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Keychange launches open call to find 74 innovative women & gender minority artists & innovators to take part in year-long programme

October 4, 2019

Applications are open to artists (writing & performing their own music) and industry professionals (working in music) in Ireland, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

The IMRO sponsored, pioneering international initiative Keychange, has today launched an open call to find the next cohort of participants who will take part in an impactful capacity building and talent development programme throughout 2020.

Led by Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), PRS Foundation (UK) and Musikcentrum Öst (Sweden), Keychange is looking for 37 innovative, emerging artists, with a distinctive and original talent who write/perform their own music and are ready to export to new international territories. As well as the comprehensive training programme, artists will get the opportunity to showcase at one of the 13 festival partners. Ireland Music Week is the partner festival in Ireland for the initiative. Mixed gender groups are welcome to apply for showcasing, with the woman or gender minority member taking part as a Keychange participant. 37 industry professionals will also be recruited, who must be pushing the boundaries of music industry practice, demonstrating an interest in new business models and innovative ways of working with growing professional track record.

Eleanor McEvoy, Chairperson, IMRO & Angela Dorgan, Director, Ireland Music Week

Eleanor McEvoy, IMRO Chairperson said “International collaboration is essential to the creative and business development of all talented artists and the music industry’s future success. Enabling more women access to international networks and new markets at critical stages in their career will help them realise their potential as future leaders of an industry that is ready for and will benefit from change.  Right now we have an opportunity to respond and commit to tangible change within the music industry.  Our hope is that this will be the start of a more balanced industry which will result in benefits for everyone.”

Angela Dorgan, Director of Ireland Music Week added “As one of the first festivals to sign up to Keychange 3 years ago, we can already see the role events like ours have in proving that female and gender minority artists benefit from visibility. Bookers’ can’t ignore talent when it’s put in front of them, our job is to make sure the picture they get of the talent landscape is an equal one. “

Each successful applicant will get a bursary and a programme of stimulating activity facilitated and overseen by the new project management team. Partners in all 12 countries will select the 74 participants at a selection panel taking place in London in December.

The participants will get:

– Participation in full network meet-up in Stockholm in February 2020.
– Showcasing or participation at one of our 13 festival partners.
– Participation in full network meet-up at Reeperbahn Festival in September.
– Mentoring via SheSaidSo.
– For artist applicants: performance at one of our 13 festival partners.
– Promotion via the Keychange database.
– Capacity building with a bespoke training programme.

The deadline is 6pm GMT on Wednesday 30th October.

Each country has local partners and slightly different criteria, before you apply you must read the full criteria / guidance here: https://keychange.eu/apply/

Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music whilst encouraging festivals and music organisations to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022. 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 is led by Reeperbahn Festival, PRS Foundation and Musikcentrum Öst, supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, in partnership with Tallinn Music Week, Iceland Airwaves, BIME, Oslo World, Linecheck/Music Innovation Hub, Ireland Music Week, SACEM, Liverpool Sound City, Way Out West, Spring Break, MAMA, Mutek and Breakout West.

Keychange is sponsored by FACTOR, Fundación SGAE, GEMA, Gorwelion Horizons, IMRO, Roskilde Festival, Smirnoff Equalising Music, SOCAN Foundation, Songtrust, SoundCloud, STEF and STIM.

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