Commits to gender balance
Photo: Tommy Johansen
This week Kongsberg Jazz Festival signed Key change- declaration, and has now become part of a global network that works with gender balance and diversity in cultural life. The promise involves a goal of achieving 50% representation of women and underrepresented genders.
- We believe in equal opportunities regardless of gender, and by taking part in the Keychange pledge, Kongsberg Jazzfestival will contribute and commit to this important work with a special focus on the jazz sector, says newly appointed festival director Ragnhild Menes.
Several festivals commit
11 new organizations have signed Keychange's commitment to gender balance, including some of the country's most influential festivals: Cosmopolite, Festspillene i Bergen, Førdefestivalen, Kongsbergjazz, Melafestivalen, Miniøya, Moldejazz, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Nordic Black Theatre, Norsk Jazzforum and Rabalderfestivalen. The promise involves a goal of achieving 50% representation of women and underrepresented genders. This week it was also announced that Mari Boine, Samsaya and AURORA have been appointed as Norwegian ambassadors for the programme.
- The festival has focused on gender balance for several years, but we believe in the symbolic effect of making a commitment and anchoring the work in the organisation. Although the recruitment of women to the jazz field has increased in the last ten years, we still have a long way to go before the field is equal, says Ragnhild Menes.
- As part of the work, we have also signed up to the Norwegian organization Balansekunst, which works for an equal and diverse cultural life in Norway.
Global movement
Key change is a campaign for increased balance in the music industry that invests in new talent every year through a participation program, while encouraging festivals, conferences and music institutions to sign a pledge to include at least 50% women and underrepresented genders in their programming. The list of participants includes 40 different countries and over 400 organisations.
- We look forward to participating in the Keychange network and to exchanging knowledge and examples of good practice with other Keychange organisations, concludes Ragnhild Menes.