The Cat’s Mother

11 November 2019 - Press release

The Cat’s Mother - a brand new mentoring network aiming to provide a voluntary consultancy service for aspiring young women starting their careers in the creative industries.

 

Wednesday 6th November saw the launch of new women’s career development initiative ‘The Cat’s Mother’. The event, at The Standard Hotel in King’s Cross was hosted by Concord Music Publishing and attended by women from across the industry including Maggie Crowe, Laura Lukanz, Emma Banks, Alison Wenham and Sammy Watts.

Sara Lord, SVP at Concord Music Publishing, introduced The Cat’s Mother Co-founder Natalie Wade, who was interviewed by ‘Slay In Your Lane’ co-author Yomi Adegoke about the concept.

Natalie explained that young talented women who perhaps normally wouldn’t have a way in to the industry, would be offered access to some of the most influential women in music and entertainment to get specific advice and also increase the visibility of female role models to young women. Meetings will have a strict 3 point agenda, be limited to 30 minutes, be at a location convenient to the Cat’s Mother and be restricted to one-time only. As Natalie said: “You only get these opportunities once in a while, they are valuable and you have to grab them.” Volunteer Cat’s Mothers were invited to ‘bank’ their time to the initiative.

Niki Evangelou, Co-Founder of The Cat’s Mother said that 24 ‘Cat’s Mothers’ had signed up on the night, collectively banking 80.5 voluntary hours for young women wanting to access and progress in the Music and Creative Industries.

Supported by accomplished female executives from across the UK’s music sector, The Cat’s Mother is a brand new mentoring network aiming to provide a voluntary consultancy service for aspiring young women starting their careers in the creative industries.

Created by Natalie Wade, founder of Kings Cross-based charity Small Green Shoots, the initiative allows professional women the opportunity to contribute their time and expertise - which is gifted to aspiring young women in the form of 30-minute informal coffee meetings.

Research by monster.co.uk revealed that nearly three quarters of the UK workforce lack a career mentor, and that a fifth of HR professionals believe that mentoring programmes would help address gender equality1. This is a particular concern in the music business. Published in October 2019, a report by Vick Bain, former CEO of BASCA, identified a continuing number of barriers faced by women entering the industry.

 

---------------------

Mentors on the Cat’s Mother advisory roster will include VP’s, Founders and Directors of organisations including Laura Lukanz from First Access Entertainment, Summer Marshall from Creative Artists Agency, Louise Thomas from Break Communications and Sara Lord from Concord Music Publishing.

Natalie Wade, founder of The Cat’s Mother, said: “Coming up with The Cat's Mother wasn't rocket science. It's a simple no-cost vehicle to help kick-ass, inspirational industry women (trying to balance work, life and families) who wanted to use their expertise to help young people, but in an impactful, convenient way. Working with aspiring, hardworking young women every day, I've seen the transformative and motivational effects that this type of first- hand experience and guidance from relevant women in the field can have on them and their careers.”