This week, PRS Foundation’s international Initiative, Keychange celebrated a pioneering move in the journey to decreasing the gender gap in music. Championed by BBC Radio 6 Music, the popular station asked ‘Can festivals be more gender balanced by 2022?’ They even took a closer look at festival line-ups when male performers are removed from festival line-ups.
Sparking much debate, the news followed the announcement that 45 international music industry conferences and festivals have made a pledge towards achieving or maintaining a 50/50 gender balance across their festivals by 2022 (including live line-ups, conferences and commissions).
With already a strong focus on the gender debate, 2018 storms ahead as a year set to mark the centenary of voting rights for some women with the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918. Centred around the day itself on 6 February, events and discussions to mark this anniversary are set to take place throughout the year. Coupled with international movements #MeToo and #TimesUp, PRS Foundation lead the charge for gender balance in the music industry.
Can festivals be more gender balanced by 2022?
This @VictoriaLIVE video has sparked a lot of reaction on our Facebook https://t.co/Thu5ngJkNl pic.twitter.com/NtClovpytG
— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) February 25, 2018
Unless women are on stage and are valued for the new sounds and styles they’re passionate about creating, producing and programming, NOTHING will changeLaura Kriefman
As part of the campaign, 60 participants are involved in the Keychange initiative, demonstrating a wealth of innovation and creativity and including Hellion Trace’s Laura Kriefman.
On attending the celebrations at Canada House, Laura commented: “Without Keychange.eu and it’s partners taking the lead to recognise females in the music how will we discover the sounds and ideas, culture and talent we didn't know we were missing?
“When I go to a music festival, I go to be surprised. I want to encounter new ideas, new music. Unless women are on stage and are valued for the new sounds and styles they’re passionate about creating, producing and programming, NOTHING will change. Even in 2017, I left festivals feeling overwhelmed and bored by encountering almost solely male voices and male culture - always with a sensation that something was wrong, because I couldn’t see the women who are inspiring me and whose music I seek, there was no reflection of ‘me’ on stage.
“Keychange.eu is a chance to be part of that change. My company, Hellion Trace, takes me all over the world where I encounter extraordinary composers and artists and coders who aren't getting the recognition their work deserves. Bring on the 50:50."
Laura can be seen performing next at Seeing Sound, an informal symposium exploring multimedia work, on 23-25 March 2018. On International Women’s Day, Thursday 8 March, Laura will be one of the mentors at the Arnolfini’s Inspiring Women Day, an afternoon of free mentoring with some of Bristol's leading women in the arts and creative industries.