Keychange, the pioneering international initiative for gender equity in the music industry, has announced the 2023 participants of its Talent Development Programme.
Identified by industry experts as future leaders, the 74 artists and music industry professionals were selected from 12 countries across Europe and Canada to take part in the year-long programme. The cohort announcement follows a highly competitive open call that received 830 applications.
Keychange brings together a multitude of different skills and networks through the Keychange Pledge, offering a unique ecosystem with international collaboration at its heart. Its Talent Development Programme provides women and gender expansive participants with the skills, resources and pathways needed to unlock their full potential in their area of expertise. This year’s programme launches with a Full Network Meet Up at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on 14 and 15 February.
Alongside meet-ups, participants will take part in workshops, seminars and masterclasses at 13 Keychange partner festivals across Europe and Canada. Artists will have the opportunity to perform at international showcases, whilst innovators will take part in international music conferences. Each participant will be invited to join a bespoke mentoring scheme created in collaboration with the global platform for women, gender non-conforming people, shesaid.so.
The UK artists and innovators joining this year’s cohort are musicians Halina Rice, Pyra and Freddie Lewis, and industry professionals Michelle Kambasha, NIKS and Saskhia Menendez. The full list of the 2023 participants is available here.
