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LGBTIQ+ List 2021: Remembering this year’s queer pioneers

This year, IQ Magazine launched the LGBTIQ+ List 2021 – the first annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The landmark list was the jewel in the crown of IQs first-ever Pride edition, which was published on Monday (28 June) and followed our Loud and Proud agency-curated playlist.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2021, 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 inaugural cohort comprised agents, promoters, COOs, CEOs, event producers, wellness specialists, tour managers and more, all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.

“IQ received an unbelievable amount of heartwarming testimonials”

In no particular order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2021 is:

Steven Braines, co-founder, He.She.They (UK). Full profile here.
Sean Hill, director of tour marketing, UTA (UK). Full profile here.
Zoe Williamson, agent, UTA (US). Full profile here.
Will Larnach-Jones, managing director/head of bookings, Iceland Airwaves (IE). Full profile here.
Raven Twigg, promoter assistant, Metropolis Music/founder, Women Connect (UK). Full profile here.
Nadu Placca, global event & experience architect, The Zoo XYZ (UK). Full profile here.
Maxie Gedge, Keychange project manager, PRS Foundation (UK). Full profile here.
Mark Fletcher, CEO, Manchester Pride (UK). Full profile here.
Maddie Arnold, associate promoter, Live Nation (UK). Full profile here.
Lauren Kirkpatrick, promoter assistant, DF Concerts (UK). Full profile here.
Laura Nagtegaal, guitar technician and tour manager, MsGyver (NL). Full profile here.
Joanne Croxford, wellness + diversity specialist/ live touring/ tour assistant (UK)
James Murphy, chief operating officer North America, See Tickets (US). Full profile here.
Guy Howes, music partnerships executive, CAA (UK). Full profile here.
Doug Smith, SVP field operations UK & Ireland, Ticketmaster (UK). Full profile here.
Chris Ibbs, agent, CAA (UK). Full profile here.
Leigh Millhauser, coordinator, Wasserman Music (US). Full profile here.
Austin Sarich, director of touring, Live Nation (US). Full profile here.
Daniel Brown, event producer/programmer, Birmingham Pride (UK). Full profile here.
Rauha Kyyrö, head promoter, Fullsteam Agency (FI). Full profile here.

“I never imagined I’d be so thrilled to see my inbox soar into triple digits – that is until we opened nominations for the LGBTIQ+ List 2021,” says IQ staff writer Lisa Henderson, who guest-edited the Pride issue. “We received an unbelievable amount of heartwarming testimonials from across the business but, thanks to the help of our revered steering committee, we’ve ended up with 20 exemplary individuals who continually prove that diversity is the industry’s greatest strength.”

Subscribers can read the entire Pride edition (issue 101) of IQ Magazine now.

Click here to subscribe to IQ for just £5.99 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

 


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The LGBTIQ+ List 2021: Nadu Placca, The Zoo XYZ

The LGBTIQ+ List 2021 – IQ’s first annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – was published in the inaugural Pride edition (issue 101) this month.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2021, as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee, have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, IQ asked each individual to share their challenges, triumphs, advice and more. Each day this month, we’ll publish a new interview with an individual on the LGBTIQ+ List 2021. Catch up on the previous interview with Steven Braines, co-founder of He.She.They, based in the UK here.

 


Nadu Placca
she/her
Global event & experience architect, The Zoo XYZ
UK
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadu-placca-bb2b6b32/

Tell us about a personal triumph in your career.
Setting up The Zoo XYZ and being able to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the forefront of my career, enabling me to meet more amazing people and pass on skills and awareness to more communities across the world.

What advice could you give for young queer professionals?
Proudly be you. This industry hosts an array of talent, characters and personas that stand confidently on our event shoulders. It’s equally important that these people are also recognised behind the scenes.

Tell us about a professional challenge you often come across as a queer person.
My international work experience can be the most challenging, especially when working in countries that criminalise and fail to acknowledge basic human rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. I navigate these countries delicately, whilst proudly loving who I love, these are still developing countries from a human rights perspective, so I use my status and power within the industry to support a more diverse event team wherever I can.

“Consciously, actively and openly encourage and support more people that do not look like you into your spaces”

What one thing could the industry do to be more inclusive?
Consciously, actively and openly encourage and support more people that do not look like you into your spaces. For organisations across the industry, from the top down to grassroots-up. Everyone has a part to play.

Causes you support.
A few causes that have recently crossed my radar are The Oasis Project & LGBT Rights Ghana. Any cause supporting the LGBTQIA+ community on the African continent deserves a platform to be amplified.

The Zoo XYZ is also raising awareness on Black event professionals; supporting all intersections of being Black in this industry through our BEEHive programme that supports Black Event Experience, and the Association of Black Event Professionals aimed at being the voice of this community across the UK event industry and beyond.

“I hope organisations are moving away from theoretical ways of supporting other communities and are actively embarking on change”

What does the near future of the industry look like?
I would like to see more women and members of my community get involved in production and other aspects of the industry that are typically held by cis white males.

We have seen how the use of technology and social media has helped the industry expand and enhance its audience on a wider scale, yet this diversity needs to be adapted to the workforces behind the scenes for the real growth of the industry.

How would you like to see the industry build back better, post-pandemic?  
This forced pause has been time to reflect, and I hope organisations are moving away from theoretical ways of supporting other communities and are actively embarking on change. Real change.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.