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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Saskhia Menendez, Keychange

The LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – IQ Magazine’s third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Check out yesterday’s profile with Lucy MacKenzie McNae, tour manager (Josef, Twin Atlantic) at Two and a Half TMs in Glasgow, Scotland.

The series continues with Saskhia Menendez (She/her/hers), Keychange innovator & board of directors at The F-List Music in London, UK.

Saskhia Menendez is an equality and diversity ambassador, researcher, public speaker, and social change activist. She works to help diversify the music industry landscape, as well as help improve representation and access and to educate and inform people about the issues and barriers certain underrepresented groups face. She is a multiracial trans woman who transitioned 12 years ago and is the parent of two children. She has over ten years of experience in the music industry.


Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2023 so far.
I have really enjoyed being part of the Keychange programme, where I have been speaking publicly internationally and educating people on the issues and barriers trans people face when accessing the music and entertainment industries. Helping with policy change and collecting research on equality, diversity, and inclusion in music. I have also helped with the Misogyny in Music inquiry and become a board member at the F List Music CIC.

Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
Kim Petras. She a real inspiration to me as a trans woman; she’s inspired me to start recording some tracks later this year.

What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
Always stay true to yourself, don’t listen to any negative comments, and never give up!

“The sheer lack of trans professionals and performers in the music and entertainment industries…we need more role models”

What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
Learning that I could still sing after transitioning, as the effects of estrogen changed my voice. I had to learn how to use my voice again and what techniques work for me, and which ones don’t anymore, but I am very happy with how things are progressing.

In terms of challenges in the industry, what’s currently keeping you up at night?
The sheer lack of trans professionals and performers in the music and entertainment industries, we need more role models and greater visibility. I am hoping to educate, inspire, and change negative perceptions to make it easier for the younger generations coming through the talent pipeline.

How do you see the live music business developing in the next few years?
I think the live music business will become eco-friendlier and more sustainable; the massive work around equality, equity, and inclusion needs to continue, and I think it will. I also feel that more collaborations need to be done internationally to support artists especially around touring and visas.

“The industry could employ more people from underrepresented and disadvantaged communities”

Name one thing you’d like to see the live music business change.
A charter or rider to support trans and nonbinary people.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
The industry could employ more people from underrepresented and disadvantaged communities and do more education and research on the issues and barriers certain groups face when trying to access the music and entertainment industries.

Shout out to your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Massive shout out to LIVE, Jon, Gaby, and the team. I sit on the diversity workforce panels every two months and have such great friends and support!

Do you support any LGBTIQ+ causes?
TGEU – I am a member and social change activist, aiming to improve the lives of trans people across the UK, Europe, and South Asia.

 


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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Meet this year’s queer pioneers

IQ Magazine has revealed the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – the third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals that have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

The third instalment comprises agents, promoters, tour managers, marketing executives, consultants, founders and more – all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.

In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 is:

Christina Austin, music agent, United Talent Agency (UK)
Hila Aviran, director of entertainment & tours, PixMob (US)
Johanna Beckman, senior creative curator and promoter, FKP Scorpio Sweden (SE)
Amy Greig, booking agent, Runway Artists (UK)
Adem Holness, head of contemporary music, Southbank Centre (UK)
Kane Kete, client development manager, Ticketmaster (AU)
Ippei Kimura, booking/marketing/tour manager, Creativeman Productions (JP)
Katherine Koranteng, marketing & campaigns manager, Festival Republic (UK)
Stefan Lehmkuhl, freelance curator & live entertainment consultant, BMG/Ruined My Rainbow (DE)
Lucy Mackenzie McNae, tour manager (Josef, Twin Atlantic), Two and a Half TMs (UK)
Saskhia Menendez, innovator at Keychange, board of directors at F-List Music (UK)
Dev Mistry, global internal comms manager, DICE (UK)
Frederik Diness Ove, founder, Queer Music Agency (DK)
Boyan Pinter (Boiadjiev), founder/director, SPIKE Bulgarian Music Showcase (BG)
Scott Robson, event manager, ASM Global (UK)
Roman Samotný, director, Queer Slovakia (SK)
Marie-Christine Scheffold, senior booking agent manager, Selective Artists (DE)
Karim Siddiqui, senior booking manager, Live Nation (US)
Areti Tziorta, marketing manager, TEG Europe (UK)
João Pedro Viana, music agent, WME (UK)

Throughout the next month, IQ will be publishing full-length interviews with each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2023.

Subscribers can read the full Pride edition now. Click here to subscribe to IQ from less than £8 a month – or see what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.

Check out 2022’s cohort of queer pioneers here, and 2021’s cohort here.

Impala hires diversity trainers Vick Bain and Arit Eminue

Impala, the umbrella body which represents music companies and associations across Europe, has appointed UK-based equality campaigner Vick Bain and Arit Eminue to provide diversity and inclusion training to its members.

Bain, who has been confirmed for ILMC session Gender Equality: The Next Level, is a diversity trainer, campaigner and PhD researcher, as well as a qualified equality, diversity and inclusion consultant.

Last year, she officially launched the F-List, a directory of UK female and non-binary musicians to be used by promoters, festival bookers, commissioners, music supervisors.

Arit Eminue of Diva Apprenticeships has also been appointed, alongside Bain, to provide diversity training for Impala’s 5,000+ members on a three-year contract.

“This is an exciting opportunity to spread awareness and knowledge on the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the music industry”

The pair have already held two training sessions for Impala’s diversity task force. The first training session for members is set for 27 January.

The appointments follow Impala’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter, published last October, which lays out 12 commitments towards promoting diversity and inclusion among independent music companies. This includes making diversity and conscious inclusion training available twice a year to all members.

“Working with Impala and its membership across Europe is an exciting opportunity to spread awareness and knowledge on the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the music industry,” says Bain.

Arit Eminue added: “I look forward to helping Imapala’s members achieve their diversity and inclusion goals and providing practical tips on how they can drive change. So much can be done by making simple changes to start with.”

 


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Femnøise launches map of female and non-binary pros

Femnøise, a digital platform aimed at fighting the gender gap on a global level, has launched a new map feature to help locate and connect women and non-binary professionals in the industry and empower them to monetise their skills.

The map allows users to find other music professionals by filtering geographical area, type of activity and musical genres. Profiles can request to connect to each other, send and receive private messages with other users, and participate in forums and discussion groups.

The platform already boasts 2,000 registered users ranging from tour managers to artists, photographers to designers, conductors to bookers.

“Our idea is to serve as a bridge between different needs, and profiles that fit the demand,” says Natalia San Juan, founder and CEO of Femnøise.

“Our idea is to serve as a bridge between different needs, and profiles that fit the demand”

“For example, if you are preparing your tour and need a guitarist or tour manager; if you want to look for a photographer to renew your book or find a designer for the cover of your next album, you can find her on Femnøise. The connections are as diverse as the profiles that connect.”

Users will also be able to create and monetise small courses using the platform’s nano learning functionality, in turn, helping others on the platform to strengthen their skillsets.

Alongside helping professionals to connect and skillshare, the platform will also give visibility to associations around the world which are promoting women and non-binary professionals in the industry and encourage collaboration to find solutions to diminish the gender gap.

The non-profit has received support from the likes of Keychange, the European Music Manager Alliance, the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and the Barcelona local development agency.

Similar initiatives serving women and non-binary people in the music industry have popped up across Europe, including Helvetiarockt’s one-stop shop for festivals, promoters, bookers, producers, musicians and more in Switzerland and Vick Bain’s F-List directory of UK female and non-binary musicians.

 


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Directory of UK female musicians launches

Today marks the launch of the F-List, a directory of UK female and non-binary musicians to be used by promoters, festival bookers, commissioners, music supervisors and “those scratching their heads over the fact they don’t know any female artists”.

The resource, launched by equality campaigner Vick Bain, provides details of more than 4,500 musicians across all genres of music and is free to use.

Bain first uploaded the directory as a sprawling online spreadsheet but after proving popular, she has re-launched it as a fully-searchable, not-for-profit website.

“The problem for women in the UK music industry is they are still in the minority when it comes to professional work,” Bain told BBC Radio 4’s Today.

“Only 20% of musicians signed to record labels are women and about 15% of festival headliners are women. So they don’t have much presence, professionally, even though they consist of nearly half of all music degree students.”

The F-List will launch alongside a concurrent community interest company that will champion equality and diversity in the industry. IQs New Boss Alex Ampofo is among those on the board of directors for the company.

“Only 20% of musicians signed to record labels are women and about 15% of festival headliners are women”

“We are going to raise awareness, we’re going to create initiatives to help facilitate training and development, we are going to increase knowledge about gender inequality,” said Bain. “We want to be a major authority for promoting women in music.”

British-Indian-American sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar will be the inaugural president of the enterprise.

“The F-List is the first initiative of its kind to give female artists and musicians a platform where they can be discovered,” says Shankar.

“Its breathtaking thoroughness and scope nullifies any excuses from people in the music industry who blame a lack of representation and diversity by saying there’s a dearth of women to hire. But it’s also a supportive network that can transform the music industry into a place that better represents, and reflects, the richness and diversity in British society.”

Helvetiarock, a Swiss association and networking platform pushing for gender equality in the live music industry, launched a similar directory earlier this month.

The resource, located at MusicDirectory.ch, will serve as a one-stop shop for women and non-binary professionals, including festivals, promoters, bookers, producers, musicians and more.

 


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