International Women’s Day is about celebrating women’s achievements, challenging bias and taking action for equality and with 2022’s theme being #breakthebias, we spoke to Danielle Hewitt – a woman forging her own path in the male dominated world of music promotion.
Danielle is an alumna of Coleg y Cymoedd, a Freelance Music Events Manager, Social Entrepreneur and Co-founder of W.O.M.E.N, a network that provides support to women and non-binary people, who are beginning their careers in the music industry, by providing opportunities of mentorship, networking and skill development.
Danielle has been working in the music industry since 2006, initially beginning her career as a Music Promoter and on completion of her degree in Events Management, went on to work with a number of industry organisations such as Live Nation, SWN, Greenman Festival, Orchard Media and Entertainment and undertaking roles at Reading, Download and Slam Dunk festivals.
Danielle is now a lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing and Events Management at BIMM Bristol.
Danielle, tell us about your career path and why you chose music and events promotion?
I studied Events Management at Cardiff Met University, I chose this degree because I had set up my own music promotions company whilst I was still in college, working with unsigned bands in the local area. After graduation I worked as a freelance events manager and festival assistant, while volunteering with The Young Promoters Network (YPN). The YPN is part of Rhondda Cynon Taff Council and aims to upskill young people who wish to work in the music industry. I volunteered for several years with the YPN and became a volunteer coordinator with them. It is through this experience that I realised how much I enjoyed helping others reach their career goals. Ultimately this led me to gain my PGCE in post-compulsory education before becoming the Enterprise Officer at Cardiff and Vale College and now I am an A-Level Lecturer at the college and an Associate Lecturer at a university in Bristol where I teach Events Management to the next generation of music managers.
What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in your employment?
Entering a male dominated industry came with a number of challenges, the most prominent of which has been counteracting the perception of women who work in the music industry. These perceptions and attitudes play out in numerous ways, and so having to work harder than my male counterparts to prove my worth has been the most challenging.
How does your work positively impact women?
In addition to my freelance work and teaching work, I run a social network called W.O.M.E.N (Women of Music and Events Network). We are an online community for women and non-binary persons that provide support for one another as well as opportunities of mentorship and networking, to better prepare one another for the barriers we encounter working in the music industry.
What woman has positively inspired you and why?
I have been lucky to grow up around several strong female role models – my grandmother, mother and aunties each carved out their own paths in life and taught me that there are no limits to what I can achieve. It is their guidance and support that has always empowered me to pursue my goals and ambitions.
Describe three characteristics about yourself that you believe has led to your success.
The first thing I would say was being organised. This allows me to manage a number of projects I am working on all at once and achieve a number of goals. The next is being passionate about my industry and the projects that I am working on – my passion drives me forward when things get tough. Lastly, it would be resilience: we are always going to encounter barriers, setbacks and difficulties, but it is how we respond to them that’s important. Being resilient allows me to deal with these setbacks and adapt – it doesn’t stop the pursuit of my goals.
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Investec has supported Future First since 2024. Our partnership is focused on the expansion of our Primary Programme, supporting the transition from primary to secondary education through mentors.
The IoP has supported Future First since 2021. Our partnership focused on governance of the Planet Possibility Consortium and the delivery of physics workshops and multi-year memberships to schools engaging with the programme which aims to increase diversity in the world of physics.
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Markerstudy is striving to improve opportunities for more young people by giving them exclusive insight into a career in the insurance services industry. Through a new partnership with education charity Future First, Markerstudy will offer state school and college students the support, advice and encouragement they need to consider a career in insurance services, allowing the business to connect with up-and-coming talent.
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Garfield Weston Foundation is one of Future First’s flagship partners. Garfield Weston’s support has been vital to supporting our network of schools reach more of their former students and deepen the impact they have had on current students. The partnership has also played a key role in our transition to a more self-financing operating model. In 2021, Future First was awarded a grant of £50K to continue to extend our reach and impact and support more young people in state schools and colleges.
Future First is delighted to be working in a ground-breaking partnership in Camden, delivering a community-led mentoring programme to support school inclusion work thanks to generous support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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The Commercial Education Trust was one of the first supporters of Future First’s ‘Alumni in the Curriculum’ programme.. The programme sees former students return to their old classrooms to ‘co-teach’ elements of the curriculum, which relates to their jobs, demonstrating how the school curriculum links to the world of work.
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Former students often have specific expertise to offer: from coaching a football team, to running after school clubs or designing a new garden. They can also help the school or college community to flourish by acting as governors, combining knowledge of the local community with experiences and skills they’ve gained since leaving school.
Former students can play a key role in the delivery of the core curriculum. Returning to their old classrooms, alumni enrich the curriculum by co-delivering lessons related to their careers, helping build students’ understanding of the real world application of their learning and boosting their motivation.
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The Prince’s Trust supports young people between the ages of 11-30 into employment; education or training, helping to build both confidence and skills.
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Governors for Schools is a national education charity that finds, places, and supports skilled volunteers as governors on school and academy boards. We work with schools and volunteers across England to improve education for children and young people through effective governance.
We have over 20 years’ experience matching volunteers with schools in need. Our skills-based matching service means your unique background and experience will be put to good use. Apply online and we’ll match your skillset to a school that needs you most.
Future First is pleased to be supporting Avado Learning with its flagship careers programme: FastFutures. FastFutures is a ground-breaking online work-readiness and personal skills programme for young people (18-22) from diverse backgrounds designed to prioritise underrepresented groups that are finding it harder than ever to enter the workplace. Founding Employer Partners, including Legal & General, Astra Zeneca, BT, Barclays, Tate & Lyle, AO.com, Octopus Investments, Health Education England, provide funding and mentoring to deliver this unique programme free of charge.
As an Employer Partner, ARC Pensions Law supports Future First’s work by inviting Year 12 students from Future First’s network of schools who are eligible for free school meals or have parents who did not attend university to complete a week’s work experience placement at their London and Leeds office locations. Students have the opportunity to experience all aspects of a modern law firm, developing their professional and employability skills for a future career in law.
ZING were one of Future First’s original supporters and have remained a key partner and critical friend throughout our development. ZING have continued to advise on and support Future First’s technology development. ZING co-founders Chris White and Robin Tombs (currently) have also both served on Future First’s board.
Wellcome and Future First partner to deliver Career Insight Days for young people at state schools in London. Staff from across the Trust participate, including those from communications, research, grants and investments departments. The volunteers coach and support students in creative activities designed to build students’ confidence and to help them identify their strengths.
Future First are partnering with Voi to help give young people first-hand insight into careers in STEM. Through our virtual insight days, and working in the local communities that Voi operate in, we will showcase the range of jobs available in the transport and technology sectors. These interactive sessions will help young people to feel more knowledgeable and confident about their futures and to develop their networking and employability skills through hearing directly from a diverse range of Voi employees.
UBS have funded Future First’s In-House programme in the Bridge Academy, Hackney. The programme is designed to provide the school with hands-on support from Future First staff to embed an alumni programme across the school. The Bridge Academy has their own dedicated Future Fist Alumni Officer, who spends part of their time ‘in house’ at the school, helping staff to build and manage their network of former students and tracking the destination of students as they leave each year.
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Taylor Wessing and Future First have worked closely to develop this unique programme of social mobility events, carefully designed to provide the best possible outcomes for students and volunteers alike. Taylor Wessing’s professional volunteers are able to share their experiences and skills drawn from a wide range of career paths for the benefit of a young person’s social mobility. Moreover, these volunteering opportunities encourage Taylor Wessing’s staff and clients to take part in skills-based volunteering – developing their own skills at the same time as helping young people with low social mobility.
Legal & General is a British multinational financial services company including investment management, lifetime mortgages, pensions, annuities, and life assurance. With our partnership, state school students with an interest in the financial services from Year 10-12 attend a virtual taster workshop. Acting as role-models in the world of work, volunteers from Legal & General participate in a Q&A panel and skills-building activities that develop students’ aspirations, employability skills and awareness of the world of work whilst providing an opportunity for Legal & General employees to gain awareness of issues regarding social mobility in the UK.
The Key and Future First partner to deliver Career Insight Days for young people at state schools in Plymouth and London. The whole day events aim to improve the employability skills and work readiness of Year 12 students. Staff from across the organisation volunteer their time, sharing their professional expertise in a variety of activities including CV writing, mock interviews and presentation skills workshops. Volunteers coach and support students, building their confidence and helping a young person understand the value of their own skills and strengths.
GatenbySanderson is a UK leading people intelligence business advising public services, not-for-profit and education sectors. As an employer partner, GatenbySanderson supports Future First’s work with young people by contributing volunteers to the national and local alumni networks who attend our in-school and virtual workshops. Their expert staff are well placed to support young people with employability skills activities such as CV writing, psychometric testing, interview advice and tips on future careers. GatenbySanderson also supports the Future First central team with training requirements, business support and fundraising.
The multinational law firm Ashurst partners with Future First on the First Steps Programme. The programme sees 60 Year 6 pupils from Bonner Primary School in Tower Hamlets, London visit Ashurst’s London offices for a series of five insight mornings that provide pupils with aspiration raising experience and increased awareness of the careers available on their doorstep. Supported by over 40 Ashurst employee volunteers the interactive programme enhances pupils’ awareness of the types of jobs they might want to do in the future, develops their understanding of the steps to pursuing them and, begins to build the confidence and skills needed to excel in their academic and working lives.
As an Employer Partner, ARC Pensions Law supports Future First’s work by inviting Year 12 students from Future First’s network of schools who are eligible for free school meals or have parents who did not attend university to complete a week’s work experience placement at their London and Leeds office locations. Students have the opportunity to experience all aspects of a modern law firm, developing their professional and employability skills for a future career in law.
