This year’s Australian Women In Music Conference, now in its fifth year, continues the push for gender equality to be adopted as a core music industry value.
The conference will be held this year for the first time at the Queensland Multicultural Centre, exploring diversity, equality, and inclusion in the Australian music industry.
Check out the AWMA 2024 performance programme.
Founding Executive Producer and Program Director Vicki Gordon says the first iteration of the Australian Women In Music Awards in 2018 marked a watershed moment for the Australian music industry.
“The Australian music industry is a vast and complex eco-system which sadly in 2024 continues to promote festival line-ups dominated, sometimes entirely by male artists, male musicians, male techs and male led bands,” Vicki says.
“The flow-on effect is reflected in the glaring absence of women working as operators and designers in front-of-house audio and lighting, as mixing engineers and in other technical areas, backstage as roadies and behind the scenes.”
This year’s featured speaker is former Sex Discrimination Commissioner and inaugural Chair Of The Creative Workplaces Council, Kate Jenkins AO.
There will be an ‘In Conversation’ event with gender equality expert Alex Shehadie, who is a thought leader on strategies to increase the representation of women and diverse groups into leadership roles and an expert on the impact of workplace bullying and discrimination – Alex will explore Kate Jenkins’ career highlights and challenges, plus the people who have inspired her, and lessons learnt about making change.
AWMA Founding Executive Producer/Program Director Vicki Gordon - Image © Eloise Van Riet-Gray
“I’m delighted to join the amazing Australian Women In Music at this annual conference, sharing the work of Creative Workplaces to make music safe, fair and respectful, and examining the role of men to bring this goal to life,” Kate says. “In 2024, equality in music is long overdue!”
The full-day Conference programme includes a First Nations Women’s Forum Yarning Strong – Always Was, Always Will Be Blak Matriarch Energy, presented by Support Act. Plus, there’ll be a panel discussion exploring how artists, festivals and industry are paving the way for a greener music scene, with Greening Up Our Act.
Collarts Chief Executive Officer Sam Jacob will facilitate a panel exploring solutions to gender and cultural biases which continue to create barriers for women and gender diverse people in the music sector.
The 2024 AWM Conference programme culminates in a First Nations Women’s Music Program, featuring the all-female Ripple Effect Band from Maningrida. The event will be hosted by Dizzy Doolan and Emily Wurramara at The Outpost in Fortitude Valley with special guests Layla Havana, SOLCHILD, Yirgjhilya and more.
Tickets are on sale now.
The Australian Women In Music Awards & Conference programme 2024 takes place on 1-2 October. The Conference is on at Queensland Multicultural Centre (Brisbane).
