To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the women kicking butt behind-the-scenes here at JMC Academy.
From the Director of Marketing, the Director of Education, Film + TV Lecturers and some of our incredible industry professional female tutors, here’s what they had to say about being a female in the creative industries.
"When I was studying to become an Audio Engineer, I used to think I had to work twice as hard as the boys in my class to be taken seriously, just to be equal. I have no idea where that feeling came from. I was lucky to have had some amazing and encouraging professional mentors, and fortunately, I can say of my personal experience in the industry, no one that I have ever respected has made me think about my gender (and anyone whoever did, didn’t really matter). It takes strength, passion and integrity to succeed in this field, those qualities are not gendered ones. We can never stop fighting for equality, even when we are told we already have it, we owe that to each other. My advice would be to support each other, build other women up! If there’s a woman you know doing a great job, tell her."
Kylie Whitney - Audio Engineer Tutor and 2IC Sydney
"Being a woman in the creative industry is awesome, I wouldn’t change it for anything! Every day is different, I never quite know what’s waiting around the corner… and that’s why I love it. I love creative thinking. My advice; be confident in your ideas, you have good ideas! Experiment, fail, succeed, enjoy all of it. Don’t put it off until tomorrow, embrace the challenge!"
Frankie Dowler - International Marketing and Student Support Officer
“Never say no, within reason, take every work opportunity you can.”
Sue-Ann Stanford - Director of Education
"Being top of your game whether in the creative industries or otherwise requires resilience, self-motivation and an inquisitive mind. I always advise my staff to ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable’ because unless you push through those challenging boundaries to get to the other side you will never learn or grow to understand what you are really capable of. Always be open to learning, challenging yourself, and exploring new and better ways of doing things. Don’t be afraid to have a laugh – of course being in the creative industries does rattle the soul so laughter is par for the course."
Karen Markakis - Director of Marketing and Branding
“The pendulum is swinging in the right direction for women and industry initiatives supporting the female gaze are more prominent than ever, so opportunity is in the air. My advice to other women is to be fearless in your approach, don’t be afraid to be the director calling the shots, support other female creatives and continue to learn by doing. Success is a slow burn, where the right attitude and collaboration with the right team is important.”
Brianna Larance, Film & TV Lecturer Sydney
