Women And The Creative Industries
By Emmanuella Maeba
Women And The Creative Industries
By Emmanuella Maeba
This book is about young female roles in the creative industries within the film, music and tv industries and what their thoughts and feeling are towards a man made creative world.
Female Students And The Creative Industries
Katy
“Around 13/14 really, the time I was doing my GCSEs. I got really interested in drama at school and my teachers encouraged me to take it as an exam subject, it was just a lot of fun and I liked being in the stage. It just kinda really brought me out of myself because I was quite shy back then. Not really, my Grandmother was a piano teacher so I guess maybe there’s some artistic streak there but not really, no. My family have always been really supportive of my interest in the performing arts but initially it was just a surprise to them, it being so out of their own repertoire. My last year in sixth form I was actually in a musical called ‘Back to the 80s’ which, I mean it was a bit of a spin on Grease but it was just really fun to be a part of. It was super cheesy but just so much fun. It was good to be on stage singing and dancing, which wasn’t something I really had any experience of prior to that, I’d only done drama but it was a lot of fun and that’s just what it’s all about I think, being on stage, just having fun and trying something different and letting yourself go. It was just the sheer fact that I enjoyed it really, as I say, I got into it at school and my teacher pushed me because she could see I enjoyed it and being a part of the performing arts department at school just enhanced my entire school-life experience. The more I kinda got involved in it, the more I wanted to do it and then the more I was doing it and then it just slowly takes over your life to be honest and then suddenly you’re doing a degree in it and that’s your life. But I’m not complaining, I love it. So people like Olivia Colman, I guess, who have kinda been going at it for quite a while and have had multiple roles and really trudged the board, so to speak, and then built themselves up towards success. They’ve not gone straight in and got famous really quick like some people manage without any real talent, but kinda slow built and really grafted over the years. When people have worked hard for something, it just feels so much more well deserved and I have a lot more respect for them. People too like Jodie Comer, who hasn’t had like a formal drama school education, but is still kinda proving that there’s people out there who have talent and it just proves, you know, that you don’t have to have a drama school degree to be able to make it in this industry, there are other routes, and I feel like it’s people like her who are hopefully paving the way for the rest of us. I’d probably say Jodie Comer to be honest. She’s just got such an incredible range, she’s just awe inspiring to be honest, just brilliant. I’d have probably gotten involved with more the English side of things. I’m quite big on my Shakespeare so I’d have probably gone down the Literature route, or even English Language, as daft as it sounds I just love words and I enjoy writing now so I’d have probably gotten more into that. I’m not really sure to be honest, it depends what opportunities present themselves. I’m hoping to co finite training after my degree here and do a masters somewhere and then just try and get as much experience as I can to be honest and see where it takes me. Sure, yeah, I think there is an element of that. Though I think on an acting scale, it’s probably quite balanced now but obviously directing/producing, you know, all the tech side of things is pretty much all men which I don’t know, I wouldn’t say it holds me back, if anything I think I see it as an opportunity to kinda break into that as where there’s kind of a gap I guess. I see it as a possibility more than a setback. I think it is male dominated but I don’t feel like that is happening because women aren’t welcome, I feel like there’s a lot of roles that women maybe earlier on in school and stuff are maybe as exposed to as stuff in a way that perhaps boys are, they don’t get the opportunity to become interested in it. And so they grow up with no real want to take on any of those roles. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s impossible for women to get into them, I mean a lot of places are setting initiatives to try and get more women involved in these aspects but I’m just not sure there’s the uptake yet, it’s got to start earlier on in the process I think.”
Amelia
“ I always knew i was interested in any art/performance based subject from the age of six, but only properly discovered it was an avenue i could explore at 16. None of my family memebers have had any history with the arts however, my Mum always encouraged me and my sister to pursue the arts as subjects. Especially Music and Drama in my case. I would have to say “ A Mouthful of birds by Carol Church. Even though the rehersals were extremely stressful and the weeks leading up to it were a shambles, it was so much fun perfoming with my friends and beinf able to watch come together right at the last minute. I know this is going to sound super rediculous but i have wanted to act ever since i first watched Doctor Who for the first time when i was a child. I would 100% have to say Michaela Coel. Watching I May Destroy You was the first time i felt represented as a young women of this generation. She takes ‘taboo’ subjects and normalises them as they should have always been. She is literally one of the mosy talented writers and directors of our generation. I also look up to Phoebe Waller Bridge because once again she is such a strong female writer and director in the industry. Fleabag will always be one of my favourite programmes to watch. Other than those who i have listed above, i would have to say i really like David Tennant, Ian Mckellan, Paapa Essiedu, Billie Piper, Saoirse Ronan and many more. Anything music based. I also lived English and History so i would have possibly looked into studying those if i had not chosen to purse acting. Who knows at the moment as the arts are beginning to decline due to COVID. But i would hope to look at attending a Drama school. Unfortunatley i would have to say that it is. I wish it wasn’t the case but only now as a 20 year old have i begun to see change within the industry. Places like the RSC have pledged to have a 50:50 ratio of male and female actors which is a step in the right direction. However, there is still a long way to go. “
Monika
“In my teens after seeing a production. I was surprised how a trained actor could embody and replicate a character. I actually liked all the plays we have done so far. Each of them taught me something different and made me gain a new skill. I want to educate an audience about topics that the world is facing and telling the truth about stories. I look up to Teraji P. Henson, Amma Asante, Oprah and lupita Nying’o. I would Probably be working in the health sector as i have a passion to help people, if acting didn’t work out. These are interesting times but it’s important to stay positive. It used to be, but things are slowly changing. Although companies are recruting from both genders i think more could be done, especially in promoting diversity in the industries.”
Lucy
“I was 17 when i knew i wanted to act. My parents are invloved with a local amateur dramatics group, but their career aren’t in the indsutry. My favourite performance was The Tempest, where i got the chance to play Prospero. It’s always been something i’ve enjoyed but i think it was going to see a lot of shows when i was younger that really inspired me to go into acting. I am in awe of creatives like Taika Waititi and Bryce Dallas Howard. They both have such vision as directors and actors and they inspire me. I think i’d have to say my favourite actress is Emma Thompson. If i wasn’t an actress, i would want to be a writer, artist or teacher. I’m very inclined to the creative arts, I’d like to go into stage acting, but would be interested in also film work. I just want to surround myself in the industry. I think the theatre industry is less male dominated than the film industry, but i feel that good/main roles are mostly male characters which can leave it feeling male heavy. “
Nancy
“Always have wanted in be in the arts in some way. My mum would say she always knew i was going to be a performer but i looked at becoming a set designer and stage manager before deciding performing was for me when applying for uni. My mum is an Artist. We have painters and artist throughout my family but no perfomers. Shakespeare’s The Tempest that i performed this year because it was the first time i was actually acting on instinct. living in the moment being completely free in your character. You always hear about that stage in acting but I had never experienced it before now. My mum always took us to the theatre and so I’ve always been surrounded by it. I guess it is just within me. It’s my soul and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I was always in school productions, it was just the way my life fell. Acting also allows me to adventure into a new world and meet people that I would never meet. People from the deepest depths of history, fairy’s, kings, queens and fools. Acting lets me travel and embark on adventures without ever leaving my room. I look up to people like Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant. People like that. I also love finding new actors and directors that I’ve never watched before. I’m also always in awe of the design teams on films, creating incredible sets! Amazing. Favourite celebrity actor... Emma Thompson probably. She’s just so cool, down to earth and barking mad. She makes me feel like I’m not alone in being crazy in this world. I would definitely be in the industry in some capacity. I was going to go down the fine art route for a while but theatre will always be my first love. I probably would be a director or stage manager, probably will still be in the future. I’m hoping my future as an actress will be exciting, , adventurous, challenging. I have always said that I will be a successful actress when I can pay my bills with full time acting. Yes I do. I believe it’s getting more equal but definitely still male dominated. However, with productions being less rigid about gender casting I think the gap is getting smaller each time, especially in theatre. I think it’s really important that women feel as though they can audition for roles that are as complex and fulfilling as male roles and until that happens all the time, there is always more work to do.”
Female Dancer
CERYS
“I have been dacing for a very long time, so my passion i think kinda really sparked when i was around 10 or 11, as that is when i started to really properly compete in high level dance competitions and thats when i started to relise i am not actually too bad at this and thats when i started to really love dancing and was something i always turned to when i felt upset or really dowm, anything like that. So i started dancing when i was 4 years old. I have been dancing for around 14 to 15 yeaes. I get inspired by so many people wheather thats fellow dancer in classes or in dance conventions, probaly my biggest inspiration would be maddie zeaglear who was the girl who danced in the sia videos and also Brian Olay who, is a conadian dancer and she was on world of dance, they are both so incredible,just the way that they, use movement to express themselves.Also in terms of chroeographing, i’m chroeographing my own dances, definatelt ricky James who is a british cheorographer, featured on the greatest dancer, so yeah thoes three massive inspirations for me. My two favourite dance styles is contempuary and the other one is tap. Tap i have been doing for the longest, and contempuary has been introduced to me through, so i have been doing jazz and contempuary and lyrical dance, so that has been introduced through all that. I do love both of them contempuary is very expressive style, motive and tap i just love , where you can create different sounds through your feet. Nobody in my family is actually from a performing background, to which is really surprising because dance has been such a massive part of my life, so no nobody is really interested in drama, performaning, dance anything like that. Why dance? i think probably when i was very young i was always that person who had so much energy and i think going to dance class i could kind of let off steam and i know growing up dance has had more of a stronger meaning to me and that i know i could always turn to it when am ever feeling down and it sounds really cheesey but i know i will feel so much better and free when i dance cos i know i could just put a song on and just kind of forget about everything. So yeah i think thats why dance is such a huge part of my life. If dance didn’t work out , am not sure what i would really do , i am a very sporty person, so gymnastics as a hobby, so dance as a hobby. gymnastics was a big part of how i grew up, because i did gymnastics, alongside dance as well so i think in terms of things i enjoy definalty gymnastics or athletics, is also something that i really enjoy, so if i didnt have dance, it would probably be thoes two, i think, that i definalty think if you spoke to other dancers as well, they will feel exactly the same, the dance community is very heaverly female dominated, there are definately more girls than boys doing dance but obviously but can, there is nothing wrong with that, but i think when we go to compotitions. i definaly experience first hand, where if you are competing in a catergory where there is a boy then, you know for a fact, they will go and win because they are male, am not too sure why maybe it is because they are less male dancers in the dance community but yeah i know for a fact that you kind of know who is going to win, if you are a catergory in a competiton with a male dancer. “
Female Artist
Sophie
“Everyone had a connection with music when they were kids, i did’t actually get into making music until i was 15/16, so lots of people do it when they were really really young, but i started doing it a lot later than evryone else, which i wasn’t that had to get into which they do like musical school. I’m pretty much into every kind of music, my main favourite genre is like rocky side of things, so a bit of pop punk. I would say probably imagine dragonss, i have listened to them for so long now, just like those artists you go back to. I probably like look after dogs r something, be like a dog sitter or like a dog walker, something with animals definatly, because i wouldn’t want to do anything else, so yeah probably something with animals I don’t know when i write, it’s kinda a bit dark, and it’s not really direct is does not like direct lyrics, but then it is completely opposite to who i am as a person, so like its self consiously, writing kinda like dark moods songs, when actually, i am not really a dark moody person. I don;t know it’s like a contrast of who i am i guess. I think thats the only answeer i can give, haha. No, like no one, in the family is musical. Hmm not really actually i just like mess round and one of my friends at school who also did music and sahe said “ oh you can actually sing!” and i was like “ah didn’t know that” and from there it sounded like an accident but i started singing. Even my mum was like ‘you could alwatys sing” thats just a mum thing you know. Hmm it’s just all men, all men, i think it is getting better though, i think, i got quite a lot of networking groups so, its all like girls supporting girls, which is reallty good but it’s still just like the production area of things, like producers as that really sucks as it’s people just assume that women can’t produce. So i think people are realising they need to include other proeple, that’s what i am hoping.”
Ellie
“Well i think i kinda had two stages, up to the age of 15, music was like a comnstsnt in my life, i mean i played piano since i was 7, sang in choirs but it was just a thing, that it was there , that i always accepted, that i did but i did not take it seriously and then about, yeah 15 onwards, i did some singing lessons and realised i loved it and then started, singing more songs and started writing songs, taught myself guiter, and did open mic nights, and it kind of all developed and i was performing wrting and producing, so yeah i guess 15 was like the turning point of something that i am going to take it seriously. Honestly i am so bad with nosolgic syndrum i think to a certen exstent, i would probably never will because just everyone has it a little bit, some of us more than others to where that there is a bit of you that always feels like every good thing you do is like somehow a fluke. But recently i think my confidence has definately built, like i would never refer to myself as a producer, i never felt good enough, and there will be people literally on like garage bands, making one song and saying “i am A producer” i just could’nt think of doing that, until recently i think the release of my lsst single spaced out was kinda of a turning point for me, where i made something where i was like “you know what, i won’t change anything about what i have done’ and i was getting recongnistion for it, like okay yoi know what, i’m okay at this. Man that’s hard because i sort of do phases where i have like for a month of something i listen to loads and loads of music and juat abosorb it all and then i kinda go into writing a lot of the time and with some artist that always get, thoughts going, probably easy life, benny, stul wozzy, as am currently listering to dark worth on repeat and nothing else, he is proably er slowly inportrating my music. I would say anything in the indie old pop, almost R&B, reigon, anything along that line i would probably be into. Kind of werid interesting sounds, but good melodies and poppy in some respect i always want to dance to things. A mix, i like the sort of chilled stuff but i also like kinda your car suit pop music that you dance around to, like Doja Cat right now, is my good to , oh my god, hmm yeah i listen to a lot of that. I mean i have a maths degree so i feel like it should be a back up plan. Yeah so like i hit the end of sixth form and i done a bit of music production but i was still really shy i did not have confidence i wasn’t sure if it was something i could not see myself doing, professionally, so i love maths so i was like i go to uni and do math and kinda figure stuff out and i don’t regreat it at all, those 3 years, helped me with like form myself of my confidence, like my confidence before and after uni was like crazy, i think that is the same with ebveryone it’s such a formative. I think the songs about me say that i think a lot maybe too much quite intrespective, and i like to think that they paint me as someone clever, like the way i write, i like to be really creative with the way i write and play with words, play with melodies, so yeah i like to think i come across as in my music coimes across as very creative and thought through, but content wise i very rarely write love songs, it tends to be about, my mental state. Well every member of the family plays an instrument, so my sister plays a piano, we sort of had piano lessons together and my mum played the flute, any sort of whisels, she can play like irish gingles really well, and then my dad did like , drums violin, and piano, did loads of stuff, he taught me all my piano theories, so me and my dad have kind oof, leant a lot of music together. Especially when you are growing up as well it like that then thing to develop together, I think obviously it gets better but iot is still not good and it depends on the region but fairly across the board it’s like over 50% it’s always mmale, even artist , which sometimes you expect there to be more female artists, but there really isn’t, it’s like , But that is als another thing in the indsutry is that like the age gap between ffemale and male artists you will see that the average male artists is so much older than the female artists , like all these female artist is coming at 18, because you know that they are fresh and pretty, it is objectely creepy. We don’t seem to value, l like when i litterally say older women i mean like not older women, like them in their 30’s it is actually really hard to find and thats even in the artist which is like more equal w when you get into the techniqual side i mwan but there is lots of ineshitibves with all these figures are getting published now , like this is’nt a genes thing it’s not like women litterally can’t produce thats absulte bullocks, there is no reason for that to be the case, the girls are not growing up seeing women in these jobs so they don’t know they exist, or they exsist for them, i mean i did’nt know anything about technical job, i also think that we bring, girls up to doubt themselves and i think in a technical setting, that’s really detromental, because like so i could call myself a producer for ages and i feel like a lot if that is proably because of my personal socilisation from being female that we are not taugh tto have, doubtless confidence , it’s not what we do, i don’t think that is there, it’ so unbalanced, that chnanges are being made”
Many thanks to: Katy Livsey Amelia Grace Monika Kramer Lucy Wallace Nancy Lioyd Cerys Thomas Sophie Winter Ellie Dixon