Billboard (06/17/21) Mims, Taylor
The new Coalition of Festivals has been organized to promote more equity in the live music industry, partly by establishing communications between producers to share best practices, and by cultivating partnerships with social impact groups across numerous programs. Participating producers include Do LaB, Founders Entertainment, Fox Pocket, Gravity Productions, Hula Holdings/Good Form, Old Soul Production Services and Superfly. Coalition members, including industry professionals with expertise and experience in live events, have undertaken high-level diversity training. The group will kick off with two core initiatives: "Be The Change," a series of educational webinars and facilitated dialogues for current festival producers, department heads and promoters; and "Create Change," an effort to enhance current educational programs and mentorship programs for future music industry leaders. Both efforts seek to remove barriers to entry within the industry by setting up job opportunities for underrepresented communities. "We have all circled around each other professionally for years, and after spending these past months developing the Coalition, I can honestly say that we see ourselves as a united community of leaders with a common goal," declared Coalition steering committee member Jen Stiles with Founders Entertainment.
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