Liverpool, 8th March 2021 Sound City presents a special schedule of programming on its Guesthouse streaming platform and Facebook page today and for the rest of this week, celebrating International Women’s Day.
Liverpool Sound City is the lead UK festival for Keychange – the global network and movement, supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, working towards restructuring the music industry to establish full gender equality.
To that end, Sound City has established gender balance across its festival and conference line-ups as well as its training programmes. It is also proud to have a gender balanced staff and Board.
On International Women’s Day this year, Sound City will present a special Keychange showcase on its Guesthouse platform, featuring sets from The Rodeo, Miss Tati, Kety Fusco and Joanna Duda.
A dedicated Keychange conference will also be co-hosted on the Sound City Facebook page, with panels including: ‘Addressing The Gender Gap In Music Radio’, ‘Music & Gender Initiatives’, a Q&A on Creative Europe Support, and a keynote interview with Keychange Ambassador Kate Nash.
Speakers billed throughout the day include: Alexander Schulz (CEO Reeperbahn Festival & Keychange Co-Founder); Merle Bremer (Project Lead Keychange); Jean Philip De Tender (Director Media EBU); Peaches (Artist/Keychange Ambassador); Francis Gay (Head of Music WDR Cosmo); Irene Suchy (MusicaFeminina); Laureen Kornemann (MEWEM EUROPA); Marie Fol (Keychange); Tia Korpe (Future Female Sounds) and more.
During the rest of the week following International Women’s Day, Guesthouse will highlight some of the great women-led performances from Sound City over the years including sets from Shishi, Sans Soucis, Kelli-Leigh and Cara Rose.
On Tuesday, there will be a replay of the In Conversation between Julie Weir (Sony Music UK/Music For Nations) and Dr Jennifer Otter Bickerdike from last year’s virtual Sound City+ conference.
On Wednesday, Shesaid.so Northern Chapter’s Nina Kehagia will explore the incredible contribution of women/non-binary folks to sound, technology, and music – from Pauline Oliveros, Delia Derbyshire, Wendy Carlos, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sylvia Robinson, to SOPHIE, Arca, and Charlie XCX.
On Friday, we’ll look back at Tracy Thorn’s keynote speech from Sound City 2013.
Sound City MD Rebecca Ayres said: “International Women’s Day is an important day in the calendar in terms of both lifting women into the spotlight and promoting awareness around the gender inequality that still exists in the music industry. But the fight for greater equality needs to be constant and, indeed, for Sound City, the commitments we have made as the lead UK Keychange festival are year-round commitments, with gender equality being a key aspect of our festivals, conferences and training. We look forward to celebrating women in music on International Women’s Day and beyond.”
About Sound City
Sound City is the brand responsible for organising a range of boutique music, media and technology festivals and conferences around the world. Since its inception, it has designed, delivered, marketed and hosted events in cities on three continents that range from a series of shows, conferences and product and service launches to full music and arts festivals and creative and digital industries conferences. Sound City consistently delivers high quality, high calibre events that have been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. Sound City owned events include Liverpool Sound City festival and conference, Dubai Sound City, Tromso Sound City, New York Sound City, Gateway to the Asian Music Markets, Sound City Korea and Sounds of the Xity, Beijing and China.
Sound City is proud to work with many leading and innovative partners. These include Arts Council England supporting new artistic and industry talent; Sound City Emerging Talent and Training powered by CAPLL Ltd, PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations, INES and Creative Europe, and Sound City official Cultural Education Partner, LJMU. Our media partners Gigwise and Line of Best Fit, Stage and Festival partner The Cavern Club, Commercial partners Kopparberg, BrewDog and Blackstar Amplification. As well as our partners who are bringing some of the best new music from across the UK and many exciting showcases from Modern Sky UK, SAMA, Momentum Music Fund, Horizons, SESAC, Sentric Music, Zandari Festa, BIMM, Hope University and Leeds Conservatoire.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Between 2018 and 2022, Arts Council England will invest £1.45 billion of public money from the government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
About INES and Creative Europe
We are part of Innovation Network of European Showcases. The INNOVATION NETWORK OF EUROPEAN SHOWCASES, or INES, is a European cooperation project initiated by eight international showcase festivals and gigmit, the European digital platform for artist booking. Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
About Keychange
Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music by encouraging festivals and music organisations to achieve at least 50% women and under-represented genders in their programming, staffing and beyond. 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 encourages all music organisations, festivals, venues, broadcasters, agencies and beyond to take the Keychange Pledge and to work towards a representative music industry.
keychange.eu
