labs. Exceptionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Keychange 2020 participants will see their involvement extended until December 2021, in order to allow for travel and development to take place in the following year, with online mentoring, panels, and workshops run by Capacity Building Lead, Chimes until then. Partners across Europe and Canada will host discussions around the national gender equality climate during 2020.
The UK’s Keychange participants for 2020/21 are:
Critically-acclaimed and multi-talented anaïs will be performing at a special Keychange edition of GuestHouse, the innovative live streaming platform launched by Sound City earlier in the year. Mastering engineer Katie Tavini, was nominated at the MPG Awards for Mastering Engineer of the Year and has recently worked with Nadine Shah, We Are Scientists and Pillow Queens (also Keychange participants). Kat Kenedy leads Big Life’s management team and has worked with artists such as London Grammar, Scissor Sisters and current roster Lazy Day and Liz Lawrence. Experimental electronic label-owner and sound artist from Russia via Germany Machine Woman has also appeared on labels such as Ninja Tune and DFA. Welsh-Indian art rocker Emma Damman Thomas has toured extensively with band Islet, including in Japan and has recently moved into focus on new work, which explores race, grief and motherhood. Shekayla Maragh specialises in live music touring, festivals, and interdisciplinary event production, and has recently launched a talent and development agency space for music creatives in the Midlands called CUBE.
Sound City are the lead partner for Keychange in the UK and will host 6 international Keychange participants, as well as the UK participants in 2021. Announcing yesterday the first names for their 2021 line-up, they have committed to gender equality on their line-up. As part of Keychange Week in the UK,Sound City will be hosting Keychange participants Violet Skies, anaïs and Tawiah, presented by PRS for Music, on their GuestHouse platform on Wednesday 23rd September.
As part of this celebration of commitment from the UK music industry, Keychange, along with partners Sound City and sponsors the Musicians Union and Gorwelion Horizons, will explore and highlight the national context of gender equality in 4 panels broadcast via Facebook live:
Thursday 24th September, 12pm - 1pm
Gender and activism in Scotland; Structures for progress
Watch on the Keychange Facebook page, the Liverpool Sound City Facebook page, and the Wide Days Facebook page.
What support systems are there to work towards gender equality and inclusion in the Scottish music industry? What barriers have been ignored or missed and how can we build a more supportive infrastructure in response to recent events? Who should be speaking to who, and how? With:
- Halina Rifai - Podcaster / Writer / Scottish Women Inventing Music
- Jenn Butterworth - Musician / The BIT Collective
- Jess Partridge - Keychange Ambassador / London in Stereo
- Diljeet Bhachu - The Musicians’ Union
Thursday 24th September, 2pm - 3pm
How can we all make gender equality a reality?
In support of UK Keychange week, forces from Sound City, Brighter Sound, Women in CTRL & Young Guns Network unite to examine the music industry’s attitude to gender equality. Music is an outlet for creativity and enlightening audiences culturally, therefore we should present a diverse and equal platform for all. But what do we want the future of the industry to look like? Diversity needs to be championed on all levels from interns all the way up to board members. This panel will discuss the importance of role models, shaping and encouraging future leaders. It will also delve into the barriers and challenges women face, citing recent studies and reports carried out highlighting the lack of women in board member roles, radio playlists and in the general workplace. Our panel of experts will review the current climate, suggesting solutions and policies for change. It’s time for our voices to collide for a conversation we all need to be part of for the sake of the music and its future leaders. With:
- Remi Harris MBE - Young Guns Network
- Lady Ice - Musician
- Kate Lowes - Brighter Sound/Both Sides Now
- Becky Ayres - Liverpool Sound City
- Steven Braines - He.She.They
- Francine Gorman - Keychange
Thursday 24th September, 4pm - 5pm
Let’s talk about gender baby
The music scene in Northern Ireland has some great organisations working for change that are encouraging more creatives to move (and stay!) in the area. This panel will discuss the current context of gender equality in N.I, what safety nets there are, and any areas of concern/development. With:
- Charlotte Dryden - Oh Yeah Centre
- Rosie Le Garsmeur - Creative Europe
- Jo Wright - Arts Council NI
- Hannah Peel - Composer / Keychange Mentor
- Francine Gorman - Keychange
Thursday 24th September, 6pm - 7pm
Mind the Gap! Talent is distributed evenly, opportunities are not!
How are organisations changing to represent the underrepresented in the music industry?
What effect is the 50/50 pledge having on festivals and radio playlists?
What about those resisting the change? What can be done on a grassroots level?
What about the individual responsibility? What can we do? With:
- Bethan Elfyn - Gorwelion Horizons
- Emma Daman Thomas - Islet / Keychange Participants
- Maxie Gedge - Keychange
- Millie Carter - BBC Music Introducing
- Ffion Wyn - Ladies of Rage
- Dionne Bennett - Musician / Ladies of Rage
- Casi Wyn - Musician
- Jodi Marie - Musician
For more information on Sound City visit soundcity.uk.com/
Listen to the UK Keychange artists on Spotify here and on SoundCloud here.
Carla Marie Williams
Carla Marie Williams is a Grammy award winning songwriter who started her music career at the age of 14 years old when she sang in local talent shows in North West London, whilst writing poetry well beyond her years. She strived and fine-tuned her talents, becoming a songwriter to a roll-call of stars including Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Craig David, Rudimental, Sean Paul to name a few. In Carla’s early career she worked as a youth worker for the Peabody Trust and was later
singing backing vocals for artists including Ms Dynamite, Estelle, Corrine Bailey Rae, Westlife, Bryan Ferry and Spiritualised.
Carla started her professional songwriting career at the UK hit factory Xenomania where she worked as an integral part of the team co writing a plethora of top ten hits for artists such as Girls Aloud, The Saturday's, Alesha Dixon and many more. In less than 2 years Carla had achieved 6 UK top 10's, an Ivor Novello nomination and BRIT Award for her contribution to the single ‘The Promise'. In 2014 Carla was inspired to form her own entertainment company NewCrowd where she now houses producers, songwriters and develops raw talent.
In recent times, Carla is best known for her work on Grammy Award winning Album ‘Lemonade’, where Carla co-wrote “Freedom” for Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar, she also co-wrote BRIT smash hit “Runnin” for Naughty Boy featuring Beyoncé.
2016 saw her launch her female empowerment movement “Girls I Rate” where her and her team have been pushing for opportunities and equality for womxn in particular black womxn in music and entertainment.
planningtorock
Planningtorock – aka Jam Rostron – is a Bolton-born Berlin-based singer- songwriter, composer, producer and director with four critically acclaimed studio albums of left-field dance to their name – not to mention various collaborations, Operas, film scores and remixes. A self-taught, non-binary, genderqueer musician, they’ve spent a decade plus queering sound and vision as Planningtorock.
Planningtorock debuted in the Noughties with 2006’s Have It All [Chicks On speed], finding artistic community among fellow DIY outliers and gender outlaws such as Peaches and The Knife. Their sound – tense, spellbinding dance music with classical flourishes, unexpected brass and pitched-down vocals – have become Planningotorock's signature, earning them a dedicated following.
W, Planningtorock’s critically acclaimed 2011 debut via DFA, revealed a visionary and politicised producer offering up deeply queered art-pop. 2014’ s All Love’s Legal (“a masterclass in left-of-centre dance music”, Mixmag) was released on Rostron's own label, Human Level with banner-ready slogans (‘Patriarchy Over And Out’, ‘Let’s Talk About Gender Baby’), revealing their ability to combine pop-oriented music with a political message. Planningtorock's fourth full length album Powerhouse, released in 2018, is their most personal record yet, with emotionally charged, biographical anthems drawn from Rostron’s lived experiences as a non-binary genderqueer artist, experiences around family, identity and music itself.
2020 sees Planningtorock return with “PlanningtoChanel” EP, a collaboration with Chanel sound director Michel Gaubert. The songs found on PlanningtoChanel soundtracked the legendary Parisian fashion house’s Autumn-Winter 2020 show earlier this year. “I always felt that Jam incorporates operatic and cinematic elements to their unique sound,” Gaubert explains. “The Chanel show was inspired by French cinema from the 70’s and 80’s and Planningtorock blessed the show with their sound and gave birth to PlanningtoChanel.”
Jam will donate a portion of the earnings made from all future planningtorock releases to anti-racist organizations. Starting with “PlanningtoChanel”, a donation will be made to the Marsha P Johnson Institute, which advocates on behalf of black Trans people in the US.
Jess Partridge
Jess Partridge is the founder and editor of In Stereo group which is widely respected as a new music platform that supports the live sector with popular magazines in London, Bristol and Berlin. Jess has worked at PRS Foundation and for many funders in the UK, helping to create opportunities and advise applicants. Alongside this she’s a freelance events and projects manager; she helped to launch and grow PRS Foundation’s Keychange initiative for gender equality and curates conferences for Annie Mac’s ‘Presents’ series. Jess is a proactive and knowledgeable champion of new music and its diversity.