ALSO Festival Launches ‘Women in Sound’ Initiative

Why It Matters

By providing hands‑on training and paid opportunities, the initiative aims to diversify the live‑sound workforce and sustain talent pipelines in a sector facing shrinking jobs.

Key Takeaways

• Four female technicians receive workshops, travel, accommodation June 13‑14.
• Participants gain mentorship and paid shadowing at 2026, 2027 festivals.
• Future Music pathway adds six paid artist slots and industry workshops.
• Arts Council England funds the 18‑month program to counter job scarcity.
• Festival lineup includes diverse acts and a reimagined Porgy and Bess.

Pulse Analysis

The live‑sound sector in the United Kingdom has long suffered a pronounced gender gap, with women representing a small fraction of desk engineers at festivals and venues. Industry surveys consistently show that fewer than 15 % of technical crews are female, a disparity that limits creative perspectives and hampers career pipelines. ALSO Festival’s Women in Sound initiative directly addresses this imbalance by offering a focused training weekend, covering travel and accommodation, and pairing participants with seasoned engineers. By lowering financial and experiential barriers, the program creates a tangible entry point for women eager to break into the field.

The June 13‑14 workshop will admit four early‑career technicians, who will then shadow professional artists during the 2026 and 2027 editions of the festival. In addition, the expanded Future Music: Pathway to Success scheme, backed by Arts Council England, widens the support net to six emerging musicians, providing paid performance slots, mentorship, and marketing assistance over an 18‑month cycle. This dual‑track approach not only equips technical talent with hands‑on skills but also nurtures artistic talent, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to a more inclusive and sustainable live‑music ecosystem.

Beyond the immediate cohort, the initiative signals a shift in how festivals can act as incubators for under‑represented talent. By publicly committing resources to gender equity, ALSO Festival sets a benchmark that other events may emulate, potentially prompting broader industry investment in diversity programs. As the cohort graduates into paid roles, the ripple effect could expand the pool of female engineers available to bookers, promoters, and venues, gradually normalizing women’s presence behind the sound desk. In a market where live‑music employment is tightening, such proactive measures are essential for long‑term sector resilience.