About - Saffron Music

SAFFRON MEMBERS CLUB • Online workshops and music tech tools for women and non-binary people to connect, learn and grow • Join today!

Less than 1% of these are people of colour

We are on a mission to change those stats through meaningful, long-term, and far-reaching projects.

* Stats from USC Annenberg Inclusion Report

Education

Providing accessible music tech courses and workshops for those that are currently under-represented in the industry

Community

Nurturing supportive connections, bringing people together to cultivate safe spaces with opportunities for musical collaboration

Inclusivity

Elevating diverse role models, with an intersectional approach to removing barriers to access across the gender spectrum

Impact

Advocating for industry change in a constructive and long-lasting way, providing pathways towards greater diversity in professional spaces

Our Story

Founded in Bristol, UK in 2015 by Laura Lewis-Paul, Saffron operates as a non-profit organisation that primarily offers training in music production, sound engineering and DJing, as well as running an artist development programme and record label.

Saffron’s aim is to advance gender equality in the music tech sector by creating a safe space for women, non-binary people and other minority genders to learn and build confidence. We want to inhabit traditionally male-dominated music tech spaces and become visible role models for others.

Impact and growth

Saffron has built a reputation as one of the leading music tech development platforms for women and non-binary people in the UK and beyond.

Thousands of people globally engage in our courses and workshops, both in-person and online. The Saffron Members club is fully digital, allowing us to connect with women and non-binary people all over the world, learning from each other and our different – and common – experiences of the music tech industry.

We run regular in-person music tech short courses in Nottingham, London and Bristol, with plans for further expansion across the UK later in 2022. We have also travelled with the British Council to present programmes in Russia and Azerbaijan.

A key aspect of our work is striving to reach those who may not already have access financially to partake in music tech, so it is important for us to ensure a portion of all our activities are completely free or pay-what-you-can.

Saffron works with a diverse array of professionals and our staff and tutors have decades of experience in the music industry, community building and alternative education. Renowned artists, broadcasters and sound engineers have hosted workshops with us, including the likes of Jamz Supernova, KeiyaA, Shura, Lady Leshurr, Hannah Peel and Marta Salogni.

SAFFRON HAS RECEIVED COVERAGE FROM:

Gender + inclusion

The gender imbalance in the music technology industry is well-recognised. While Saffron is absolutely not ‘anti-men’, we see that a short-term solution is to provide fellowship and learning environments that are not dominated by cisgender men.

The majority of Saffron’s courses and workshops are solely intended for cisgender women, non-binary people, trans (man or woman) and gender non-conforming folks to attend. We are extremely passionate about serving the needs of all these people.

Many of our public-facing events, such as concerts or club nights are open to ALL genders (cisgender men included). We also have a small number of men involved in Saffron in various ways, as we feel that if we want to see real change in the industry then we need to have good role models across the gender spectrum.

Regarding our use of gendered language – we are always open to take on feedback and hear people’s thoughts. We recognise that language is important and ever-changing and different terminology can feel comfortable for different people – our individuality means there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’.

Donate

Donate to Saffron

Donating to Saffron means that you are part of the movement towards a fairer and more balanced music tech industry. Having the financial means to give on a one-off or recurring basis will have a measurable impact on our work.

Find out more

Less than 5% of the music tech industry is comprised of women, non-binary or trans people*