The
Mad Cool Festival stresses the value of gender equality, saying that
"variety fosters innovation"
Florence And The Machine
is slated to headline Mad Cool 2022, but other notable performers at the Madrid
festival include CHVRCHES, Haim, St. Vincent, Sigrid, Tove Lo, Arlo Parks,
Phoebe Bridgers, and Zara Larsson. Breakout bands The Regrettes and Brutus will
also have a chance to perform in front of thousands of people.
Booker Cindy Castillo Nez
tells NME that "diversity in all ways boosts creativity and gives new
ideas to music," highlighting the significance of assembling a
well-balanced roster. This not only provides us depth, but also
creativity," she says before adding that from a business perspective,
"diversity brings inspiration, insight, & growth to teams, which makes
a business more competitive.
Castillo Nez is one of a
30-person, 70% female full-time crew that has been a member of Mad Cool from
its inception. She continues, "The festival scene has changed so
drastically in the past ten years," and she thinks that a balanced staff
will show in the performers they choose to book.
"The concept of men
and women being able to share everything equally, including the distribution of
power and influence, is inextricably tied to gender equality. As a result,
equal representation has a potent symbolic power that will constantly advance,
improve, and increase equality of opportunity. Therefore, any instance of equal
representation in the music industry will undoubtedly encourage equal
representation in all other areas, whether directly or indirectly, she
explains.
The Mad Cool team "do
everything we can to encourage and promote women in music." The smallest
things can sometimes have the biggest effects, in her opinion. 90% of the bands
entered the festival's first Mad Cool Talent competition in 2016, thus Castillo
Nez changed the jury's gender split to 50% men and 50% women. Since then, the
number of female-led bands has grown to the point that they make up more than
half of the bands that have signed up for the 2022 event.
She stated, "I
believe every festival should always try their hardest to ensure that everyone
has the same opportunity. "Sometimes it will lead to a bigger female
presence, other times it won't, but what's truly going to make a difference is
we make sure that the conditions are hospitable for women, not only in
festivals but in every aspect of the music industry," the author says.
"By doing this,
there will be more women represented in the scene, making it easier in the
future to have balanced line-ups. New talent should constantly be supported
because they represent the industry's future. I hope some girls out there who
read this feel like they have an equal opportunity to receive the
information"