Roundtable – Perspectives from the Music Sector

Michelle Odette Iversen Badiane (she/her) is the general manager of the music organization AKKS Bergen – an organization that, since 1995, has worked for gender balance and representation in the music scene of Western Norway. Michelle has many years of experience working with diversity and inclusion in various cultural organizations and has written a master’s thesis on the subject. Michelle serves on the boards of Musikkontoret Brak, Stiftelsen Puff, and Cinemateket i Bergen.

Grace Goodwin is a PhD researcher at the University of Liverpool where her work focuses on regional gender inequalities in the music industry. She is a gender equality activist who delivers projects and talks and launched GENIE (Gender Equality Networks in Europe), a database of over 400 projects supporting gender equity in the music industry. She is an artist mentor, session drummer and also sits on the board of the PRS Foundation who are the largest funders of new music in the UK.

Gunn-Hilde Erstad Haugen is a Norwegian electric bassplayer, researcher, and advocate for inclusive performance development in popular music. She performs internationally with the progressive metal band Rendezvous Point and works at CreaTeME – Center for Excellence in Music Performance Education at the University of Agder.

As a PhD candidate, she investigates peak performance in popular music through body mechanics, physical training, and autoethnographic reflection, with a strong focus on women’s experiences in instrumental roles. She also serves as general manager of AKKS Kristiansand, promoting equality, youth participation, and diversity in music.

Gunn-Hilde is passionate about creating sustainable artistic environments where all musicians can thrive.

Eva Rowson is Managing Director of Bergen Kjøtt, one of Norway´s largest non-profit cultural centers for music production and an award-winning venue for accessibility and inclusion. Eva is one of the co-founders of “GRIP”, Norway’s only sound engineering training program aimed at welcoming more cis-women, non-binary and transgender people into this industry.

Eva is a board member of AKKS Norway that works for gender equality and nurturing new talent in the Norwegian music scene and was a participant in the 2025 Keychange Talent Leadership Programme 2025 for women and gender-diverse creatives to lead change in the music industry. She led the course “Collaborative Practices” at the Faculty of Art, University of Bergen 2019-2025 and has a radio show “Adventures in Concrete” exploring concretised structures in society, and how to change them.