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FESTIVAL REPUBLIC, SUPPORTED BY PRS FOUNDATION, ANNOUNCE A NEW 3 YEAR PROJECT BASED IN LEEDS,PROVIDING A STEP UP FOR FEMALE* LED BANDS AND SOLO ARTISTS
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SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES TO RECEIVE ONE WEEK’S STUDIO TIME, TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, MENTOR ACCESS,AND A PERFORMANCE SLOT AT A LIVE NATION OR FESTIVAL REPUBLIC FESTIVAL
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APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME LAUNCHED FOR STUDIO ENGINEERS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ENCOURAGING FEMALE APPLICANTS
REBALANCE: ABOUT THE PROGRAMME;
ReBalance is a pioneering 3 year programme which will provide one week’s studio recording time to a core** female band, female musician or female solo artist each month in 2018, 2019 and 2020. As well as the studio and engineer, they will be provided with accommodation and travel (applicants must be based within the UK) which will be covered by Festival Republic. At the end of the year, Festival Republic would commit to giving these successful acts a slot at a Festival Republic or Live Nation Festival. In addition, we’ll be supporting women who want to work in sound engineering and production by offering studio apprenticeships.
In the recent Women Make Music Evaluation carried out by PRS Foundation, it was highlighted that women represent 16% of UK songwriters and composers and that there is a lack of women in other roles across the industry e.g. “…Engineering, in particular, is viewed as an almost entirely male ‘closed shop’.” ReBalance responds to this by supporting both artists and up and coming female engineers in a programme which offers valuable studio time and industry support. The aim of the project is to strengthen the talent pipeline and progression routes for female artists and engineers.
APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME;
Melvin Benn, MD Festival Republic said;
Vanessa Reed, CEO of PRS Foundation said;
“The evaluation of our Women Make Music fund highlighted the ongoing challenges for female artists whilst also drawing attention to the lack of women working in other industry roles including the recording studio. Low representation of women in these aspects of the creative process is an obstacle for female artists as well young women who are considering a career in music production.
I’m delighted that Festival Republic are responding to this by offering new opportunities which will support female artists alongside younger women who want to develop skills in music production and sound engineering. I’m also pleased that this is happening in Leeds, acknowledging the importance of promoting infrastructure and opportunities for talent development outside of London.
We look forward to helping Festival Republic to deliver this important and exciting programme and to following the results of the monthly studio sessions planned. We need more male leaders like Melvin Benn to recognise the ongoing gender gap in music and to use their position to do something about it. Coming up with campaigns and initiatives like ReBalance, will ultimately strengthen our industry and be of benefit to us all.”
“Being a woman in a band ain’t easy. Let’s face it, guitar music is male-dominated and it seems like the wider music industry is hardwired towards men – even the fact that people often feel they have to refer to our band as being “female-fronted” feels wrong (who ever referred to Arctic Monkeys as a “male-fronted” band?!).
This imbalance is probably most obvious in the live world. Just looking at the majority of festival line ups will show you just how underrepresented women are, something that’s highlighted time and time again in the media.
ReBalance is important because it looks to tackle this issue in a long-term way. Rather than just sticking a few female artists on some bills as a token gesture, it will provide support for the things that actually matter to an emerging artist – studio time, travel, accommodation, practical advice etc.”
Chris Guerin – Chair, Leeds Music Trust said;
“This is a wonderful initiative and all of us at Leeds Music Trust are really excited and proud to be a part of this fantastic and much needed programme. We support many young and talented female artists at our studios and through ReBalance we are looking forward to welcoming not only more talented artists from across the UK, but also improving gender diversity within our own structures, which we know is integral in this very male dominant sector. Old Chapel Music Studios has a great history. It is a true institution of the Leeds music scene and we are delighted to continue our relationship with Festival Republic in what will be an exciting new chapter, delivering the first programme of its kind in ReBalance”
*the definition of female, in the context of this initiative, encompasses all those who identify as women
**A band featuring women in the line-up, with that woman/ women being fundamental to the writing or producing duties.
For more information please head to the ReBalance website and Twitter
