International Women’s Day 2021

This year, to celebrate International Women’s Day, we have been speaking to some incredible women who work in the music and live events industry. We wanted to discuss some of the pertinent issues and get some inspiration from these hardworking ladies.

Also, check them out on Instagram and see what they’re up to, ahead of what is likely to be a wild gig and festival season!

 

 

Name: Goc O’Callaghan

Company: ArcTanGent & Ubiqu Live 

Job Title: Founder and Director

Instagram: @gococallaghan

ArcTanGent: @arctangentfestival

Ubiqu Live: @ubiqulive

Photo Credit: Joseph Singh (c) 2019 @snaprockandpop 

 

• What does the 2021 International Women's day slogan #ChooseToChallenge mean to you?

From the positioning of the hashtag #ChooseToChallenge from IWD perspective, it’s about challenging gender bias and inequality in order to provoke change. However, for me personally, the hashtag #ChooseToChallenge is to remove my own personal barriers that may hold me back in order to achieve my goals and aspirations.

 

• Have you faced any barriers, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? And if so, how did you overcome them?

In my entire life, I have never attributed success (or failure) down to gender: it is a sheer determination and desire to fulfil my dreams whilst living an extraordinary life, that drives me to succeed. By choosing to see barriers as stepping-stones for personal development rather than roadblocks, I am able to progress and succeed.

 

• Based on your experience, what advice would you give to women considering pursuing a career in your field?

Pursue your dreams, work hard, and keep striving for the best version of you. By adopting a mindset to see barriers and biases as an opportunity to grow, challenge, change and succeed, you’ll escalate yourself in your chosen industry, whether this festivals, music or other. Regardless of your chosen carrier path, do not include your gender in your job title. If you are a female who work in sound, you are a Sound Engineer, not a Female Sound Engineer; you’re a sound engineer who happens to have been born a female. The sooner everyone drops non-industry specific titles from their job titles and spend more of their energy concentrating on their job, the better the industry as a whole becomes. In the face of biases, hold your ground, make your point fairly and clearly, and trust in your own know-how and ability to deliver on your chosen career path.

 

• Do you think women’s workplace confidence has improved over the past few decades? If so, please explain?

Women’s confidence in the workplace has certainly grown based on increasing awareness and education surrounding gender inequality and unconscious biases. The increased confidence amongst women in the workplace is evident by the increasing number of women moving into roles that were historically male orientated.

The music industry has certainly taken positive steps to address the gender balance, however there is still a long way to go: this relates to more than just the gender balance on a line-up, this is all roles within the music industry. Whilst there are some very strong role models out there speaking publicly by actively campaigning for women in the music industry, this is not a route I have chosen to take - I wish to lead by example by being the best possible version of me in the career I have chosen without it being about my gender. I will happily speak on panels about festivals and the music industry but whenever I have been asked to speak directly on the matter about Women in Music because I’m female, I have (in the most part) declined. The two events I have done were constructed in such a way that it was progressive for the industry as a whole whereas unfortunately, in my opinion too many women in music events aren’t correctly positioned and become a bit of a ‘girls club’ which is detrimental to the point trying to be made.

Whilst addressing the gender balance in the music industry is important, I feel that by continuing to talk on the matter it’s not allowing us to move beyond it. Only when we no longer reference someone’s gender, or sexual orientation, or race in the workplace, have those biases well and truly been addressed. Therefore, my approach has been to live what I believe. The public speakers about women in the music industry and those who have taken the approach I have are hopefully inspiring to the next generation(s) coming into this industry and where gender equality (will hopefully) become more balanced, confidence in women or those that identify as women in the workplace will continue to rise.

 

• Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? If so, how did you overcome it?

Everyone has experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their life and I’ve certainly had my fair share of it, often with it creeping in at times when I feel out of my depth or overwhelmed. There are a few key ways that I deal with this, depending on the situation:

• Due to having an entrepreneurial spirit, I am constantly striving for what comes next without acknowledging what I have achieved to get there. It’s a bit like trying to grab the bottom of the string attached to a helium balloon that is constantly out of reach and it’ll continue to rise. Taking some time to look back at what I achieved and learnt in the process confirms that I am worthy of the career I have worked so hard to build.
• Acknowledging that I have often put myself into those situations and that it is my own doing that has got me there means that I cannot be an imposter as I have created my own path. Along that path I have developed the skills and the tools to be successful in my career.
• Remembering that everyone has experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their career, so it is a natural human reaction and to see it as yet another opportunity for personal growth.

 

• How important is it to you for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

If we had a support-orientated community rather than a competition-based community we’d live in a much nicer world. Someone else’s success does not equate to your failure or incompetencies. Regardless of gender, if we praise people for their successes, provide support when plans are not going as hoped and collaborate rather than compete, the things that could be achieved would be next level. Reprogramming our mindset towards lifting others up, rather than putting them down or feeling that it is a negative reflection on ourselves, not only makes for a happier place to live in, but it also provides opportunity for incredible things to happen.

 

• What is the song that empowers you?

 Set Guitars to Kill by And So I Watch You From Afar (@asiwyfa_music)

 

 

 

Name: Danni Monroe

Company/band: The Dirty Youth

Job role: Vocalist 

Social media handles:

Instagram: dannimonroetdy 

Twitter:  thedirtyyouth

Spotify - The Dirty Youth

 

• What does the 2021 International Women's day slogan #ChooseToChallenge mean to you?

It means that past experiences are no longer acceptable, that we have as strong a voice as our male counterparts and that I have grown up in an era where women can now be heard.

 

• Have you faced any barriers, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? And if so, how did you overcome them?

When I started my band 15 years ago it was very rare to have a female in a band and on tours I was 90% of the time assumed to be one of the guys girlfriends.

It wasn’t until we started to get some status that people’s attitudes changed. I feel like female musicians are much more accepted in 2021 in the rock and metal music world, yet we still have a way to go before people start referring to us as just ‘a band’, not a ‘female fronted band’.

 

• Based on your experience, what advice would you give to women considering pursuing a career in your field?

Practice makes perfect! Get your set nailed before you do any live shows and make sure everyones eyes in the room are on you!

It’s not the most glamorous lifestyle being on the road so lower your expectations when it comes to hygiene. Dry shampoo and baby wipes are a godsend on tour!

 

• Do you think women’s workplace confidence has improved over the past few decades? If so, please explain?

Totally, we still have along way to go but I read recently that 1 in 3 people at board level are now women which is a massive step forward for equality!

I no longer feel inadequate compared to a man in the workplace, but I think that confidence boost has also come with age since turning 30.

 

• Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? If so, how did you overcome it?

Imposter syndrome is something I deal with on a regular basis in all aspects of my life. I regularly doubt everything i do which it why it’s so important to have a supportive network of people around you to remind you of what you have achieved, how far you have come, and that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

 

• How important is it to you for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

I feel like a lot more effort could be made by women to support each other and big each other up. We are not rivals and should be happy for everyone’s successes. I am a big believer In fate and it will happen when you are ready for it to happen, you don’t have to feel threatened by other women’s successes.

 

• What is the song that empowers you?

Foo Fighters - The Pretender

 

As soon as I heard this song I was hooked and it’s been on repeat ever since.

The energy from every musician shines through in this track and watching Taylor Hawkins play drums and nail the high harmony in the chorus live gives me goosebumps

 

 

 

Name: Ellis Goodridge

Company: Vegan Camp Out

Job Title: Festival Organiser

Instagram: @ellisgoodridge

 

• What does the 2021 International Women's day slogan #ChooseToChallenge mean to you?

To me, it’s choosing to challenge and call out inequality when I see or hear it. Educating people and being educated myself.

 

• Have you faced any barriers, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field?

And if so, how did you overcome them? I think sometimes it can be difficult to be taken seriously as a woman but as time has gone on, I feel women dominate the influencer industry so it’s empowering to be a part of it.

 

• Based on your experience, what advice would you give to women considering pursuing a career in your field?

I would advise women to feel encouraged and empowered so that they gain the confidence to succeed.

 

• Do you think women’s workplace confidence has improved over the past few decades? If so, please explain?

I would say so, yes! Women have fought for this for years, and I think from what I can see, we’ve came a long way. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but the amount of female entrepreneurs I talk to really shows we can be confident and achieve big things.

 

• Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? If so, how did you overcome it?

Massively! I still do, a lot. I think as an influencer it’s easy to portray a large portion of your ‘best life’ and display the highlights as opposed to the not so pretty parts. But it’s important to understand that these parts are real too, and just as important and worthy.

 

• How important is it to you for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

I think it’s super important to lift other women up. One of my favourite quotes is ‘another woman’s beauty isn’t the absence of your own’. And that applies for their work/success too. Let’s climb the ladder together.

 

• What is the song that empowers you?

Jhené Aiko - B.S

Sometimes you just need a little Jhené to feel back on top

 

 

 

Name: Helen Tytherleigh

Company: UK Tech-Fest

Job Title: Event Director

Instagram: @uktechfest 

 

• What does the 2021 International Women's day slogan #ChooseToChallenge mean to you?

I really love the theme Choose to Challenge because to me it signifies speaking up as a woman to challenge inequality and bias across the board. Whether that’s racial inequality, LGBTQIA+ rights, disability rights and even men’s rights – they’re all feminist issues that need to be challenged to create an inclusive world. Over the last year I’ve really challenged myself to speak up by starting a YouTube channel called Helen Explains where I talk about books on social issues like anti-racism, intersectional feminism and politics.

 

• Have you faced any barriers, as a woman, in becoming successful in your field? And if so, how did you overcome them?

I think the biggest barrier I’ve found is the battle to be taken seriously. I’m 5’2” and I don’t have a dominating voice so I’ve been overlooked or ignored in the past. When I was starting out in the music industry I was lucky to be mentored by Vicky Langham at Northern Music Company, as she gave me the confidence to stand firm in my decisions.

 

• Based on your experience, what advice would you give to women considering pursuing a career in your field?

I would say be persistent and take every opportunity you can. Work hard and try to go above and beyond as people remember that and will come back to you if you’re consistent and reliable. Also turn to other women for advice and guidance – having someone to talk to who’s been there will help.

 

• Do you think women’s workplace confidence has improved over the past few decades? If so, please explain?

Yes, I definitely think so, as there are more women working in the music and events industry than ever – we’re breaking down the boy’s club. I also think in this age of #MeToo more women have the confidence to challenge workplace discrimination. However, 2020 marked 50 years since the Equal Pay Act, yet there is still a gap in pay, so there’s still a way to go. 

 

• Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? If so, how did you overcome it?

Yes, I get it all the time, so please let me know when you find the solution to overcoming it! I don’t think it’ll ever go away, but I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to have as it keeps me humble and allows me to keep challenging and pushing myself.

 

• How important is it to you for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

It is incredibly important for women to lift each other up as we are so often pitted against each other to compete for one seat at the table, when really there’s room for us all. Lifting each other up means supporting and believing women particularly when they are vulnerable.

 

• What is the song that empowers you?

I’m going to have to pick two, a nostalgic song and one from today:

Christina Aguilera’s ‘Fighter’ – I was 11 when I heard it on her album Stripped and I loved that she was preaching that whatever barriers you come across you’ll get through them and come out the other side wiser, stronger and, most importantly, a fighter.

 

Most recently, I can’t stop listening to the song ‘Hideous’ by VEXED from their upcoming debut album Culling Culture. VEXED performed at UK Tech-Fest in 2019 and they are ones to watch in metal – the riffs are really groovy and Megan is a phenomenal vocalist. I feel like the song channels the anger I have towards the ‘hideous’ inequality in the world and empowers me to keeping fighting against it.