UK record label trade body the BPI has launched a new Membership Inclusion Programme, aiming to provide support for small music companies run by people from backgrounds that have previously been underserved by the music industry.
The scheme will see 20 companies run by people from underrepresented categories - including women, people from a black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, or those who identify as LGBTQIA+ - given one year's BPI membership for free. This will provide them with free access to BPI training, legal support and access to copyright protection services, research insights, and more.
"Everyone is rightly upping their game to more actively promote equality and inclusion across our industry, and the BPI has been working hard to make a difference also", says the organisation's Senior Special Projects Manager Casandra Strauss. "Among other initiatives, we recently launched equality training aimed at reducing the barriers that undermine equality of opportunity for all, and we feel we can now build on this in a simple but effective way by offering 20 free memberships to companies from underrepresented categories. In doing so, we hope to support the next, diverse generation of leaders".
Co-Chairs of BPI's Equality And Justice Advisory Group, Paulette Long and Kwame Kwaten, add: "2020 has further highlighted that there are so many talented people of all backgrounds out there that could offer so much to our industry, but, they can sometimes lack the support structure or network that would help them to further develop their career path or organisation. We welcome this new BPI initiative, which recognises the need to support future leaders, particularly those from underrepresented categories who often have to overcome more barriers than most if they are to succeed".
Applications for the new scheme are open now and close at 6pm on 10 Dec. Successful applicants' free memberships will commence on 1 Jan 2021. Find out more and apply here.