Happy International Women’s Day, from Liverpool City Region Music Board

This International Women’s Day, Liverpool City Region Music Board is talking about ‘Gender Equality’; one of the board’s key strategic priorities.

The Music Board aims to ensure gender equality and erase bias in the local music industry; supporting the rights of those who face intersecting discrimination, and putting their voices at the centre of policy-making.

The Board’s Gender Equality sub-group involves a selection of Board members and other contributors who work in the local music sector and feel passionate about gender equality, they volunteer their time to develop and implement the Board’s Gender Equality strategy. They are:

• Nina Kehagia (Chair) – Curator, Mentor and Broadcaster at Shesaid.so North and Resonance FM
• Jennifer John – Award-winning Composer and Vocal Coach, at Jennifer John Music
• Becky Ayres – Managing Director of Sound City
• Ben Williams – Commercial Director at ACC Liverpool
• Abbey Meysenburg – Promoter at Bed & Breakfast Live Music and Future Yard
• Cath Hurley – Community Manage/Music Manager at Future Yard and Mostdeffo
• Kevin McManus – Head of Liverpool UNESCO City of Music
• Grace Goodwin – Drummer, Percussionist and Record Label Manager, at Both Sides Records
• Sarah Lovell – Lead Culture Coordinator at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
• Christine Spriggs – Creative Director at Breaking The Record

The strategy aims to ensure inclusivity through the local music industry, both front of house and backstage; this means curators, bookers, promoters, publishers, agents, sync teams, and managers need to thinking more about their representation while also reviewing and balancing gig line-ups, artist rosters and client bases.

Breaking the Record’s ‘Ready to be Heard’ report, which focuses on girls, young women’s and professional female musicians’ experiences of the barriers and issues they face or have faced in terms of gaining access to and involvement in the music industry, has been an extremely valuable source of research for the Board. You can read the full report here: Ready To Be Heard

The Board will continue to share more news about its strategic work to ensure gender equality on this website in coming months.

Download the Board’s overarching strategy here: STRATEGY LCR Music Board (15.10.21)