As we approach International Women’s Day, The University of Oxford Cultural Programme has announced a series of Women in Music events in partnership with Girls I Rate on March 7th. The events will celebrate the many women leading the way in the music industry and ask why women remain underrepresented in many parts of the sector.
The day is made up of three events highlighting women’s accomplishments and perspectives from the music industry and will include exclusive access to accomplished industry professionals, music makers and academics and practical workshops exploring the challenges and opportunities in the industry today.
Women Leading the Way will feature an expert panel discussion with Apple’s Elena Segal, Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis, and Music Week’s 2023 International Woman of the Year Golnar Khosrowshahi, who will discuss challenges and opportunities facing women.
Future Hitmakers Masterclass, organised by Girls I Rate, will have successful women songwriters and producers like Carla Marie Williams MBE, Katie Melua, Miranda Cooper and JinJin, offering advice to aspiring creators and reflecting on rising through a male-dominated space. Finally, For You will bring together diverse musicians to perform, including members of the YWMP’s Team Drum and London’s F-Choir, celebrating gender minorities and cultural heritage within music.
This day is part of a rich programme of research and events leading up to the launch of The Schwarzman Centre — a dynamic hub dedicated to the humanities where world-leading research will take place alongside arts and cultural activities. The centre will transform the way Oxford teaches, researches, and shares the humanities with the world, and is due to open in 2025.
This is a significant moment for culture in Oxford and the cultural programme is committed to ensuring everyone, from all backgrounds, can participate in the joy and power of the arts. Currently, women remain underrepresented in many areas of the music creation process, as highlighted in the recent House of Commons Committee report on Misogyny in Music.
Women, trans and non-binary producers make up less than 3% of the industry, and for those whose identities intersect several protected characteristics, the figures are even lower. The Oxford Cultural Programme hopes the event will inspire positive change and encourage everyone to “Come as you are.”
For more information about the event and to book tickets, visit the Oxford Cultural Programme website here.
About The Cultural Programme
Based in the performance and public spaces in the new Stephen A Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, the Cultural Programme will bring together local, university and global cultural communities in a physical and digital cultural offer, inspired by the University of Oxford’s research.
Due to open in late 2025, The Schwarzman Centre will be a space where world-leading research takes place alongside arts and cultural activity of the highest quality. It will transform the way Oxford teaches, researches, and shares the humanities with the world. At the heart of the vision for the new building is a suite of performance spaces, including a world-class concert hall, a theatre, a cinema, an exhibition space, and a black box space for immersive work. Together, these facilities will enrich Oxford’s cultural landscape and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
Animating the new Schwarzman Centre will be an ambitious, wide-ranging and diverse programme comprising performances, mini-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, screenings, talks and other public events. The Cultural Programme will create places and spaces for collaboration across all genres and disciplines and attract artists, audiences and visitors of all backgrounds from across the globe.
This is a significant moment for culture in Oxford and the cultural programme is committed to ensuring everyone, from all backgrounds, can participate in the joy and power of the arts.
