Keychange Pledge

CeReNeM is a signatory to the Keychange initiative from PRS Foundation. Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music whilst encouraging festivals and music organisations to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022. Keychange aims to accelerate change and create a better more inclusive music industry for present and future generations.

CeReNeM made a commitment in 2017 to achieve a 50/50 gender balance across the composers represented on our Huddersfield Contemporary Records label by 2022, and we have since expanded that commitment to include a much wider range of concerts, guest lectures, and educational activities. The field of contemporary music—particularly in composition and music technology—has greatly benefited from the leadership provided through the Keychange initiative, and we’re honoured to be a part of that work to make the field more equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

CeReNeM pledges to:

1. Ensure that at least 50% of all composers presented across the Huddersfield Contemporary Records (HCR) label are female-identifying by 2022. This pledge was made publicly in June 2017. After that target is met, HCR pledges to ensure that this 50/50 balance is maintained across its releases in any three-year period. Additionally, HCR commits to maintaining a balance in the named solo performers/artists featured on the label, aiming for a 50/50 balance across any five-year period.

2. Ensure that at least 50% of all artists presented across the Electric Spring festival of electronic music within any calendar year are female-identifying. This commitment includes headline acts, supporting acts, installations, and presenters at the annual Creative Coding Lab Symposium. A particular commitment exists to ensure that headline acts are at least 50% female-identifying.

3. Maintain an appropriate gender balance of guests—aiming for at least 50% female or non-binary—across our visiting artist (concerts) and visiting lecturer (Colloquium) series within any academic year. Our aim is to maintain gender balance as well within disciplines, across both series—composers, performers, musicologists, programmers, etc.

4. Communicate an expectation to all guest performers in the CeReNeM visiting artist series that they maintain an appropriate gender balance in their concert programming, aiming for at least 50% female-identifying, non-binary, or otherwise under-represented composers/artists on all concerts.

5. Offer professional development programmes and educational projects to help develop new opportunities for women in new music and music technology, both independently and in partnership with other local institutions, including for example hcmf// and the Yorkshire Sound Women Network.

6. Commit to equitable gender representation in our print and online promotional materials.