Change the Beat brings booking, label and agent panels to fabric
On October 15, the non-profit’s London debut runs 3pm to 3am: three industry panels, a mixer, and a club night with TSHA and Kitty Amor.
Three panels, staffed by people from Broadwick Live, Junction 2 / LWE, Toolroom, Anjunadeep, Hospital Records and CAA, open Change the Beat’s London debut at fabric on Thursday, October 15. The takeover runs from 3pm to 3am. The afternoon is for hearing how booking, label signing and representation work from people who do that work every day. After that there is a mixer, then a club night.
Change the Beat is a global non-profit that supports women and gender-expansive artists in electronic music. Founder Sydney Blu has set a target: help 300 artists secure label opportunities by 2028. More than 40 artists, industry figures and organizations are involved in the London event.
Sunita Dhaliwal of The Everyday Agency hosts the panels, which run from 3pm to 7pm. Katie Knight moderates How to Get Booked as a DJ in London with Alex Holland (Broadwick Live), Pete Jordan (Junction 2 / LWE), Martha Bolton (Not Bad For A Girl) and Steven Braines (HE.SHE.THEY). Blu moderates How to Get Signed to an A-List Dance Label, which covers the label side with Andy Henderson (Southern Fried / Knee Deep In Sound), Chris Goss (Hospital Records), Miles Shackleton (Toolroom) and Daniel Curpen (Anjunadeep).
The last session, How to Get Representation: Managers & Agents, is moderated by Finlay Johnson. It features Frances Shillito (Night Department), Kal Jhugroo (CAA), Shanae Dennis (The Team) and Lucy Harrower (Frame Artists).
From 7pm to 10pm, an industry mixer is presented with AFEM, Pete Tong DJ Academy, Not Bad For A Girl and Beatport. It is meant for swapping numbers and meeting people. There is music too: emerging DJs from Not Bad For A Girl and Pete Tong DJ Academy will play alongside N1NJA. The Women Who Shaped Electronic Music photo exhibition, covering 18 artists including Annie Mac, Honey Dijon and Nicole Moudaber, runs during the same window.
At 10pm the party moves to fabric’s Main Room, where TSHA, Kitty Amor, Sydney Blu, Emily Nash and N1NJA play until 3am. Club night ticket proceeds go to Change the Beat’s international artist development programme, which covers education, mentorship and opportunities for women and gender-expansive artists.
“We’ve built this event around what we believe artists genuinely need – access to the people shaping the industry, honest conversations about how it works, and real opportunities to build relationships,” Blu said.
fabric is at 77A Charterhouse Street, London EC1M 6HJ.
