Representation of women and gender expansive talent in the music industry remains very low in all European countries. Across the participating countries’ collecting societies, women represent 20% or less of registered composers and songwriters. Earnings for women are even lower and women and gender expansive people are underrepresented in leadership roles across the industry and on stages at festival programmes.

The Keychange Pledge represents a collective effort to change this landscape. Through the Keychange Pledge, Keychange is building a network of music festivals and organisations who are committed to achieving and transforming representation throughout the music industry.

We are inviting all music organisations to take the Keychange Pledge. As all festivals and organisations are unique, we ask each pledge signatory to outline their own ambitions when signing the pledge.

• Orchestras could use the 50% target for composers commissioned and/or number of players, number of principal players, balance of senior staff.

• Concert halls could look at line-ups on stage (as our Keychange festivals have) or other aspects of their organisation e.g. senior staff, backstage staff

• Conservatoires could look at students, lecturers, senior staff teams, live music programmes, visiting musicians

• Agents, publishers and labels may want to look at the balance of artists they sign

• Other charities or trade bodies could also consider the make-up of their Board and staff whilst pledging to encourage its members to sign up to Keychange as well

• Broadcasters could use the pledge to look at the guests they invite onto their shows or presenters and music broadcast

• Publications and those employing editorial staff could apply the Keychange pledge when commissioning writers, editors, photographers etc.

• Organisations with youth groups or education programmes may also want to apply a Keychange pledge to this area of their work

We strongly believe that the target needs to be defined and owned by the festivals and organisations themselves and we will collate data annually to help measure progress.

All Keychange Pledge signatories are also encouraged to submit pledges to address intersectional barriers alongside their commitments to improving gender representation. Here are some examples of what that could look like:

• Companies and organisations can commit to meaningful recruitment in outreach to increase different gender, socio-economic, disability, racial and cultural backgrounds of their staffing.

• Companies and organisations can commit to pay transparency at all levels.

• Labels, studios, venues, festivals and organisations can commit to equitable representation of racially and culturally diverse staff, artists signed, lineups, speakers, etc.

• Labels, studios, venues, festivals and organisations can commit to proportional representation of D/deaf, disabled and chronically ill, (including those with mobility impairment, those with sensory impairment such as loss of sight and hearing, those with an intellectual disability, and those living with chronic illness), artists signed, lineups, speakers etc.

• Commit to a sustainable approach in all your respective activities (e.g. venues/festivals providing e-tickets, digitised advertising, recycling waste)