Spotlight on: International Women's Day and EDI in Music and Media
This year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) provides the ideal opportunity to reflect on the work undertaken within Music and Media in the broad area of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
We caught up with Natasha Blakemore, a PhD student in Audio Engineering and graduate of our flagship BSc Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) degree, and winner of the Faculty EDI Award in 2024, which recognises and celebrates student contributions to EDI.
Natasha’s award was made in acknowledgement of the breadth and depth of her long-standing commitment to EDI and her significant impact across the University in bringing about change and increasing awareness of EDI through the initiatives in which she has been involved. These included establishing the role of student EDI representative within Music and Media, contributing to the University’s student equality network and the student disability and accessibility group, and promoting the adoption of more inclusive language and behaviour across the student journey.
On the education side, we hold a dedicated talk during Welcome Week to open students’ eyes to the range of identities that we welcome and celebrate, as well as offering definitions of concepts like intersectionality and protected characteristics.
Natasha BlakemoreWhat work do you and others do in Music and Media here at the University to promote EDI?
"There are a couple of angles we try to approach things from: providing a safe space for people to talk about EDI issues, and educating people about what these issues are and how to help. Both goals are often covered in our departmental EDI Forums. There are student EDI reps in most year groups, so there is always someone who these issues can be reported to and who can signpost other students to further support.
Also, I (as part of a group) have recently been awarded money from the Music and Media EDI prize fund to establish an EDI seminar series of visiting speakers. Watch this space!
It is always important to be improving and developing, and conducting research is a huge part of this. We have organised two EDI surveys for the Tonmeister course (in 2021 and 2024), where students and graduates gave anonymous feedback and we can more accurately track progress made. We have also begun observing other subjects’ EDI Forums elsewhere in the University so that we can exchange ideas, share best practices and continue to learn and improve. We have previously held focus groups on specific topics, such as the recruitment process, which can reveal some really interesting things that might be otherwise missed!
Could you tell us a little about the work you’ve done at the University of Surrey over the years?
I started the Tonmeister course in 2019 with the goal of working in classical music. I did my placement at Sky as a Trainee Dubbing Mixer and became fascinated with the perception of sound and how this can vary between people. When I returned for my final year, I undertook my technical project looking at the relationship between tempo preference in music and preferred tempo for movement. Now I’m researching my PhD in Audio Engineering, looking at how the structure of the cochlea varies between people and how this can affect music perception using otoacoustic emissions (sounds generated in the inner ear). I’ve become absolutely fascinated with the research area of ‘Aural Diversity’, which allows me to connect my interest in studying diversity with my interest in researching audio.
There is so much value in learning from people who represent a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. Especially in research and creative industries, it’s so important to interrogate and develop your own ideas with a good foundation of knowledge that isn’t just from your own corner of the world.
Natasha BlakemoreWhy is EDI important to you, and why should it be important to others?
EDI affects everyone. Some people may benefit from aspects of their identity within society, but unfortunately many people will face barriers because of it. A great example I find of how improved accessibility, for example, can help everyone is automatic doors – this can help wheelchair users, people carrying things and people with pushchairs. The list goes on!
The shackled runner analogy and the idea of equity always sticks with me as well. There is a lot of misinformation about EDI initiatives being unfair, but the goal is to even the playing field so that anyone has the possibility to work or study what they’re interested in. The more we talk about these issues, the more people will understand and hopefully join our efforts to make the world more inclusive.
Who in your field have you found particularly inspiring for their work in EDI?
There are so many incredible people out there working on EDI both in research and industry that I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the team of ‘Hearing the Unheard: towards a blueprint on filling gaps in audio engineering, sound technology and music production’ at the Audio Engineering Society Europe Convention in 2024: Dr Amandine Pras, Professor Jude Brereton, Dr Leslie Gaston-Bird, Katie Ambrose and Alex MacKay.
What does winning the Faculty EDI award mean to you?
It was wonderful to be recognised for this award. It’s work I truly believe everyone should be doing, but so much of this labour is done by (and left to) under-represented and marginalised groups, so having recognition for this from the University was great. I hope it inspires other people to do what they can in their areas – if everyone does a little, it would make a huge impact."
Many congratulations to Natasha on this well-deserved award!
Related sustainable development goals
