|
|
|
Welcome to our 28th Newsletter!
|
This month WILM is celebrating her seventh birthday! 🎂
We have been super busy organising this year’s WILMAwards, which is going to be bigger and better than ever! Voting is now closed, and the results are in…. So who will the winners be this year?
All will be revealed on the 11th of December during our Awards Ceremony at Metronome London!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We truly appreciate our members for taking the time to send us postcards and update us on their activities! 💌 You can send us a postcard via email or you can post it in our private Facebook Group!
|
|
|
Our postcard this time comes from Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg back in September.
|
|
|
“About me: I’m a Norway based venue manager and concert photographer wanting to venture into tour management among other gigs. I’m 24 and just finished my bachelors in Public Health, and aim to implement its principles in my work and local industry in my town.
|
🇵🇬 Koala in Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
I have been fortunate to join the small crew of the Norwegian-based pop/rock band Naked Koala as their tour manager and media (photo/video). In covid times some of their hits blew up in Papua New Guinea.
|
|
PNG is a developing country with no real established CCI. And a lot of international acts don’t look to this country when planning their tours. We wanted to be the first ones to properly show what can be done. If no one dares to try, there will never be a change. Which has led us up until this week.
|
|
This saturday we headlined the local music festival PapaGraun at Sir Hubert Murray stadium in Port Moresby (capital). First international act to do so since 2015!
|
|
Together we got to play a solid western-standard set on 1h/1.5h. In contrast to the 15 minute sets that are the standard here. The reception was beyond our imagination.
|
|
This was my first gig as a tour manager and it has been incredible! Crazy to do my first gig on the other side of the world, but it’s outside your comfort zone you learn great stuff. We aim to be back in 2025 with a Pacific islands tour! Big dreams!”
|
|
|
|
What we’ve been up to since our last newsletter:
|
PLASA London & The Wellbeing Report – September
|
|
From left to right: Lynne Maltman, Joanne Croxford, Malle Kaas, Suzi Green and Melissa Russell
|
|
We had a fantastic time as always reconnecting with everyone at PLASA in September. Our WILM booth was bustling with visitors and it was so great to meet everyone that came along. We also hosted networking events and a panel discussion.
|
|
|
The legendary Tour Manager Suzi Green giving a talk to newcomers in the industry at PLASA
|
|
During the panel we released the results of our survey that we started last year in November: Wellbeing of the Female Crew We discussed the outcome with an amazing group, consisting of among others Lynne Maltman from Music Support, Coach and Production Coordinator, Lara Cullen. Thanks for having us PLASA!
|
|
|
|
Two-days of Stockholm Workshops – September
|
|
The legendary venue where stars like ABBA and Liza Minnelli have performed
|
Workshop 1 – ZacTrack @ Hamburger Börs
On the first day we hosted an Introduction to automated systems workshop with ZacTrack, for use at concerts, theatre, corporate gigs etc. This workshop was conducted by Daniel Löfgren from GOBO Sweden.
We loved the story of how he, at just 11 years old, attended a show and had the chance to meet Helena Holgersson, a lighting technician at the Royal Opera House. That encounter sparked Danne’s inspiration to pursue a career in lighting and they got the chance to reconnect at this event!
|
|
|
Programming for ZacTrack – automating tracking system
|
Workshop 2 – GrandMA3 in association with Gobo
The next day we held our second MA3 workshop in partnership with GOBO Sweden, featuring the distinguished Lighting Designer Kamilla Bjellsäter, Senior Lighting Supervisor at the Opera House in Stockholm.
|
Kamilla gave us a run-through of the MA3 software which showed us the versatility of this desk in a way that was received well by both veterans as well as newcomers.
|
|
Additionally, the day included an informative session on GDTF, presented by Joshua from Vectorworks – also an important element when talking about the programming of lights.
|
|
|
MA3 workshop with a touch of GDTF
|
|
|
Walk & Talks all over Europe!
|
|
What do the artists, Jacob Collier, Within Temptation, Keane and The Last Dinner Party have in common? Not a lot you might think, but it just so happens they all supported WILM by hosting Walk & Talk’s this Autumn!
|
|
|
WILM members visited The Last Dinner Party crew in London
|
Attendee Ellie West had this to say about our Walk & Talk in Manchester:
“Saturday 19th October I had the opportunity to attend a Walk and Talk tour of the Co-op Live arena in Manchester courtesy of Women In Live Music. This particular setup was for a show by English rock band Keane.
|
|
We were toured around the venue by Hannah Brodrick, WILM co-founder and monitor engineer, and also Ben Richards who is production manager for the show. We also had the chance to meet Emma Beszant who is production manager for the venue and also has a wealth of experience working across large venues across the UK.
|
We were able to have a look at multiple aspects of the production for the event, including the FOH and monitor desks and lighting rig, as well as a close-up of the backline, PA system and the behind the scenes load-in and load-out logistics.
It was really amazing to be able to get an inside look at production for a large-scale show and to get a glimpse of what my future career goals might look like. It was also great to meet other women in the industry and get chatting about our experiences. I’m very grateful for this amazing opportunity that WILM provided and I’m looking forward to attending more events like this in the future.”
|
|
|
Learning from the Lighting Designer for Within Temptation in Hamburg
|
Well it just so happens we have four more Walk & Talk events happening this year!
More info below in our Upcoming Events…
|
|
|
|
LLB Stockholm – October
|
|
CEO & co-founder Malle Kaas, receiver of the Swedish LLB Award 2024
|
In early October we had a stand at Sweden’s best tech trade show LLB Expo. One of the highlights was meeting so many dedicated parents who attended, making the event even more special.
We were also proud to celebrate that one of our co-founders and CEO Malle Kaas, received an LLB award from the Swedish event industry for her efforts to promote greater diversity backstage. What truly made the experience unforgettable, however, was our wonderful ‘neighbours’ from Stage & EventLight who brought us freshly made cinnamon buns and coffee every morning ☕
|
|
|
Freshly baked cinnamon buns & coffee from our neighbors from ‘STEVE’
|
|
And of course, we can’t forget the amazing live drawing by Jenny Soep during our conversation with Ida-Lee Brandel from SheSaid.So-Sweden it was a beautiful and creative addition to the event!
|
|
|
First time ever: A live drawing of our talk by Jenny Soep
|
|
|
Arctic Sounds Festival Camp in Greenland – November
|
|
Some of the students from the first WILM x Arctic Sounds camp in Greenland
|
A month ago, we traveled to Sisimiut, Greenland, to host a festival camp for young women in collaboration with the Arctic Sounds Festival. This marked a significant milestone, as Greenland has never before had a female crewmember in it’s live music scene.
|
|
|
Sara building a truss with LD Karolina from Sweden
|
|
The camp welcomed 10 enthusiastic women, with one participant even bringing her mum along! Over the course of the event, they learned the ins and outs of sound, lighting, and festival production. We look forward to seeing some of the first female Inuits joining the crew next year and continuing to support diversity in the industry.
|
|
|
|
Music In Africa – November
|
|
Teewee & Selina programming the consoles for the ACCESS festival
|
|
Last month, we hosted a festival camp for young women in Rwanda in partnership with the Access Festival and M.I.A.F. This marked the fourth time we’ve held such an event, but the first time in Rwanda. We had the privilege of training 14 talented women from across the African continent in sound, lighting, and festival production.
|
|
|
The classroom for the 14 students
|
|
The enthusiasm and dedication these participants brought to the week-long program were truly inspiring, and we were once again amazed by their commitment.
|
|
The training was skillfully organized by the incredible stage manager, Carine Tredgold from Zimbabwe. A highlight of the experience was seeing some of our students have the opportunity to jam with one of Africa’s biggest DJ stars, Heavy-K – a moment that brought even more excitement and inspiration to the camp.
|
|
|
|
Most Wanted: Music – Berlin, November
|
|
Emilie Holse in the middle of the panel
|
|
In mid-November, we had the honor of sending researcher Emilie Holse to Berlin to participate in the panel discussion “Parenthood in the Music Industry – The ABC of Missing Structures and Obstacles.” Emilie was the perfect representative, as she is the lead author of WILM’s upcoming report, “Parenthood in the Touring World,” set to be released in January 2025.
|
We also have exciting personal news to share: Emilie is expecting her first baby! Congratulations to Emilie on this wonderful news and for representing us so well on the panel.
|
Reminder: You still have one more week to take our survey, which is open to both artists and crew members who are parents on tour (regardless of gender). Don’t miss your chance to contribute your insights!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Future of Festivals & Roadie Medic in Berlin – November
|
|
The fair as seen from above
|
|
Last week, we hosted a panel focused on being a woman in the industry, discussing important topics relevant to women in the live music world. The conversation covered issues like dealing with your period while on a tour bus, hidden harassment, and, notably, the question of why so many women in the industry experience Imposter Syndrome.
|
|
We also set up a stand in partnership with our good friends from Roadie Medic, an organisation dedicated to providing medical care for crew members and artists on tour.
|
|
There was a perfect blend of everything at Future of Festivals! It truly felt like being at an actual festival, with everything you needed right there!
|
|
|
Karoliina from the WILM office at our stand
|
|
|
Patchwork London X WILM – Introduction to Live Audio Workshop – November
|
|
WILM members at Patchwork London
|
We had such an amazing time at Patchwork London for the ‘Introduction to Live Audio’ workshop. Production Manager Chris Parker gave us an insight to the different jobs in the touring industry and then we got to be fully hands on working out input lists, patch in sat boxes, set up show files on the mixing desks and much more!
A massive thank you to Patchwork London for hosting the workshop.
|
|
|
|
|
…So what’s coming up next?
|
Walk & Talks all over Europe – December
|
|
We still have spaces left so come with us behind the stage and meet the touring crew of a large touring production!
All of our events can be found via our website. Registration is free!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Philly Meet-Up for those going to THE Conference – 2nd December
|
|
Tomorrow on 2nd December WILM and Tour Manager Gemma Fletcher would like to see you for some pre-drink cocktails & hello’s before THE Conference at Litiz. If you plan to attend, please let Gemma know by replying to the FB event
|
|
|
|
WILMAwards 2024 – 11th December
|
|
Voting has now ended and we would love to officially invite you to the
WILMAwards 2024!
|
Each year we use the WILMAwards to highlight and celebrate the talented and dedicated women from across the live music industry.
|
The evening will be spiced up with:
|
- DJ Laurina who will be keeping us going throughout the night with great tunes
- The Crew Quiz where we have some great prizes up for grabs! (We recommend you brush up on your knowledge of rockstar antics from the 90s…)
- WILMAuction where we will be raising money for Musicians Defend Ukraine
- BS Bingo! No.2 in the bus…. Someone borrows your sharpie and you never see it again… Laugh along with us as we play to win a line or maybe even a full sheet!
- And we will have of course have a gorgeous buffet and bar to keep you going!
Doors will open at 17.30 – Buffet starts at 18.00.
Tickets are free of charge for WILM members and £20 for non-members which can be paid via our PayPal account: info@womeninlivemusic.eu or in cash at the event.
|
|
We are really looking forward to a whole evening of celebrating with our community, the industry and honouring all the hard work we do backstage!
|
|
See you on the 11th December! 🎉
|
|
|
|
|
|
WILM Skiing Trip – Romme Alpin Resort, 5th-9th January
|
|
|
Love skiing or just looking to enjoy great company and the stunning Swedish countryside, just a two-hour drive from Stockholm?
|
|
This year, we’re excited to gather again for five days packed with skiing, sauna, yoga, vegan food, and negroni’s at the bar.
|
To join, please register at Eventbrite
*Please note there is an 80€ deposit to cover cabin and food.
*Travel expenses, ski hire, and lift passes are at your own expense.
|
|
|
|
Celebrating Women In Audio, London – March (date tba)
|
|
The Integration Station from our 2024 Workshop – one out of three workstations with plenty of hands-on experience
|
|
At the beginning of March next year, we will be repeating our annual workshop in partnership with Shure at the Rose Shure Experience Centre in London. The workshop will cover the fundamentals of RF, Dante, WWB7, troubleshooting, and integrating Allen & Heath consoles.
|
The event will be capped off with a panel discussion and a Champagne Buffet in the evening, which will be open to all WILM members.
Stay tuned for when we announce the date!
|
|
|
|
Monthly WILM Yoga
|
|
Our representative for the Balkans & Austria, the multi-talented Nika Brunet Milunovic will be heading a group of WILM yoga instructors for special community sessions every month – Keep an eye out for the next session whether you are on the road or just at home and feel like you need some bodily relaxation and stress relief!
|
|
|
|
Congrats to Tari for coming up with the slogan for our new tshirts!
|
|
Congratulations to Marita Tari Mirabella who came up with our favourite slogan for our new WILM Tshirts!
“You’re only as good as your crew”
We couldn’t agree more!
The WILM webshop will soon be displaying the new design.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Become a WILMAmbassador
|
|
|
|
|
WILM is a non-profit organisation working for a sustainable level of more diversity backstage, but we can’t do it without the support from all of you out there: Festivals, Artists and other stakeholders in the live music industry – Please get in touch with us if you or your company wish to become a WILMAmbassador: info@womeninlivemusic.eu
|
|
|
|
Membership Fee Changes
|
|
WILM has grown a lot in the past 7 years! In the past year we have increased the amount of workshops, Walk & Talks and general opportunities for our members and we wish to continue doing so. But it is not possible without increasing the annual fee.
|
|
In January 2025 the WILM membership fee will increase from 20€ to 50€ annually, this is so we can continue expanding opportunities to our members, and to further promote our members within the industry! If you have any concerns about your membership, please do not hesitate getting in touch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
That’s all for now!
|
The WILM Team
(Malle, Hannah, Olive, Huld, Valerie, Catherine, Fie & Tia)
|
Women In Live Music is a non profit organisation and we highly appreciate any donations in order for us to continue our work for minorities backstage. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to make a donation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
