International Women's Day and supporting the next generation of female artists

Helena Summerfield at Manchester University taking part in a workshop with students
for MUSICA Festival

Positive impact on the gender gap
at Musica Festival

Earlier in the week jazz camp project manager Helena Summerfield visited Manchester University to deliver a seminar and improvisation workshop for music students as part of their MUSICA Festival programme. The MUSICA Festival is a Manchester based student-run festival that aims to make a positive impact on the gender gap in the music industry. It is a celebration of women and gender diverse musicians, held in March around International Women’s Day.

Jazz Camp for Girls: 7 & 8 March 2026

Jazz Camp for Girls: building the next generation of inspirational female artists

On Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March, Jazz North will be joining supporters around the globe to celebrate International Women’s Day and, closer to home, our ‘Jazz Camp for Girls’ weekend. It offers a supportive and safe space for girls to be creative and explore improvisation and they’re designed for musicians aged between 8-14 with no or little experience of playing jazz and improvising and aims to inspire them through a range of fun activities, celebrating the work of women in the jazz industry. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome to attend.

Creating safe spaces to collaborate and take risks with special guest Trish Ferrarin from Elbow Room

Join our Spring online artist forum on Tuesday 17th March (2-3pm) to celebrate International Women’s month and learn more about Elbow Room - a thriving community ensemble led by the respected jazz pianist and educator Trish Ferrarin. As always, our forums are a safe space to reflect, share ideas and ask questions.

#GiveToGain

The theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is #GiveToGain and encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration.

Give To Gain emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.

Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time, contributing to women's advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world.

On social media tag your favourite jazz musicians (that just happen to be female) and together let’s celebrate women’s success and #GiveToGain towards a better balanced music industry. 

Rivkala: part of the 2026 Northern Line roster

Celebrating women of the North:
Northern Line

Northern Line is Jazz North's live touring programme, which supports fantastic northern jazz+ artists to tour live. Meet some of the amazing women currently active on the Northern Line roster:

Rivkala is the brainchild of Bex Tuck, a self-proclaimed showgirl originally hailing from Manchester. This Newcastle-based band transports you straight to the cabaret. Rivkala is definitely one to watch and already has a host of awards under her belt! This band also features sax and clarinet from Northern Line alumni, Faye MacCalman and Katy Trigger on bass.

SwanNek features vocals from the fabulous Mollie Birmingham. This story-led band uses each new project to delve into the personal experiences of the band and a whole host of guest artists. Keep your eye on what's coming next from Mollie…

Ellen Beth Abdi has used Northern Line to develop and tour her live solo show after the release of her debut EP. Her exceptional songwriting and creative visual brand have captured serious attention this year with some great results on radio play, festival shows and funding success. Ellen will be leading a session on finding your artistic voice at our Artist Development Day coming up in Manchester on 16th April - keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming announcement.

ATFK (formally Amy Thatcher and Francesca Knowles) are on the road as we speak. You can see them perform their incredible live duo of drums, accordion, synths, keyboards and vocals in ‘an unapologetic brew of colourful and creative composition'. To top it off, they released their album Repeat for Joy in November last year. Catch them live at Manchester Folk Festival in collab with mjf on 21st March.

Ceitidh Mac is a Welsh-born, Tyneside dwelling alternative singing cellist. Following a successful funding bid, there's some new music in the pipeline and a host of live dates coming up between March and June. Ceitidh Mac is captivating live and will be touring new music following its release - promoters get booking for the next phase of new music!