Throughout March we are celebrating Women in the Arts with a connection to the Isle of Man. The aim of this series is to highlight the challenges that women face in the creative industry, share some advice to younger creatives and also to celebrate these women in their achievements.
Alice Dudley is a visual artist and singer-songwriter. We caught up with her to tell us more about her experiences as a woman in her industry.
What is your professional background in the arts?
As an undergraduate student, I’m only really just beginning to venture into the creative industry. It’s fair to say that the past year and a half hasn’t been great for creatives, and the final year of my Fine Art degree at Falmouth University hasn’t exactly gone to plan. I’ve had multiple exhibitions cancelled over the last year, but the last few months have given me a chance to work on some pretty exciting projects and to start shaping what I want to be doing after I graduate. Last month, I collaborated with Sound Records to put on FUSE, a multimedia exhibition and live music event. I’ve got lots of exciting stuff in the works - including making a record and working on a project for Tate St Ives!
What inspired you to pursue a career combining art and music?
I was brought up around art and music from a very early age - my parents took me to tons of galleries and festivals as a kid. My interest in art and music developed hand in hand, though it took me a fair few years to start to realise the two could be connected.
What are the current challenges for women in your creative industry?
Creative degrees tend to be fairly female-dominated, and that’s certainly been my experience studying Fine Art, but that isn’t necessarily reflected in employment statistics. While we were recording island artcast, Olivia actually mentioned some pretty shocking statistics about this - like despite the fact that there were nearly double the amount of female graduates studying creative degrees in the UK in 2016-2017, only 33% of female graduates had found work in the creative industry 6 months after graduating, compared to 46% of male graduates.
In the music industry, one of the biggest problems is the lack of representation for female artists by festival bookers. Look at any major festival lineup and the disproportionate amount of male to female artists will quickly become apparent (though it is slowly getting better).
What progress have you seen for women in your field?
The fact that women occupying leading roles in creative industries is becoming more commonplace shows that we’ve made a lot of progress in what have been historically male-dominated fields. I’m currently working on a collaborative project for the Tate led by a completely female team, and the fact that this didn’t immediately stand out to me as noteworthy is a testament to how far we’ve come.
Share a women’s empowerment moment that inspired you.
I’d strongly recommend checking out i_weigh, founded by Jameela Jamil, if you haven’t already - it’s a great place for education, inspiration, positivity, and inclusivity.
What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women of your age?
Every woman I know is talking about what happened to Sarah Everard right now. We’re shaken because we know it could easily have happened to us. ALL women can relate to feeling unsafe in a situation.
Most of us have been harassed, groped, spiked, followed home. Most of us have walked home tightly gripping our keys, or pretended to be on the phone, all the while carefully listening to the footsteps of the man walking behind us to see if he speeds up when we do. Many young women have already experienced abuse of some kind, or will experience it in their lifetime.
Women already know what to do in these situations and it’s still not keeping women safe, because it isn’t women’s behaviour that needs to change. It goes without saying that it isn’t all men, but all men can play a role in helping women to feel safer.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by strong women who have supported and encouraged me endlessly, and I am so grateful for the support circle I have.
In a world where women are constantly being picked apart and pitted against one another, women’s solidarity is more important than ever. The outpouring of support from women around the world for Meghan Markle, the vigils held in Sarah Everard’s memory, and the disgust at the treatment of those who attended by the police… so many women have been united in their anger this week.
In the wake of International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about a career in the arts?
Be self sufficient. Develop as many skills as you can, and go looking for your own opportunities, because you might find that you have to fight that little bit harder to be taken seriously. You will be overlooked or underestimated sometimes - don’t let it stop you. In fact, make your presence harder to ignore. Be uncompromising in your ambition, and don’t let anybody put you down or talk you out of doing something you are passionate about. Don't water yourself down to please others.
What are you working on?
‘FUSE’ Exhibition Walkthrough: https://www.soundrecords.im/blog/video-exhibition-walkthrough-by-alice-dudley
