MUMBAI: A collaboration between British Council and Wild City, international music forum comes to the Capital this International Women’s Day; workshops to focus on skills development as well as engage with stakeholders in the nightlife industry.

Gender disparity in the music industry [1] has become a clarion call for action around the world, including a fast-changing and diverse market like India. The British Council and Wild City joined forces last year to introduce The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music in India in March 2018, with a special focus on skills for women interested in working in the music industry.

After traveling to four cities last year – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata – where over 100 women were taught the essentials of music production, DJing and an overview of the nightlife space, the latest edition of The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music is scheduled for March 8-10, to coincide with International Women’s Day celebrations.  

Tom Birtwistle, Area Director – North India, British Council said, “The music scene in India is as dynamic as anywhere at the moment. New venues, festivals and platforms playing electronica are cropping up all the time. We think it’s important that more women are a part of the next wave of top producers and performers. The British Council has always invested in people’s futures and that’s why The Selector Pro exists, to give aspiring musicians and producers the chance to turn their passion into their profession.”

Aimed to give women interested in the music industry a chance to develop skills and learn from industry leaders, The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music has been instrumental in galvanising aspiring DJs or female collectives – like Coven Code in Delhi – to take on a more active interest in the music industry.

For this round of The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music, the focus will be on production and DJing – led by international artists as well as Indian DJs and producers. There will also be sessions concentrating on the club environment, understanding tech riders, sound checks, lighting and what it takes to run a music night.

Over the three days, these workshops will be conducted at British Council, Delhi.

The three-day initiative has been realized in collaboration with Bira 91 and Absolut, and with support from Sennheiser, Native Instruments and Ableton.

“Bira 91 is happy to extend their support for this edition of The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music following the impactful introduction of the workshops last year. Encouraging skills development for women in the music industry in India is something we wholeheartedly stand by and see this as a long-term collaboration supporting grassroots talent by providing a holistic skill set. We will incorporate the expertise shared at the industry development workshops and implement the digital toolkit created to make our own events safer and more inclusive by sharing this with venues and spaces in the nightlife industry,” says Rohit Pillai, associate director, events and partnerships, Bira 91.

DJ masterclasses in Delhi will be led by London and Bristol-based DJ collective, Rhythm Sister, who host panels and regular workshops in London for women and LGBTQ+ to practice DJing and learn music production skills in a safe and inclusive environment.

The Ableton (production) workshops will be led by Perera Elsewhere. Perera Elsewhere aka Sasha Perera is a London-born, Berlin-based #Doom-folk producer, songwriter and DJ. She will be supported by Bangalore-based DJ and producer, ­­_RHL who has been a part of several workshops.

The club tech workshop will be handled by sound engineer Divyang Row Kavi, who will instruct the participants on how to prepare a room for a gig.

In addition to the workshops, there will be conversations with industry leaders and thought-makers from the world of law and nightlife. Rhythm Sister will be leading a conversation and sharing their experiences on performing and surviving as women in the music industry while Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy will guide participants on the protection granted to them by law, as women and professionals in the music industry.

There will also be a workshop for venue owners, promoters and people who work in events on how to create safe and inclusive environments for women, created in consultation with UK-based nightlife policy experts, Good Night Out, who work to end sexual harassment and assault in venues, bars, clubs, pubs and festivals across the world.

As an added incentive, at the end of the weekend, three participants selected by Wild City – will get wings to attend Red Bull Music’s Synth Day celebrations in Mumbai, scheduled for May 2019. International Synthesizer Day is an annual celebration to cherish the contribution of synthesizers to music, on the birthday of synth pioneer Robert Moog, and is a day-long program of workshops and performances.

The essential idea behind this initiative is to give women more visibility in the music industry, the key to dismantling stereotypes like the idea that there aren’t many women interested in electronic music.

The Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music 2019

City: Delhi

Date: 8-10 March

Day: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Workshop programme: Music production workshops by Perera Elsewhere, supported by _RHL; DJing workshops led by Rhythm Sister; club tech with Divyang Row Kavi.