This introductory session will break down the key function of boards, what they do, give an overview of upcoming board positions, eligibility criteria and elections process. Hear from existing women sitting across various boards on how they got their ‘Seat at the Table’.

Guest speakers include Kelli-Leigh (FAC Board), Michelle Escoffery (PRS Members' Council), Roxanne de Bastion (PPL Board) and Laura May (MPA Board)

Speaker details:

Kelli-Leigh:

Kelli-Leigh’s voice has amassed over half a billion streams. 3 top 10 singles, 2 numbers 1s and one Grammy nominated. Kelli-Leigh set up her own label Music Core in 2018 to self release her catalogue of ‘Anthemic Pop’ & has amassed over 1 million streams on her first ever major label signed single to Warner Records in 2021. Kelli-Leigh now sits as part of the FAC board & has most recently put out a joint guidance document with the MU & FAC to protect session singers & featured artist rights in the industry.

Laura May:

Laura May founded independent music publishing company May Music in 2017 after many years working in different roles around the industry. Beginning her career at Eaton Music after being chosen from the MPA job seekers list, Laura moved into auditing, forensic royalty tracking and royalty accounting at an accountancy firm five years later. After a break due to illness Laura returned to work part time as a finance manager at Rewind Festival while simultaneously starting her own business providing royalty analysis services for auditors and royalty accounting for producers, small labels and publishers including Turnfirst Artists. Laura joined Turnfirst Artists full time in 2015 to work in the finance team, also joining new venture First Access Entertainment when it launched at the end of that year.

Laura consulted for The Music Royalty Co, running the finances and co-ordinating royalties for the Cooking Vinyl group, one of their biggest clients for 18 months before joining fashion brand Casablanca to help set up their finance department.

Laura still consults for a variety of independent labels, publishers and producers on their royalties however is focused on expanding the May Music roster whilst developing opportunities for her diverse network of writers and juggling the needs of her small business.

Michelle Escoffery:

Michelle Escoffery is an Ivor Novello Award and Brit Award Winning Singer Songwriter with 3 decades active experience in the music Industry.

She is an educator, co-owner of boutique label 528 Music Global, vocal producer/arranger and facilitator with an avid interest in developing future talent.

Having signed with both major and independent labels, and recognised for her creativity, musical ability and professional contributions, she presently elected President of PRS for Music Member’s Council acting as a conduit between PRS Writer, Composer and Publisher members, the Member’s Council and Management and proudly sits on the Board of Trustees for PRS Foundation.

SCQF qualified in the Professional Development Award – Practice Based Learning for Creative and Cultural Industries, a CLOCK Sector expert, Peer Reviewer and External Assessor. Michelle has spent the last 3 years as module leader at Tileyard Education on their Commercial Songwriting & Production MA program and is currently a strategic consultant for Academy Of Contemporary Music.

Outside of music, Michelle’s passion is wellness. She is a qualified Life Wellness Coach, supporting makers & professionals to balance creativity with the demands of daily life; increase energy, productivity and avoid burn out. Her speciality is Joyful Life Mastery, accessing Joy through and despite adversity.

Roxanne de Bastion:

To describe British singer-songwriter Roxanne de Bastion as a pioneering DIY artist does little justice to the hefty list of accomplishments and accolades she’s assembled in her young and very busy life. She the first artist to virtually tour in lockdown, performances she can add to her incredible run of over 500 gigs to date, including two USA tours and a slot at Glastonbury; she has self-released a debut album ‘Heirlooms and Hearsay’ (2017); was invited to join the FAC’s (Featured Artist Coalition) Board of Directors (alongside members of British music royalty Blur and Radiohead); is a board director at PPL; and more recently procured Bernard Butler to produce her forthcoming album ‘You & Me, We Are The Same’, simply by emailing him a demo. As Bernard says “some cold calls turn into beautiful projects...”

Roxanne de Bastion currently resides in London. She has previously released the aforementioned debut album ‘Heirlooms and Hearsay’ (2017) as well as ‘Live at Moth Club’ EP (2020), a recording of her lockdown Moth Club gig which was streamed worldwide. The latter was shortly preceded by her virtual tour in support of #saveourvenues which garnered coverage on Metro, Huffington Post and BBC News. She has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival, supported artists such as Lambchop and Wainwright Sisters, performed at Roundhouse, London supporting the PRSF Women Make Music fund, and sold-out The Lexington, London to launch her tour diary book ‘Tales from the Rails’, on top of repeated tours of Europe, the UK and the USA.

She also created FM2U, a music conference which aims to empower & educate as well as create a strong community of artists, and also somehow manages to fit in hosting a show at London radio station Boogalo Radio.

Demystifying Boards - The Journey to a Seat at the Table