Wild City Launches Initiative to Help Women Gain Visibility in the Music Industry
Ongoing endeavor “Skills Development for Women” will kick off on December 2 with a day-long production masterclass with Macquaire University professor and composer Julian Knowles
Wild City's latest endeavor is a long-term initiative that aims to help women in music. Artwork by Sandhya Visvanathan a.k.a. Parfadash
Electronica is arguably one of music’s most exclusionary genres towards women, in an industry where women already struggle to achieve visibility. Enter online music magazine, events company and artist management firm Wild City’s latest initiative: Skills Development for Women, an ongoing program that aims to equip women with the skills they need to be more visible in the music industry.
The endeavor will kick off with a one-day pilot event on December 2 in New Delhi, held in partnership with Macquaire University and with support from the British Council and Native Instruments. Selected applicants will have the opportunity to take a masterclass with music and technologies expert Professor Julian Knowles, who is himself a composer and performer.
“As a long standing professional music producer and academic I am acutely aware of the issues that women face in gaining support and skills in a highly male dominated industry,” says Knowles. “This is a great opportunity for us to work together on something very important for women in music in India.”
Essentially, Wild City’s new initiative seeks to remove the barriers to entry for women in the music industry, by helping them acquire the skills that make them more employable. “We are all passionate about creating meaningful and impactful opportunities at a grass roots level, for women in India interested in the music industry,” says Wild City founder Sarah Chawla, who is also a partner at Magnetic Fields festival.
Visual artist and musician Sandhya Visvanathan a.k.a. Parfadash designed the visual identity for the long-term initiative, a striking black-and-white graphic of a night-goddess who steals the moon for herself, to be a symbol for the need for public spaces where women can pursue their creative passions with confidence.
“Sarah and I wanted to create an image that had a strong sense of feminine cosmic energy,” says Visvanathan. “It’s important to create spaces where more women can feel confident in their creative pursuits. And when you’re just starting out it really helps to belong to a community.”
To apply for the Skills Development for Women pilot program, click this link. The deadline for applications is November 24.
