For the women trying to carve out success in a male-dominated world, roadblocks and friction are all part of the journey to change. 

In the creator space, women who have long faced gatekeeping are taking ownership of their own narratives. From gaming to sport, creators are unlocking new opportunities and using their own platforms to share their voice.

At Creative Equals’ RISE conference, Nicola Kemp, Editorial Director at Creativebrief, sat down with Helen O’Donnell, Vice President of Content and Creator at BBC Studios, Starr Kiely, Creator and Tara Thorpe, Creator, to explore how female talent is taking ownership and carving out new spaces. 

Creator Starr Kiely is no stranger to a male-dominated space, as part of Britain’s Got Talent-winning dance troop Diversity. She shared that when joining the group it was important to make space and be heard. Pointing to the biases and critiques women consistently face online, she shared that she ‘wanted her skill to be seen first’. “People don’t want perfect, they want real,” she says.

Creator, Tara Thorpe, has an eclectic online presence, sharing her life online from her passion and style to creating comedy sketches and dancing with her husband. She shares that while she has lots of different interests and a variety of posts, she knows her audience well and how to connect with them. “Stop looking at them as numbers, but as people,” she explained, adding: “trust me, I know how to connect with them.”

Pushing upstream for progress

At a time when brands are fearful of getting things wrong, it has never been more important to put trust in creators and treat them as partners to get the best results.

BBC Studios is working with talent and creators to push into new spaces. “If something feels uncomfortable and people are asking questions, you are probably moving things forward,” explains O’Donnell.

O’Donnell shares that BBC Studios is working with creators across all brands, from Top Gear to Bluey, to feed fandoms and bring new audiences in. 

She explains that often the creators they work with are fans of the show and know their audiences are fans of the show too. BBC Studios is also creating new IP and programming for audiences in digital spaces. O’Donnell shared her belief that creators are integral to the creative process and are more than just on-screen talent. “Creators are their own directors, creatives, marketers, producers, editors and distributors,” she explains. 

“Understand new voices are integral,” Thorpe added. She urged brands to think of creators as the ‘new athletes’. Instead of one-off projects, long-term partnerships can help brands get the most out of creators. That way, creators can fully embed products and brands into their online presence. 

Representation matters 

At a time when social media is waging a war on women, creators are helping other women feel seen and creating their own communities.

“Everyone wants somewhere to belong,” says Kiely. She shared that people can go to online spaces to find people who share similar interests to them and so communities are built authentically.

Where women have always been dragged in competing directions, Kiely shares that brands can have a role to play in helping break down traditional values. “Brands need to accept, we are who we are,” she says. 

Through mutual respect and knowing that creators are experts in their own fields, brands can help platform new voices and increase representation.

In polarising times, Thorpe shares that creators can bring light and hope to a heavy world. During lockdown, Thorpe created a shared channel with her husband, filming fences and then creating comedy skits. Those videos were well received and gave people a ‘comedy break’. “Life is serious enough,” Thorpe explained, adding: “‘Humour is how we connect.”

Pointing to the fact that the next generation of TV presenters, actors and musicians are creating online first. O’Donnell added: “The future voices are in that digital space.”

With new talent refusing to be put into boxes, collaboration, listening and trust will create the most successful partnerships. 

Photo credit: Bronac McNeill Photography

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