🎶 Why are there no women on your line-up?
At SPEAK, we’ve always been passionate about people finding their voice, particularly people and communities who can find themselves underrepresented, unheard or excluded.
Music and creativity have been part of SPEAK’s journey for a long time too. From Music SPEAKS and different SPEAK music events, to bringing together music, prayer, activism and social justice through our campaigns, we’ve seen how creativity can challenge us, connect us and help people find their voice.
There’s also a lovely bit of history behind why we’re sharing this.
Back in 2014 Easter, during one of SPEAK’s debt justice campaigns, we invited people to “Break the Code, Write an Ode”, alongside creative actions around debt and economic justice. As part of that weekend, artists came together for music and activism.
Some of those artists stayed connected. They continued collaborating, creating and getting involved in festivals and activism. Years later, through some of those relationships, another independent collective emerged: Break the Code.
Break the Code is separate from SPEAK and has developed its own identity, community and activism. But we’re really glad to stand in solidarity with our sisters/ friends there as they use music to ask an important question:
Why are there no women on your line-up?
🔥 A new track and music video
Three artists from the Break the Code Collective — Missy G, LouDSpekA and Miss Mercal — have come together on the LouDSpekA remix of Why Are There No Women On Your Line Up?
Produced and remixed by LouDSpekA, the track speaks about representation, inclusion, gatekeeping and the need for women and other underrepresented artists to have meaningful space within music.
It’s not only a song. It’s an invitation to ask questions about who gets heard, who gets booked and who gets given a platform.
One practical action Break the Code is encouraging artists to explore is the use of an inclusivity rider — something that can be incorporated into an artist’s booking agreement to ask promoters to think intentionally about representation, fair billing and creating safer and more inclusive environments.
At SPEAK, we want to stand in solidarity with that call.
If you’re an artist, DJ, musician or performer, could you explore adopting an inclusivity rider?
If you’re involved in organising events or festivals, could you look at your line-ups and ask whose voices and creativity are being represented — and whose might be missing?
And all of us can listen, share and help amplify artists whose voices don’t always receive the same platform.
🎬 Watch the music video:
https://youtu.be/q-wL13ym6as
🎧 Listen to the remix:
https://cygnusmusic.link/xdl5vrk
More Break The Code Campaign Info
Why are there no women on your line-up?
Break the Code is drawing attention to the continuing underrepresentation of women and other marginalised artists on festival and event line-ups — and particularly to who is given visibility on the biggest stages and headline slots.
Their message is simple: this isn’t about a lack of talented artists. It is also about who gets platformed.
Representation matters. Who we see on stages can communicate something about who belongs, whose creativity is valued and who gets opportunities to lead and shape our culture.
As part of the campaign, Break the Code has collaborated with Ladies of Rage, a collective supporting women in hip-hop, drum & bass and bass music.
What is an inclusivity rider?
One practical tool Break the Code is encouraging artists to explore is an inclusivity rider.
A rider normally forms part of the agreement between an artist and an event or promoter. An inclusivity rider adds commitments or requests intended to encourage greater representation and create safer, fairer and more equitable events.
For example, an artist could ask promoters to consider:
Representation — Are women and people from other underrepresented groups meaningfully represented on the line-up?
Fair billing and visibility — Are underrepresented artists being given meaningful visibility, rather than simply being included in lower-profile or token slots?
Safe and inclusive environments — Are artists and audiences being protected from harassment and discrimination?
Transparency — Can artists and promoters have an open conversation about representation when bookings and line-ups are being developed?
Break the Code has also produced an example rider that artists can copy, adapt and incorporate into an existing technical or general rider. Their example proposes specific commitments around representation, fair billing, safety and transparency.
It gives artists another way of moving from saying “we want a more inclusive music industry” to asking what they can practically do about it.
What can you do? 🔥
🎤 If you’re an artist, DJ, singer or musician:
Explore creating an inclusivity rider and adding it to your booking agreements. Ask the people booking you what they’re doing about representation.
🎪 If you’re a promoter, venue or festival organiser:
Look at your line-ups — including your headline and high-visibility slots. Ask whose voices are being represented and whose might still be missing.
👀 If you’re part of the audience:
Pay attention to line-ups. Where representation is poor, ask respectful but direct questions. Encourage organisers who are making meaningful changes.
📱 Join the conversation:
Follow and tag @breakthecodecollective when talking about representation and line-ups.
There are lots of people already doing this work
We are a small part of a much wider movement of artists, collectives and organisations working for greater representation and opportunity in music.
Organisations & Resources to Explore
These organisations are actively working to improve representation, support underrepresented artists, and provide tools, research and community:
• https://breakthecode.co.uk/why-no-women/
Help Musicians – Directory of organisations supporting women in music
https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/organisations-supporting-women-in-music
• EQ50 – Fairer representation in drum & bass
• Dynamics – Database of women and non-binary artists in bass music
https://www.dynamics-music.com
• Saffron Music – Music tech training for women and non-binary people
• Women in CTRL – Research and advocacy for gender equality in music
• The F-List for Music – Directory of female and gender-diverse musicians
• Girls I Rate – Development for young women in music
• Girl Grind UK – Support for Black, Asian and minority ethnic women and non-binary artists
• We Are The Unheard – Development for women and gender minorities in production/songwriting
https://www.wearetheunheard.com
• GIRLSofGRIME – Grassroots support for women in music
• Ladies Music Pub – Workshops and networking for women and non-binary people
https://www.ladiesmusicpub.co.uk
• Ladies of Rage – Collective supporting women in hip-hop, DnB and bass music
https://www.instagram.com/ladiesofrage
• Boudica – Platform for trans+, non-binary and female-identifying artists
• Women in Music – Global nonprofit advancing equality in music