Melvin Benn, managing director of organisers Festival Republic, has launched an initiative to address what he describes as the “quite astonishing” imbalance within the music industry.
The new initiative, called Rebalance, is a new three-year programme that aims to provide opportunities to solo female acts and female-fronted bands.
Part of the programme will involve providing free studio time every month in 2018, 2019, and 2020. It will also set aside festival performance slots exclusively female artists.
Melvin Benn said: "There is a significant lack of female acts with recording contracts, and indeed airplay. It’s quite astonishing.”
“But something needs to be done about gender equality in the music industry. It’s a wider issue that involves us, the live industry, but the solution doesn’t rest only with us.”
As Mr. Benn says, it is clear that more change is necessary.
The problem that women in the music industry face also comes from a lack of representation at the level of music executives and music producers. There needs to be better representation amongst the people who groom the stars of tomorrow.
Also, there needs to be more of an audience willing to accept uncompromising female artists. Otherwise, initiatives like this will be as effective as initiatives to support female football leagues. Sadly, no one will care.
Still, this is a positive step. Good job, Melvin Benn. We hope this is effective.