The Marsden Jazz Festival is to partner Black Lives in Music to combat inequality in the music industry.

The Yorkshire-based jazz festival is working with new organisation to empower and amplify Black musicians' voices and promote their ground-breaking research.

Inclusion and diversity

Black Lives in Music (BLiM) was launched to tackle the racial inequalities in the UK music industry and to help create inclusive and diverse participation and representation within jazz and classical music.

Marsden Jazz Festival is one of the first music festivals to sign up to the initiative and is working closely with the organisation to widen opportunities for black musicians as well as to celebrate the history and achievements of black jazz musicians throughout the UK.

With its strong commitment to achieving an equitable festival and wider music industry, it now joins other arts heavyweights including Help Musicians UK, Jazz North, PRS Foundation, Manchester Jazz Festival and Leeds Conservatoire.

Widening opportunities

BLiM's goals include widening opportunities at grassroots levels for emerging Black artists and advocating for equality in the music industry workforce.

Through their survey, which is now open to respondents, BLiM are asking Black musicians and music creators to share their stories and have their voices heard. It will address barriers that limit talent from thriving — including racial discrimination, mental health, well-being and economic disparity.

Marsden Jazz Festival is already signed up to and achieving the Keychange pledge of a 50/50 gender balance in artistic programming, so joining BLiM is the next step in their work to creating a diverse, accessible and representative festival for all.

Proud

Barney Stevenson, Artistic Director for Marsden Jazz Festival stated: "I'm proud that Black Lives in Music invited Marsden Jazz Festival to become a founding partner of their crucial movement.

Since 1992, Marsden Jazz Festival has brought a black art form to the heart of a predominantly white, rural community in Marsden in the South Pennines of West Yorkshire.

But we know that Marsden Jazz Festival has further to go to ensure black representation amongst all our stakeholders, be they board of trustees, staff, artists, volunteers and our audience."

I'm proud that Black Lives in Music invited Marsden Jazz Festival to become a founding partner of their crucial movementBarney Stevenson, Artistic Director

Counteract

He added: "We recognise that we are at a particular moment in history when systematic black underrepresentation in the UK jazz sector can no longer be ignored, and we are proud to be part of the movement to counteract that.

Currently, no data exists on black musicians and professionals in the UK and BLiM. It is hoped that through this this research, systemic racism within the music industry will be brought to the fore of the conversation and huge, lasting changes can then be made to tackle it."

Survey

4BR was informed that BLiM will be supporting festivals, universities, orchestras and more to achieve inclusive and diverse senior management/board level, as well as mentoring to enable the progression of Black musicians.

Black musicians and music professionals are urged to fill out the Black Lives in Music survey by visiting: https://blim.org.uk/change