DRUMMER, Olivia Dimery and event manager, Jade Preddy, have joined forces to form Orange Juice Promotions in a bid to bring female, family-friendly and LGBTQ+ events to the forefront at the Cheese and Grain in Frome.
The friends say that they recognise how male-dominated the industry is and have decided to be part of the push for more women in music.
The pair say, “The gender disparity in the industry is well recognised. Research in 2020, funded by Spotify and conducted by USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that although improvements have been seen year-on-year, the industry is no way nearing equals in many fields, with only 22.5% of the top songs in 2019 by female artists.
“The numbers dip further with regards to song writing, with just 14.4% of the top songs written by female writers and female music producers at just 5%. With the pandemic making the past two years difficult for events, it is likely the picture has not improved.”
The pair intend to address this balance by prioritising female artists, as well as family-friendly and LGBTQ+ events. They are invoking change from within the business too, being a woman-led start-up themselves.
Olivia, who is the drummer in the five-piece alternative pop/indie band, Bad Sounds, adds, “As a female musician myself, I want to start promoting shows because we need more female leadership to support female acts; let’s face it, the lack of women in music is not down to lack of skill.
“We will also be supporting the LGBTQ+ community and family-friendly events, as we need more of these shows in Frome. I’m pleased to be teaming up with Jade, who is an experienced event manager and also a mother to three young children, so she knows what family events require.”
The pair’s first event is the Platinum Drag Show, with international Drag Queen Alyssa Van Delle promising a cabaret night of comedy, costumes and cocktails to kick off the Jubilee weekend in style on Thursday 2nd June.
Tickets are available from: www.cheeseandgrain.com; or call the box office on 01373 455 420.
Above: Olivia and Jade.
