Keychange was founded in 2015 as an initiative to tackle the gender imbalance within the music industry, from label signings and festival lineups to company boards.
Since 2018 it has also been putting money to work on this challenge: nearly €2.8m invested in 306 artists and industry professionals via its talent development program.
Next month, Keychange will publish a report taking stock of the progress in those last five years, as well as its ‘Keychange Manifesto 2.0’ to set out its priorities for the coming years too.
The findings of the report are positive: particularly the stat showing that 76% of the scheme’s participants have gone on to launch gender-equity movements in their own countries.
It also celebrates the fact that more than 650 entities have signed the Keychange Pledge, which commits companies and festivals to working towards 50/50 gender balance.
The new manifesto will be a 10-point call to action for policymakers and music-industry bosses focusing on issues including safer spaces, gender pay gaps, and further research into the industry’s challenges. Both will launch at Tallinn Music Week in Estonia on 5 April.
