ICMP tutors join The F-List to champion diversity

ICMP’s Head of Songwriting Sophie Daniels and fellow tutors Catherine Anne Davies and Charlotte Hatherley are among the ICMP tutors supporting The F-List. 

The not-for-profit enterprise offers the first musical directory to feature female musicians, songwriters, composers and bands. 

The initiative aims to make it easier for festival promoters, commissioners and event organisers to find and hire female talent and to promote more equal opportunities post Covid-19. 

Sophie Daniels is on The F-List board while Catherine Anne Davies, Charlotte Hatherley, and Isobel Anderson are all social media ambassadors.

Commenting, Sophie said: 

I've worked in the music industry and education for more than 20 years and it is now apparent to everyone that positive action needs to be taken to address inequality with respect to gender." 

"We must address this issue now for our credibility and self worth as an industry, and to access a wealth of untapped talent. Having worked to create a more equal environment for female songwriters, I am delighted to have the opportunity to get involved on a bigger scale with The F. List."

The genre-defying and award-winning artist Anoushka Shankar has been announced as the inaugural president. 

She said: “I am delighted to represent this fantastically talented and committed community, who are passionate about creating opportunities for the great wealth of female talent that exists in the UK.

The F-List is the first initiative of its kind to give female artists and musicians a platform where they can be discovered. Its breath-taking thoroughness and scope nullifies any excuses from people in the music industry who blame a lack of representation and diversity by saying there’s a dearth of women to hire.”

The F-List is a comprehensive resource containing the latest information on over 4,500 musicians, 1,000 bands and 300 labels and publishers with women on their rosters, across all musical genres.

Any musician, songwriter or composer can join if they are female or female-identifying. The initiative is proud to be trans and gender minority inclusive.

The F-List is the brainchild of equality and diversity campaigner Vick Bain.

Visit The F-List to find out more.

Vick helped ICMP launch its EQualiser event series earlier in the year before the Covid-19 pandemic began.