VIDEO: Festival boss launches ReBalance scheme to get more girls into music industry

Girl power got a helping hand today when one of the world's biggest music promoters launched an initiative in to encourage more female UK led bands, solo acts and sound engineers.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Aug 2017, 20:17 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:16 BST

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Melvin Benn launching his ReBalance plans with Lande Hekt from punk rock band Muncie Girls, PRS Foundation chief executive Vanessa Reed and Lucy Wood, also from Festival Republic.Melvin Benn launching his ReBalance plans with Lande Hekt from punk rock band Muncie Girls, PRS Foundation chief executive Vanessa Reed and Lucy Wood, also from Festival Republic.
Melvin Benn launching his ReBalance plans with Lande Hekt from punk rock band Muncie Girls, PRS Foundation chief executive Vanessa Reed and Lucy Wood, also from Festival Republic.

The so-called ReBalance scheme aims to address the gender imbalance in the music industry, says the man behind it, Reading and Leeds Festival boss Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic.

He also recently produced the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised over £10m, in response to the the terrorist attack - bringing together artists including Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Take That.

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His ReBalance project follows criticism that his year's Reading and Leeds festivals - both on August 25 to 27 - did not have enough women in the line-ups, headed by the likes of Eminem, Kasabian, Muse and ex-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.

Festival Republic, supported by the PRS Foundation, replied today with a plan which they hope will revolutionise the music industry.

FACEBOOK LIVE: Watch the full ReBalance press conference which was streamed live on the Yorkshire Evening Post Facebook page - CLICK HERE.

The three-year project - which will be based at the Old Chapel Music Studios in Leeds - aims to provide a step-up for UK female led bands and solo artists.

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Successful candidates will receive a week's studio time, travel, accommodation and mentor access - plus a performance slot at a live nation or Festival Republic Festival.

There will also be a new apprenticeship scheme launched for studio engineers with an emphasis on encouraging female applicants. Two will be chosen apprentices over the three year programme. During the first 18 months they will work with engineers in-house at Old Chapel Music Studio and will then be the lead/co- engineers on the project.

TICKETS: For festival tickets, updates, safety information and more visit www.leedsfestival.com and www.readingfestival.comIn a recent Women Make Music Evaluation carried out by PRS Foundation, it was highlighted that women represent 16 per cent of UK songwriters and composers and that there is a lack of women in other roles across the industry.

Engineering, in particular, is viewed as an almost entirely male ‘closed shop’.