Keychange reveals impact over last five years

Gender-equality initiative Keychange is set to reveal a new report evaluating the impact it has made over the last five years.

Keychange was launched in 2018 by PRS Foundation and six partners from across the European live music industry to increase the representation of women and gender-diverse people across the industry.

This goal has been addressed through initiatives such as the Keychange Pledge, which encourages music festivals and organisations around the world to sign on and participate in the Keychange Talent Development programme.

Between 2018 and 2024, pledge signatories have grown from 45 to more than 650 in 40+ countries. The reach has been bolstered by the support of 43 ambassadors including Tayla Parx (US), Rebecca Ferguson (UK), Nadine Shah (UK), Peaches (DE), Flore Benguigui (FR), Tegan and Sara (CA), Linnea Henriksson (SE) and Joy Denalane (DE).

Since launching, Keychange has also invested over €2.75 million in 306 participants in its flagship talent development programme across five cohorts.  Of this, 153 artists and 153 innovators have been supported to advance their careers through cross-border collaborations, facilitating 155 showcase performances for artists and providing over 160 speaking opportunities for innovators.

Pledge signatories have grown from 45 to more than 650 in 40+ countries

Each participant receives an average investment of €9,000, covering various costs including access, accompaniment (managers etc.), and childcare expenses.

Among the Keychange partners and participants surveyed, the evaluation survey found that:

• 97% believe that Keychange has managed to a great extent to support the artistic and business development of women and gender-diverse people in the music industry.
• 90% of the participants rate very high Keychange’s contribution to the creation of a transnational movement on gender equity in the music industry.
• 87% believe that it has influenced considerably or somewhat considerably policy, business models, funding and music industry development.

The full Impact Evaluation Report, conducted by independent evaluator Dr Matina Magkou, will be unveiled during Tallinn Music Week in Estonia on 5 April.

At the same time, Keychange will launch its ‘Manifesto 2.0’ before its presentation to all partner festivals and the European Commission, which co-funds the initiative.

The manifesto outlines a 10-point call to action aimed at legislators, policymakers, and all sectors of the music industry, including live events, recording, publishing, sync, and broadcasting.

Recommendations focus on issues such as creating safer spaces, tackling the gender pay gap, promoting intersectional representation and advocating for education and awareness.

Christina Hazboun, Keychange project manager at PRS Foundation says: “What originally started as an idea for increasing gender-diversity in the music industry has now become a large movement of women and gender-diverse artists and innovators striving for change and equity within the music ecosystem.

“We are now really pleased to share the culmination of our activities and work from the past five years via two key documents: Manifesto 2.0 and the Impact Evaluation Report. We hope that both of them will serve the wider music community to achieve a more diverse, inclusive and equitable music industry for all and that the learnings that we acquired are shared with everyone who would like to find out more about how we ran this project.”

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