The UK Music Futures Group was founded in 2016 by Andy Edwards, a music manager and board member of UK Music. The original intention was to create a forum with a future-facing agenda to consider what the music industry might look like in thirty years. Andy decided to include younger voices in the music industry and put together a group of artists, producers, managers, agents, A&Rs, marketing, and legal executives from across the industry. In short, people who do the work at the coalface.
From the moment the group came together, they set the direction of travel, culminating in a wide-ranging report to the UK Music Board in the autumn of 2017. The report highlighted the subject of sexual harassment just as the allegations against Harvey Weinstein first gained traction, and this resulted in a board-level discussion on harassment that would not have happened without the Futures Group.
Since then, the Futures Group has gone from strength to strength, including this panel at BBC Introducing Live in London’s Tobacco Dock.
UK MUSIC PRESENTS: WHY WE’RE NO LONGER TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY (WE’RE DOING IT)
Music has always been diverse, but historically the industry that supports it has not. This is changing, with more women and people from black and minority backgrounds entering the industry and establishing themselves. So, where are we now and what comes next? Diversity is not just about gender and ethnicity but also social class and LGBTQ. And what about inclusion? Without inclusion diversity stalls, why is this so important?
Respecting the culture. The mainstream has always borrowed from minority cultures, but where do we draw the lines of acceptability? Is cultural appropriation still an issue and how can all creators – regardless of their backgrounds – act with authenticity and respect?
Eve Fairley-Chickwe, Creative Manager, Kobalt
Jamie Ahye, Marketing Manager, Atlantic Records
Preye Crooks, A&R, Columbia Records
Yasmin Lajoie, Empire Management
Moderator: Andy Edwards, Chair and Founder UK Music Futures Group
Left – Right: Andy Edwards, Yasmin Lajoie, Jamie Ahye, Eve Fairley-Chickwe, Preye Crooks
THE FUTURES GROUP AT THE UK MUSIC SUMMER PARTY
Rear: Will Spencer (Music Glue), Nick Breen (Reed Smith), Matt Riley (AWAL), Cam Blackwood (record producer), Achal Dhillon (Killing Moon), Amanda Maxwell (manager), Brett Cox (record producer), Will Tompsett (4AD)
Front: Jason Edwards (marketing consultant), Holly Manners (Warner Bros), Natalie Williams (UK Music), Summer Marshall (CAA), Andy Edwards (founder) Ele Hill (UK Music), Leah Mack (Sony ATV Music Publishing), Meenal Odedra (shesaid.so), Lizzie Payne-James (Lee and Thompson, Bronya Francis (Warp Records).
Summer Marshall addressing the audience. Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Matt Hancock is pictured to the right.