IN CONVERSATION WITH RIA HEBDEN: THE POWER OF WONDER WOMEN LIVE!

I founded Wonder Women Live in 2017 as a way of building a diverse community of freelancers and working mothers where they could come together in a safe space to hear the inspiring career journeys of some of the industry’s leading women. By sharing how they have navigated the industry and overcome the challenges of raising their families, we understand the immense power that comes from women sharing their collective wisdom with the next generation.

The tangible positive impact that Wonder Women Live has made on attendees is undeniable - I’m immensely proud to know that some have found mentors, secured jobs and made friends at our events! The greater social impact that we are making to the industry overall is also significant as we’re helping to retain some of the most marginalised women the sector stands to lose in the current climate by connecting them to senior leaders and opportunities outside of their network.

There are more women of colour in senior positions in corporate roles in the major broadcasters, streamers and in TV production. We have better on-screen representation of regionality, class, disability and diversity than there has ever been before.

For working women in the workplace in corporate roles, there is more flexibility for working parents with the caveat that this is dependent on the employer and how progressive their policies are.

For you, what are the biggest challenges currently facing women in television and the creative industries?

Unfortunately the biggest challenges that women have historically faced still remain - childcare, flexibility and employment.

Childcare in the UK remains one of the most expensive in the world - limiting women’s earning potential and ability to progress up the corporate and production ladder if they chose to return to work. The financial sacrifice is huge for working parents and means that some women choose to press pause on their careers, taking time out to raise their kids independently as nursery fees are extortionate.

For those who do go back to work and pay for childcare, it can feel like a second mortgage for 4/5 years and the juggle of the nursery run continues to limit those who work - especially in production as filming away on location makes it impossible to pick up kids.

Post lockdown, many businesses decided to give more flexibility to employees as people proved that flexible working is possible and can be good for people when they’re given more life balance.

Interestingly, some organisations are now reverting back to 5 days in the office which is disheartening as ultimately, flexibility enables more working parents and those with caring responsibilities to build a lifestyle that honours all areas of their life.

With the technological revolution and commissioning slowdown contributing to the industry contracting, I’ve never known so many people to be out of work. This has had a significant impact on working women.

We know that in times of economic challenge, women from the most marginalised backgrounds are the first to leave, which is why the work we do at Wonder Women through our game-changing year long mentoring programme, podcast, inspirational live events and members site all exist to support, retain and elevate the brilliant and highly experienced women the sector stands to lose.

What’s one piece of advice you’ve received from another woman in the industry that has stayed with you?

June Sarpong once told me to "Know your power" and I think often we forget that we all individually carry innate power within us but we can unknowingly give it away or don’t think we have any at all. This can feel especially compounded in times of economic uncertainty like the industry is currently experiencing.

However, focusing on the things that you can control rather than what you can’t, is hugely empowering and keeps you moving forward.

Which talks are you particularly looking forward to at this year’s events?

I cannot wait to hear from Lorraine Heggessey, who will deliver our keynote at Wonder Women Live in London. Lorraine was the first ever female controller of BBC One and I’m curious to know what it must have been like for her to navigate the BBC at leadership level at that time. She’s achieved so much throughout her career and bravely spoken out about bad behaviour which I think is a positive reflection of her leadership and values. Very inspiring.

I’m also looking forward to interviewing Nicola Shindler at our first ever Wonder Women Live event in Manchester. Nicola is behind some of the most iconic and life-affirming dramas of our time! 'It’s a Sin', 'Queer as Folk', 'Happy Valley' - I can’t wait to hear about the creative process of bringing these incredible dramas to life.

At Audio Network, we believe music has the power to shape emotions and experiences - how do you see it amplifying the energy and storytelling of Wonder Women Live?

We love the Wonder Women playlists that we curate to set the tone of our events. We send it out to our network in advance of the event and play it throughout the networking.

It feels good when you see people dancing or singing to it whilst also knowing that we’re championing the female musicians and artists behind the music at the same time.

What made Audio Network the right music partner for Wonder Women Live?

We love what Audio Network do! It’s a vibrant, innovative platform with fresh-sounding quality music.

We like being able to curate our own playlists and share them with our network in advance of our events. Plus, the women who work there are fabulous too!