Festival booker Richard Moffat retires from sexist industry panels
Richard Moffat has ran successful record labels, booked national festivals, and hosted radio shows since he was seventeen, so it’s safe to say he has spent the better part of his life in and around the Australian music industry. So, he knows what’s going on.
Today Moffat posted a message to Facebook announcing his retirement from music industry panels. “I don’t want to be the voice of the old man’s music industry looking backwards”, he wrote.
Read his message, below
So….today I have decided to ‘retire’ from appearing / talking on music industry panels.
I don’t want to be the voice of the old man’s music industry looking backwards.
I also don’t want to ever be in same room as when such things are happening.
It is boring, outmoded, irrelevant.
BUT – my passion and desire for social change is huge.
I want to hear NEW VOICES, NEW STORIES, NEW CONVERSATIONS.
I want new faces on boards and as CEO’s of music businesses.
I am bored of music organisations sending press releases about gender equity and helping people of colour, when their entire boards are dominated by older white men and ‘protected’ by a constitution that holds all wealth and power with them. It is offensive and hypocritical.
I don’t have any answers, but I want to start listening and help give people feedback.
If this resonates with you let me know and we can chat.
I have an idea I am passionate about.
I am hoping to find partners to build something new….maybe inadvertently will we burn some of the old too, but I hope to keep all positive and forward looking
Happy to meet or talk anywhere anytime.
Rich
0414 574209
[email protected]
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.