FAC Insights: Empowering tomorrow's talent - Interview with Music Guardians
FAC Insights is a forum for us to showcase and share long form pieces looking at various parts of the music industry and the society that shapes it. Pieces take the form of videos, interviews, discussions, articles and more.
This month, we’re thrilled to feature Kimberley Goddard & Katy Lana-Hall of Music Guardians in an interview highlighting their work ensuring safe pipelines for young creatives.
Please tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and your career:
Kim:
For over fifteen years, I’ve been deeply immersed in the music industry, beginning my journey as an artist at just 16. My early experiences as an artist sparked a lasting passion for live music, which led me to study Events Management at university. During that time, I had the privilege of meeting Kanya King, the founder of the MOBO Awards. She offered me my first paid role in the industry and became a vital mentor whose guidance and support shaped the foundation of my career. Her mentorship empowered me to produce and lead live music events across the UK, solidifying my commitment to this field.
As my career evolved, I found myself drawn to partnerships and philanthropy—collaborating with major donors, artists, and talent on various charitable initiatives. This path eventually led me to become the Director of Industry Partnerships at ELAM, a prestigious Creative Arts Sixth Form college founded by Will Kennard of Chase and Status. At ELAM, I built partnerships with leading organisations such as Universal Music, WME, UTA, PPL, YouTube Music, Ridley Scott, Puma, and many more—leveraging my extensive network across the creative industries. I’ve always understood the critical importance of relationship management, nurturing connections that not only strengthen the organisations I work with but also support the wellbeing of the wider industry.
In June 2023, driven by frustration over the lack of robust safety practices and pastoral care within the music industry, we co-founded Music Guardians with the mission of revolutionising safety and wellbeing standards. Through Music Guardians, we now work with a range of clients including Grammy Award-winning producer Fraser T Smith, Universal Music, Small Green Shoots and the pioneering arts organisation Roundhouse, among others.
Katy:
Working with young people has always been my calling and providing opportunities for them is at the heart of everything I do. I started my career as an English Teacher in 2009, working in inner city Secondary schools which was incredibly rewarding and ignited my passion for protecting young people. I always wanted to specialise in creative education due to my own interest in the arts and I was lucky enough to start working at ELAM in 2015 where alongside teaching English I hosted a wealth of masterclasses with many high profile artists and industry leaders including Stormzy, Lyor Cohen and Chase and Status, giving valuable industry insight to the young people. From there I moved into the industry team full time as Industry Readiness Manager, working with the students on their industry skills, providing them with industry experience and placing them in roles post education. It is here that Kim and I met and during this time we could see that there was a real need for a culture shift when it came to safeguarding in the industry and that there were so many young people who needed support as they left the safe and supported environments of education so we decided to set up Music Guardians so that we could continue to help young people on their journeys whilst aiming to promote some much needed positive change when it comes to the way we safeguard, support and empower young people as they navigate their way into the music industry.
What is Music Guardians and who can be benefit from your organisation?
Kim:
Music Guardians was founded to address a long overdue need within the music industry, the lack of consistent safety standards, wellbeing support, and pastoral care for young people within the music industry focusing on artists, crew and executives. The company exists to create a safer, more sustainable environment across all areas of music, from touring and live events to studios and creative spaces. By providing expert guidance, training, and bespoke safety and wellbeing frameworks, Music Guardians ensures that duty of care is prioritised at every level. Its mission is not only to protect those working in the industry but to foster a culture of accountability, compassion, and awareness. In an industry where pressure, burnout, and safeguarding concerns are often overlooked, Music Guardians plays a vital role in reshaping norms, promoting wellbeing, and championing the people who make music possible.
Why is this so important in today’s music scene?
Kim:
I would say our work is especially important in today’s music scene, where increasing pressures, fast paced demands, and a lack of consistent safeguarding leave many young artists and professionals vulnerable. Music Guardians fills this critical gap by making safety, wellbeing, and accountability core standards across the industry, ensuring that conversations about care lead to real, lasting change.
Protecting young people entering these spaces is particularly vital. Many step into high pressure environments without adequate experience or support, making clear policies and mentorship essential. Music Guardians helps set these standards, empowering organisations to prioritise safety from the start and build a more responsible, sustainable future for the music industry.
What is next for Music Guardians?
Katy:
We want to be able to offer our services for free to any young person who has registered with us and needs support whether that be a chaperone to a recording session, support with a job application or help navigating a challenging conversation with someone in a work setting. We also want to do more research so that we can highlight lived experiences of young people so that music companies can see how important this work is.
What is something you wish all young artists knew before entering the music industry, any advice for them?
Kim:
Something I wish every young artist knew before stepping into the music industry is that your wellbeing is your greatest asset. Your voice, your creativity, and your energy are powerful but they can only flourish in environments that are safe, respectful, and supportive. Never feel that you have to compromise your boundaries or your values to succeed.
At Music Guardians, we believe that true success begins with self awareness and self protection. Know your worth, understand your rights, and take the time to learn who you’re working with. The people who truly value you will respect your need for clarity, safety, and care. Asking questions and speaking up when something feels wrong isn’t difficult, it’s courageous, and it sets the standard for how you deserve to be treated.
Remember, you have the right to feel safe, seen, and supported in every space you enter. Protecting your wellbeing isn’t a barrier to your dreams, it’s the foundation that allows them to grow. The industry needs your art, but it needs YOU ,strong, empowered, and thriving even more.
Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about the work you are doing with Music Guardians?
Katy:
We recently completed some vital research in partnership with Youth Music and Musician’s Union, speaking to a selection of young people who have had negative experiences in the industry relating to safety and rights. The groundbreaking report will be launched at the end of November and our hope is that the industry will start to really prioritise the safety of young people at all levels based on reading about what so many young people are still experiencing, helping to establish new standards for safeguarding and wellbeing.
Kim:
Currently, we are working on some truly exciting projects. We co-produced the Future Producer Academy with Fraser T Smith, launching the next generation of producers from across the UK in some of the most exclusive studios and with some of the most influential mentors in the music industry.
We also work closely with Universal Music UK, supporting their Amplify U programme, an innovative work experience and internship initiative launched last year, by providing pastoral care and guidance to ensure young people thrive in these professional environments.
Training is a key part of our work. We equip music industry professionals from across different organizations with the tools to safely integrate young people into creative spaces, advocate for them, and actively support them to discover and harness their true potential.
Looking ahead, we are developing an all in one wellbeing package in collaboration with a leading mental health charity in the music sector. This initiative will work directly with the music industry to provide comprehensive support for artists and executives alike, embedding safety and wellbeing at every stage, from grassroots and entry level to professional careers through to retirement.
Watch this space, we’re just getting started.