Saffron announces beginners courses in music tech and DJing for women, non-binary people and others in gender minorities this summer

Saffron, the Bristol-based not-for-profit group tackling gender imbalance in the music tech industry, is expanding its programme of educational projects this summer.

The group will soon bring their Saffron For Sound and Mix Nights projects to London and Nottingham for the first time, as well as continuing their work in Bristol.

Saffron for Sound will offer two music tech courses, one in music production and the other in sound engineering, which will both run over four days. Open to women and non-binary people aged 16 and over, the courses will introduce aspiring producers and sound engineers to the fundamentals areas of their subject.

Intended for beginners, the sound engineering course will take students through recording and mixing in a DAW, studio and live setting, while the music production course will focus on working within Ableton Live 11.

Mix Nights, Saffron’s dedicated DJ course for women and non-binary beginners, will run for eight weeks in Nottingham, London and Bristol, comprising weekly two-hour sessions. All three cities’ courses will conclude with an event where graduates play their first ever set at a Mix Nights club night. Over the past five years, Mix Nights has had over 140 graduates while offering courses in Bristol.

The Mix Nights project was co-founded by DJs Daisy Moon, Danielle and Em Williams, with help from Lizzy Ellis and Laura Lewis. The upcoming expansion to new cities will see DJs OK Williams, Saoirse, Shanti Celeste, Rosie Vacci B and Outsider also getting involved.

To find out more about the courses, and how you can apply, head here.

Elsewhere in Bristol, Batu recently launched a free-to-use community music studio in the city, which will begin offering workshops in July.