Keychange, an initiative for gender equality in the music industry, has welcomed 76 new participants to its talent development programme.
Selected by industry experts, the new cohort, comprising women and gender minority participants from 12 different countries, will take place in a year-long programme designed to equip them with the skills, resources and opportunities needed to fast-track them to the next stage in their careers.
Participants include Shereen Perera, senior producer of Women of the World Foundation (UK), Samantha Slattery, founder of Women in Music Canada (Canada), Mathilde Neuville, co-founder of Consentis for the prevention of sexism and sexual violence in music (France) and the Rough Trade artist, Laura Lee & the Jettes (Germany).
From the UK, the artists selected are Caro, Eliza Shaddad, and Imogen, and the innovators are Bishi, Eve Horne, as well as Shereen Perera.
Sofie Marin, Keychange Capacity Building lead, and founder and CEO of From Sweden Productions, said: "It is a great honour to curate the programme for the 2022 cohort in close partnership with esteemed Keychange colleagues and partners across Europe and Canada. Keychange is a unique project in the sense that as a capacity building initiative it not only provides the strategies, tools and connections for up-skilling, mastery and growth.
"It also empowers the participants with a voice, clarity and direction to bring about positive change as emerging cultural leaders in their respective fields. Something that is much needed in the world today. Now more than ever there’s a need for human connection, interaction, inclusion, and support across the borders which will be at the core of everything we do; whether physical, hybrid and/or digital."
This year’s cohort will have the opportunity to take part in Creative Labs at the 13 festivals partnered with Keychange in Europe and Canada, which comprise workshops, seminars, studio sessions and masterclasses. Each participant will also have access to a mentoring scheme in partnership with shesaid.so.
