FAC Insights: The Last Six Weeks by Ammo Talwar

Two weeks ago we launched FAC Insights, a forum for us to showcase long-form pieces looking at various parts of the music industry and the society that shapes it. We launched with MIRI’s ‘Pride - Protest or Party?’.  

This week UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce Chair, Ammo Talwar publishes his article ‘The Last Six Weeks’.  Alongside his work at UK Music, Ammo is also the founder of touring and artist management company, Punch.  In the article Ammo reflects on the events that have unfolded over the past six weeks, following the murder of George Floyd.

The Last Six Weeks

"... I’m tired of seeing black men die.... like a zebra in the clutch of a lion’s jaw”, so said Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Black artists have always raised their voices for the cause when others are silenced; Stormzy raps on Grenfell at the BRITS, Jazz and Blues defy Jim Crow’s America, Hip Hop hit back at Reaganomics. Now it’s time for us in the UK music industry to stand up and back our black artists, black workforce and a modern day diverse music ecosystem. 

This is starting to happen - the last six weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and global awareness around justice, equity and fairness.  In June, top UK black music executives launched #TheShowMustBePausedUK alongside the Black Music Coalition (BMC). They wrote an open letter to the UK music industry, which has “has long profited from the rich and varied culture of black people & culture (but) has failed to acknowledge the structural and systematic racism.... “Enjoying the rhythm and ignoring the blues” said radio 1’s DJ Clara Amfo.  There are difficult discussions ahead for all. From the CEOs of major record labels to promoters and artists who aren’t from minority communities, the question of privilege (perhaps white, perhaps gender, perhaps place) and how much that influences their success in the music industry is being asked, but more importantly is how we create better opportunities, better representation for our modern day diverse citizens to step into this arena we call music, not just at intern level but also exec and CEO levels. 

As the Chair of UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce, I know I have responsibility and should be held accountable to ensure actions are sanctioned, strategy is developed and systems are changing.  Privilege can sometimes have a reverse effect on all those involved, but I have a firm belief that if we start from a place of honesty and respect we can collectively move forward. If I can’t say, as a man, ‘I have privilege,’ I’m not starting from an honest place. Accountability and responsibility are the pressure points for change, policy and strategy are the levers that move them. But how do we get started?

UK Music and it’s Diversity Taskforce has a plan in place to tackle the lack of diversity in the music industry workforce, one which closely aligns with the demands of BMC and others who are raising their voices against systemic racism. In the coming months, we'll be working to roll out a serious plan of action around these issues that have been simmering for years, but right now, today, we need to initiate some transformational tasks with accountability and speed. Our audit on diversity in the music industry has just been launched. I believe it can be a big part of helping bring about the change we all want to see. Investment often follows strategy, sometimes strategy follows data and evidence. We need better data and evidence, that’s simple. 

In the planning stages for nine months, the Workforce Diversity survey audits levels of diverse retention and access at all levels, right across the music business.  This includes studios, management agencies, music publishers, major and independent record labels, music licensing companies, the live music sector and much more (the total music ecosystem). This is the only survey looking this deeply at representation in the music workforce cutting across social mobility and all their other protected characteristics we all care about. The end goal is an action report on progress towards and the impact of diversity in the music industry; the biggest analysis of data, stories, thoughts and experiences that UK Music has ever done. We know the richer the data, the better the knowledge base, the bigger the ask we can make! 

As a person who built my own music company In Birmingham, I believe there has been historically more focus on gathering data from the London-centric music industry, where we still see a lot of middle-aged white men in the power positions. Not good for an industry built on diverse, raw, young talent who come from across the whole of the UK.  So we’re talking to the touring companies and freelancers, we’re talking to NPOs (Arts Council funded organisations) and regional music boards, we’re saying; let’s get into the nooks and crannies. Let’s go to Bristol, let’s go to Sunderland, Liverpool and Scotland. 

Without the tragic death of George Floyd and the uprisings afterwards, without #TheShowMustBePausedUK, without #BlackOutTuesday, the UK music industry wouldn’t have been brought to the simmering point it is now. As a Diversity Taskforce, we are cautious about how we approach what we do, our methodology, our transparency and collaborative approach.  We want to bring people with us, because we know diversity is stronger, better, smarter and more stable when done together rather than done to. But at the same time there are some drivers, some values that are no compromise. We demand sharp actions at pace with respect. It’s going to be a long journey but I believe theUK music industry has reached a watershed moment. 

You can find out more about UK Music’s Diversity Survey here and take part in the 2020 survey here.

Author: Ammo Talwar MBE