THE FEMALE PROMOTER
THURSDAY // MARCH 15, 2018
With the month of March dedicated to Women’s History, it seems only fitting to apply the same recognition and appreciation of women thriving in our live entertainment industry. Women have been working hard to represent in all sectors of the live entertainment industry.
Looking at a songwriters and producers study by USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Professor Stacy L. Smith titled, “Inclusion in the Recording Studio?” female artists only made up 22.4 percent of the content creators responsible for the 600 most popular songs from 2012 to 2017. Furthermore, 2017 was its lowest, coming to 16.8 percent of female representation on the charts.
Observing female producers and songwriters over the same six year time frame and 600 songs, female writers only came out to 12.3 percent. The most shocking? Only 2 percent of the producers were female. That’s one female for every 49 male producers.
What conspires from this data? Two things: Recognizing these facts and making a lasting change. Smith noted, “this is another example of what we see across the ecosystem of entertainment: Women are pushed to the margins or excluded from the creative process,” reported USC News. What to change? Both female and male industry professionals must come together and “bring new voices and different perspectives,” Smith said.
Although there is currently a lack of research among female live music promoters, the several barriers young women face in the promoting sector is no secret to the industry. These barriers include not knowing who to talk to, the fear of risk-taking, how to get the best deal and/or how to make the connections they need, Music Venue Trust reported.
On International Women’s Day, the UK’s Music Planet Live (MPL) and Music Venue Trust (MVT) announced a major partnership and initiative to uplift young, hopeful female promoters into the industry while revitalizing grassroots music venues. Coined with the name Fightback: Grassroots Promoter, this $140,000 intervention will support its action to recruit 100 young women to put on 100 shows at 100 venues.
“There’s not enough female promoters working in the grassroots music venues, and we’re going to change that,” Beverley Whitrick of MVT said.
MVT will provide a support package of which includes the following;
- A Gig-In-A-Box: How to book, manage & promote a show
- Support from local Grassroots Music Venue and music industry professional mentors
- Your own local event; in turn, your show profits will directly benefit venues in hopes to stay open
While providing an awesome opportunity for women to excel in the promoting sector, Music Venue Trust continues its mission to preserve Grassroots Music Venues, responsible for much of the iconic artists who utilized these local, British venues as a platform to musical success over the past 40 years.
These venues made it possible for artists such as The Beatles, The Clash, Kate Bush, Dire Straits and Radiohead to get recognized, and ultimately given the opportunity to share their treasured music with the world, MVT states on its website. In fact, without these venues we may not ever find another Adele or Ed Sheeran, both amazing artists who give grassroots venues current and relevant value they truly stand for.
In order to revamp the grassroots scene, harnessing a hardworking, new generation of female promoters will strengthen the music community as a whole; Music venues, aspiring artists and new promoters will all thrive immensely. Founded in 2017, this is exactly what Music Planet Live aims to achieve. For this initiative, MPL aims to provide the opportunity for promoters by removing the financial risks, pay the artists and venues alike, Richard Taylor of MPL said.
For more details regarding Fightback Grassroots Promoter, read the full announcement here: Exciting new initiative from Music Planet Live and Music Venue Trust
For more information on how to apply to Fightback Grassroots Promoter, visit www.musicplanetlive.com to create an account, then email Music Venue Trust at [email protected] for more details.
