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Hello {{ first name | friends}},
As is so often the case with this interview series, I first met Audrey Hall on LinkedIn. I was impressed by the breadth of her vision and the extensive professional background she brought to the table. I was then lucky enough to meet her in person, and to talk through her experiences and vision. I’m already looking forward to the next time. Please meet Audrey…
Audrey, tell me briefly about your background prior to founding the Safe Space Sisterhood
For most of my career, I've helped other people tell their stories.
I'm an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and communications professional with more than 30 years' experience across media, communications and community engagement. My broadcasting career includes 13 years with the BBC, two years as a network presenter with Jazz FM, eight years working in mainstream television and more than eight years volunteering at Manchester's ALL FM, where my radio show, Audrey's Early Drive, continues to connect people through music, conversation and culture.
Throughout my career I've interviewed artists, experts, entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders and changemakers, and I've always been interested in the stories that sit beneath the headlines. And in particular, what I call the 'so what?' of the Black reality. I've seen the power of storytelling to educate, inspire and build understanding, but I've also seen how easily important voices can be overlooked.
The catalyst for creating The Safe Space Sisterhood came from a combination of personal experience, professional observation and the publication of DCMS workforce data, which highlighted the ongoing inequalities facing mature Black women within the creative industries. I wanted to create something that not only acknowledged those realities but actively worked to change them.
Give me the elevator pitch for the Safe Space Sisterhood
I create platforms, conversations and media that amplify underrepresented voices, connect experienced creatives and professionals, and create opportunities for greater visibility, collaboration and sustainable income.
And in more detail?
The Safe Space Sisterhood grew from a recognition that many women are carrying enormous personal, professional and emotional responsibilities while often feeling unseen within the spaces they inhabit.
The platform creates opportunities for honest conversations, shared experiences, mutual support and meaningful connections. Through interviews, podcasts, events, workshops and community activity, it seeks to build confidence, increase visibility and create opportunities for women whose voices and experiences are often overlooked.
But ultimately, The Safe Space Sisterhood is about opening our own doors.
It's about moving beyond the silo mentality that can sometimes exist within creative and professional spaces and recognising the power of peer-to-peer collaboration. By sharing knowledge, creating opportunities and supporting one another, we can help shape our own futures while working alongside industry towards greater visibility, opportunity and financial inclusion.
Alongside this sits the Undisputed Music Legends Podcast, which documents the stories, achievements and cultural impact of artists and creatives who have helped shape our collective experience, while they are still with us.
Audrey's Early Drive continues that work, bringing people together through music, conversation and culture while championing excellence and giving voice and vision to stories that deserve to be heard. Our living history.
Together, The Safe Space Sisterhood, Audrey's Early Drive and the Undisputed Music Legends Podcast reflect my belief in the power of storytelling to connect communities, preserve living history, amplify underrepresented voices and create opportunities for people to be visible, valued and able to benefit from the value they create.