Wonder Women, the women’s network championing the elevation of diverse women into senior leadership in the TV and creative industries, has launched the Wonder Women online membership programme.
The Community Interest Company (CIC) has designed the online membership to reflect Wonder Women’s core values of positivity, empathy, and connection, providing a positive space for women in the TV and creative industries to be seen, heard and valued, as well as to connect, share and collaborate with each other within a vibrant community of industry peers to support their career growth.
Sat within the Wonder Women online hub, the membership portal offering covers three distinct areas: NETWORK, LEARN, GROW. Through the Community Networking Hub, Online Masterclasses, and Live Learning, the Wonder Women membership offers a myriad of activities to support the career growth of women currently at mid-level in their careers either in permanent or freelance roles.
Wonder Women membership benefits include access to the monthly Wonder Women Power Hour sessions with senior industry leaders. The Power Hour sessions, hosted by founder, Ria Hebden offer an exclusive opportunity to meet with some of industry’s top execs to hear directly from them and to talk with them in a dedicated networking space. Forthcoming sessions include Katie Benbow, director of strategy at BBC Studios; Sarah Asante, scripted commissioning editor, UKTV, and
Mandy Chang, former-creative director, Undeniable and previous BBC Storyville commissioner
Members can also access exclusive career-enhancing Wonder Women masterclasses that cover a range of leadership topics taught by leading executive coaches and industry experts. Masterclasses currently include various topics such as: Unlocking Commissioning & Pitching for TV with UKTV’s Sarah Asante, Confidence + Finding Your Voice with Anne Morrison, The Business of Television with Orchard Studios managing director, Nicola Hill, How to Network like a Ninja with Tracy Forsyth, and Storytelling: How to Push the Edges of Traditional Storytelling in TV with Hazel Marshall.
The vibrant Wonder Women Community also helps members network and connect with other Wonder Women members via the exclusive Community Hub. The community makes networking easier, to expand industry relationships, hear about job opportunities and find support from industry peers, providing a space for members to approach each other directly.
Members also have access to early-bird tickets to Wonder Women’s inspirational live events, including the Wonder Women Conference at BAFTA and Wonder Women Live!, which are annual sell-outs.
The launch marks a significant milestone for Wonder Women, which started seven years ago as a digital series, fronted by founder and television presenter Ria Hebden. As interest grew, Wonder Women expanded into live events, hosting the annual Wonder Women Live! and Wonder Women Conference, its podcast series and its annual year-long, nationwide mentoring programme.
Hebden said: “Every time we host a Wonder Women event, it is reaffirmed just how important it is to have a strong, supportive network to get ahead in this industry. Our vibrant community provides support, inspiration, and shared wisdom, from some of the industry’s most influential and aspirational leaders. This next step of our offering, will support accessibility to thousands of women across the UK to be able to access year-round resources, delivered with the same premium quality of our live events in a new innovative way.
“As the screen and creative industry crisis continues, with women in underrepresented and marginalised groups being affected disproportionately, we see the member site as a strategic intervention to help retain talent from leaving the industry. The growth of Wonder Women is testament to how much this positive digital space and the career development resources are needed to help empower women and boost their career progression.”
The expansion follows the recent success of the Wonder Women Conference recently held for a second year in partnership with BAFTA, the leading charity and academy for the screen arts which assembled 20 highly influential female industry leaders, trailblazing talent, and on-screen talent from across the TV and creative industries sector for a day of panels, fireside chats, and masterclasses with over 200 delegates.
Wonder Women Membership is available now. There are two memberships available: individual and corporate membership, where business leaders can purchase corporate membership for staff members, saving 20% when purchasing five or more memberships.
