IWD 2023: Celebrating Women In Music With Kate Duncan From The Push
International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It’s also a time to reflect on the progress that has been made toward gender equality and to consider the work of influential women in the industry. In the music and events industry, where women have historically been underrepresented, there are many organisations working to support and empower young women. The Push is one such organisation, providing opportunities for young people to develop their skills and pursue careers in the music and events industry. As proud ticketing partners of The Push All-Ages Tour, Moshtix recently interviewed Kate Duncan, the organisation’s CEO, about the importance of empowering young women in the industry and the work that The Push is doing to create a more equitable and inclusive future.
Read the full interview below to find out what Kate had to say about the significance of International Women’s Day for women in music.
Tell us a bit about The Push
The Push is an Australian youth music organisation and registered charity based in Melbourne. Over three decades, we have supported millions of young people with access to contemporary music programs and events. Our work is guided by our purpose of giving every young person the opportunity to participate and thrive in Australian music.
What does IWD mean to you?
For me, International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate the significant contribution women make across our lives. In my role at The Push, I also use it as a personal motivator to commit to building on our organisation’s work in addressing the barriers that exist for young women entering a career in the music industry (both as artists and industry practitioners) through embedding dedicated programs as well as increasing representation across our staff, board of management and volunteers.
What's one piece of advice you could give young females looking to get into the live music and events industry?
Make a plan, find a mentor, build your community through attending and volunteering at as many music events as you can.
Who are some female leaders that inspire you?
Oh my goodness! There are so many, but some leaders I’m lucky enough to work with in music who continually inspire me with their strength and work in making our sector better:
Michelle Lucia, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Live Nation APAC
Heading up all of Live Nation APAC’s marketing and partnerships, Michelle is an exceptional example of how to influence change from within and make long-term systemic impact. Michelle was instrumental in making The Push’s Music Industry Mentoring program happen on the Crowded House tour happen last year – supporting young women in event and technical production.
Annie Callaghan, General Manager, Marketing at Moshtix
Having worked alongside Annie for a number of years now, I’ve continued to be inspired by her commitment to use per position to elevate and respond to the challenges our sector and young people have faced over the last few years. Annie is a passionate spokesperson for young people’s access to live music, and is exceptional at joining the dots to bring our sector together to work smarter and with a shared purpose.
With The Push being a youth music organisation, who are some young female artists yourself and the team have been loving lately?
Madi Colville Walker
Participating in The Push’s Music Industry Mentoring program in 2020, Madi is a young Yorta Yorta artist, who has recently played Tamworth Country Music Festival, St Kilda Festival and Treaty Day Out. Madi is a powerful storyteller and a captivating live artist whose career is going from strength to strength – I can’t wait to see what she does in 2023.
Suzi
As well as being a Workshop Facilitator at The Push, Suzi is one of Australia’s most exciting young artists. Her songs tell stories of mean girls in high school and everything that went wrong on a trip to Canberra. She’s super relatable and her live show is a giant group hug. I love Suzi!
What's coming up this year at The Push that the team are super excited about?
2023 is looking to be our biggest year ever – with youth music programs and events happening across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Super excited to head to our All-Ages Tour across the suburbs of Melbourne in May, featuring Thelma Plum, Mallrat, King Stingray and heaps more. Can’t wait to see young people back at live music venues and in the mosh again!
Tickets to The Push All-Ages Tour 2023 are on sale now.