![Woman smiling in front of wood-panelled wall](jpg/alexandra%20ampofoeadb.jpg?itok=_sAw5vuB)
Alex is a promoter at Metropolis Music, and founder of Women Connect - a female-focused collective creating safer, all-inclusive spaces, good fortune and equal opportunities for women in the creative industries.
What was the issue you were trying to solve?
I remember being 18 years old and finally exploring the creative industry but always struggling to find women who looked like me, who shared similar experiences and were able to provide credible insight. It shouldn't have been as hard as it was, so Women Connect was birthed to solve this. We are here to make it easier for generations to come. Our mission is to share resources, knowledge, enable confidence and facilitate our young women and non-binary community with an opportunity to thrive.
How did you go about it? How did you involve young people in this?
The first thing we did was sit down and have a real candid conversation about what needed to change, and list all the resources each team member has that could enable that change. From the staff at events to the contributors to our blog, all the way to the attendees and community members who benefit from the opportunities Women Connect created, we always made sure there was an open dialogue, beginning with us asking how people wanted to be involved in our mission.
What impact do you think it has had?
Women Connect has been very impactful in such a short space of time: we have connected hundreds of women to work experience, placements, free consultations with music industry professionals and shadowing opportunities. We've had over 1,500 women attend our events, and ever-growing numbers signing up to our mailer!
What else do you think needs to happen, and what would you like to see the music industries doing more of?
I would like to see the music industry put a sincere effort in to looking after those who do the groundwork. I'm referring to the assistants, temporary members of staff, interns and more: those members of staff deserve to be recognised for their hard work, they deserve bonuses and perks just as much as anyone else. We need to take care of those who put in those shifts.