Keychange is a pionieering European initiative which empowers woman to transform the future of music and encourages festivals to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022. Keychange is led by PRS Foundation, supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, in partnership with the founding members Musikcentrum Öst, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves, BIME, Tallinn Music Week, Way Out West and Mutek.

By now international 85 music conferences and festivals have signed up to join the project and thereby commit to a positive action. Waves Vienna is very happy to be one of them! As associate member festival Waves Vienna is making a gender balance commitment concerning the number of women in the musical line up as well as in the conference programm. The goal is to reach and overall 50:50 gender balance by 2022.

“The fact that women are still underrepresented in the music business – on stage as well as behind the stage or working in management and other leading positions – is undeniable. But so is the fact that there are thousands of exceptionally competent and talented women working in these fields. Contributing to an initiative like Keychange in order to reach a gender balance of 50:50 and thereby empower women and their visibility in the music business and above seems a perfectly natural thing to do. Waves Vienna is happy to be part of Keychange.” – Susanna Fellner, Waves Vienna

By bringing together like-minded festivals and conference programmers committed to positive action, Keychange aims to create much needed long-term change in live music and beyond.

“The Keychange network of female artists and industry professionals and the festival partners’ idea of establishing a collective pledge will significantly accelerate change. I hope that this will be the start of a more balanced industry which will result in benefits for everyone.” – Vanessa Reed, CEO of PRS Foundation