Today organisations from across the Aotearoa music community are announcing the creation of a new action group SoundCheck Aotearoa with the aim of developing and growing our industry through a safe and inclusive culture in the music community.
We acknowledge that action is needed to address inequitable representation, challenge systemic discrimination, and advance impactful change across the music industry, and we are committed to working together to achieve this.
In recognition of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa and as partners of Te Tiriti o Waitangi we are working with Māori industry leaders to address these issues together along with the unique challenges facing Māori within the industry.
SoundCheck Aotearoa has been formed by Recorded Music NZ, APRA AMCOS NZ, NZ Music Commission, Music Managers Forum NZ and Independent Music NZ in collaboration with Te Māngai Pāho, Māori Music Industry Coalition, NZ On Air, SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music and NZ Promoters Association. We have also reached out to organisations that share our aspiration: Pacific Music Awards Trust, Te Vākai Collective, Music Producers Guild of NZ and MusicHelps, and we are inviting others to join us as our work progresses.
Our aspiration | Tō Mātou Wawata
We want all people in the Aotearoa music community to benefit from:
· fair representation: equitable opportunities, treatment and representation for all people regardless of their attributes including gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability (including illness), regional status, paternity/maternity and marital status
· an inclusive culture, with practices and behaviours to ensure that individuals feel respected, included and heard
· an environment where they are safe from discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and violence
· access to advocacy on behalf of their specific needs and challenges
Our commitment | Tō Mātou Takohanga
We have created SoundCheck Aotearoa to work towards meaningful positive change both within our organisations and across the industry.
The group will consult openly with the artists and organisations that we represent and the wider music community including proactively and specifically seeking participation from and interaction with minority groups and voices. We want to hear from our music community - from artists and songwriters to sound engineers and crew, from educators and administrators to studio and venue workers, and everyone in between – about their experiences.
It is vital that the many cultures and diverse groups in our community have a voice in these conversations to help us identify priorities for action through the consultation, gathering data and undertaking research.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it will take some time to reach out across our community, listen to everyone’s views, develop a collective strategy, and find the resources and funding we need to implement it.
We are currently forming our Steering Committee and Leadership Group and will have more to say on that soon.
Safety in workplaces | Te Noho Haumaru I ngā Wāhi Mahi
All of our people must be safe at work, whether in a recording studio, at a venue or in an office. Our first project is an initiative to help prevent sexual harm in our music community, and to provide support for those who have experienced it.
We have appointed a specialist in the area of sexual harm prevention, Rachel Harrison, to guide and support us, and key staff from our organisations have undertaken initial training. We hope to roll out a training programme more widely, provide shared resources and consult across our community to develop a code of conduct. We will update you on this work soon. In the meantime, if you need to talk to someone please refer to the phone numbers listed below.
SoundCheck Aotearoa will make further announcements about how those in our community can participate in consultation and advisory processes in the new year.
In the meantime, for anyone interested in our work, or for media enquiries please contact: info@soundcheckaotearoa.co.nz | www.soundcheckaotearoa.co.nz
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP OR INFORMATION ABOUT SEXUAL HARM:
Music Helps Wellbeing Service: Call 0508 MUSICHELPS
Safe To Talk: Call 0800 044 334 | Text 4334 | Email support@safetotalk.nz
HELP: Call 24/7 (Auckland) 0800 623 1700, (Wellington) 04 801 6655
Rape Crisis: Call 0800 88 33 00
Aviva: Canterbury Sexual Violence Crisis Service - Call 0800 284 82669
Tu Wahine: Kaupapa Māori Sexual Violence Crisis Service – Call 09 838 8700
Korowai Tumanako: Kaupapa Māori Survivor and Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service – Email: korowai@korowaitumanako.org
Te Puna Oranga: Kaupapa Māori Sexual Violence Crisis Service – Call 0800 222 042 | Email: info@tepunaoranga.co.nz
Male Survivors Aotearoa: Support for the well-being of male survivors of sexual abuse
Shama: National Sexual Harm Support Service for ethinic communities – Call (07) 843 3810 | Text 022 135 9545
Human Rights Commission: Call 0800 496 877
Employment Relations Authority: Call 0800 209020
NZ Police: Call 105
