Chris Jammer
Representation is key for safe spaces
Having created a gender balanced line-up for Strawberries & Creem , and focused heavily on female safety at the Cambridge festival , S & C Productions head of partnerships Chris Jammer is calling on the wider industry to do likewise
The Keychange pledge has seen more than 500 events commit to programming gender-balanced line-ups by 2022 . The time for our industry to stand up , enact change , and be held accountable is now .
We must all play our part in combating this prevalent , society-wide inequality – the repeated under-representation of female artists and stakeholders . We can then move forward to tackle other pressing issues , such as those surrounding women ’ s safety , and challenges facing those of other , marginalised , genders . Representation is key for safe spaces .
With a music industry that has historically been stacked against non-male recording artists , generally creating more top sellers who are men than women – especially in the urban and dance worlds – you can see how the cycle can become entrenched when promoters only book the biggest names .
It shouldn ’ t be difficult ; it just boils down to booking more women . Given the wealth of amazing female talent out there , there is really no acceptable reason not to have a genderbalanced line-up . As promoters , we all have a responsibility to contribute to that positive change , but the conversation needs to be taken more seriously , and we need to act more decisively to achieve gender equality on all line-ups .
Festivals are defined by their line-ups . Not only do they provide the soundtrack and showcase the music policy , but they also give an indication of the values and ethos of the event . This has a ripple effect across the entire infrastructure – from suppliers , to onsite staff , to festival attendees . The atmosphere for us at Strawberries & Creem in September was noticeably changed because we placed equality , diversity and inclusion at the forefront of what we stood for – starting with the line-up . The festival felt friendlier , the mood more positive , and this was strongly attested in the feedback we received from attendees and staff .
We also doubled our attendance at Strawberries & Creem last year compared to 2019 , with 65 % of these ticket buyers being women . There is a wealth of evidence to suggest there is a positive economic case for diversity and gender equality on line-ups – quite the opposite to what some voices and event bills in the sector would suggest . By consciously refreshing their talent pipelines every year , and looking beyond proven male-skewed ticket sellers , events are able to move with the times and avoid becoming stale . Being a vibrant , diverse , evolving festival encourages customers to return year-on-year , while also attracting new audiences because people are increasingly looking for different experiences and choosing more progressive brands .
“ There is a wealth of evidence to suggest a positive economic case for diversity and gender equality on line-ups .”
In choosing to curate unbalanced line-ups , event operators damage their ability to achieve what is required on site to make their space safe for women and marginalised genders .
Teaming up with gender equality champions UN Women
UK – with S & C 2021 being the pilot event for their Safe Spaces Now : In Music initiative – we have been able to start laying the foundations required to improve women ’ s safety at our festivals . However , creating lasting change will require an industrywide effort .
We encourage festivals , events and organisations committed to equal representation and safety to sign our pledge to support Safe Spaces Now : In Music . The industry is moving in the right direction but not quickly enough ; this is an
issue of urgency , with sexual harassment and abuse more prevalent than ever .
Now is the time for us all to strive towards gender equality , balanced line-ups , and safer spaces across every part of our industry .
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