Gender Equality in the Department of Music

The Department of Music is committed to the principles of gender equality. We achieved a Bronze Award from the Athena Swan Charter in September 2022 and collaborated with six other Durham departments on the Faculty of Arts and Humanities’ Athena Swan Silver Award, received in 2025.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. It was established in 2005 to foster and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine (STEMM) in higher education and research.

The charter was expanded in May 2015 to embrace work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, as well as for trans staff and students.

Its areas of focus include issues of representation, the progression of students into academia, journeys through career milestones, and the working environment for all.

Athena Swan in the Department of Music

The Department of Music’s Bronze Award in 2022 recognised our commitment to the principles of the Athena Swan Charter and its ongoing promotion of the best possible environment for learning, teaching and working. The self-assessment team, led by Dr James Weeks, consisted of staff members and undergraduate and postgraduate students from across the department.

Our part in the Silver Award earned by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in 2025 reflects a strategic and collaborative approach to reducing gender disparities, fostering inclusivity, and embedding sustainable change. It highlights a firm commitment to continued improvement through to 2030.

International Women’s Day

Stemming from our commitment to Athena Swan principles, a highlight of the department’s annual calendar is our programme of events around International Women’s Day on 8 March each year.

Lulu McDonald and Pink Lemonade, Music Department Showcase: Pop, Rock & Jazz Special, 2025

International Women’s Day Concert, 2016

Women in Music Studies panel, 2024

Bailey Chamber Orchestra, Music Department International Women’s Day Showcase, 2024