FIGHTING THE FEAR
Ladies, Wine & Design
There can be no doubt that Sarah Tempest and Dan Brough are a powerhouse duo. Creative entrepreneurs in their own right, the pair run the highly popular Newcastle chapter of Ladies, Wine & Design, hosting intimate events where female and non-binary creatives share experiences and support each other. Sarah and Dan have not only created a very special safe space, but have helped to spark inspiration, promote transparency and tackle some of the biggest issues facing female and non-binary people in the industry.
Interview by Jane Imrie
Photographs by Christopher Owens
I’m going to be completely honest and begin this piece in potentially the worst way possible, by telling you I’m afraid.
I’ve written, rewritten, deleted and despaired at the blank page in front of me, which for some reason is not whispering inspiration to me like it usually does. I know there are people waiting eagerly to read this interview, which adds to my growing sense of worry.
The truth is though that as a writer: this happens. This is the raw, naked (but deeply unsexy) truth of creativity, it can be tough, scary and inconvenient - a feeling almost definitely not helped by the fact that I hold my writing to a ludicrously high standard.
As a creative, and particularly as a woman, I feel pressured to maintain a veneer of success, perfectionism and positivity, even when the ideas won’t come or the external barriers appear to be insurmountable.
There is an undeniable societal expectation that in order to be respected and taken seriously, both in creative industries and the corporate world, it is imperative to keep the doubts and fears inside and hide those less-than-perfect bits that we’re absolutely not meant to say out loud.
That’s why speaking with Sarah Tempest and Dan Brough had such a profound impact on me and why the fantastic work they do for Ladies, Wine and Design Newcastle matters so much to so many people.
“It amazes us how many new women turn up and go: ‘I’ve been thinking about coming for such a long time… I don't know what stopped me’. I think they think it's gonna be like some wanky networking thing.”
Meeting Sarah and Dan on a bright June morning at the building where Sarah’s creative agency Altogether is based, I immediately felt a warmth I’m not accustomed to feeling in the average office space. I knew that this was something special.
Through their hugely successful Ladies, Wine and Design events - part of a truly phenomenal global movement - the pair have brought together countless female and non-binary creatives from across Newcastle and beyond to connect, share experiences and have their voices heard.
Originally established in New York by creative agency founder Jessica Walsh after her ‘12 Kinds of Kindness’ experiment, Ladies, Wine and Design (LWD) began as a monthly conversation series with other women in creative industries, where attendees were encouraged to gather in small groups, and share their experiences of life, business and creativity over a casual glass of wine.
Resonating with women everywhere, the LWD movement has expanded across the globe, with over 300 chapters now active around the world. The Newcastle chapter of Ladies, Wine and Design have hosted a phenomenal 63 events in just seven years.
After first meeting at LWD Newcastle where they instantly clicked, Sarah and Dan jointly took over the group when its founder, Juli Vignette, moved to Berlin. The pair hold regular intimate events where a small number of female and non-binary creatives come together to drink wine (or non-alcoholic alternatives) and connect over their shared experiences of the industry.
Sarah, who co-founded her creative agency Altogether along with business partner Michael, boasts an almost intimidating professional background - including securing the role of creative director at former North East agency Sumo when she was just 27 years old.
However, it is Sarah’s unfiltered honesty about her struggles, rather than listing her successes, that shows her true strength as a leader: “It was probably too much too soon,” she admits about securing the creative director role, “I’ve struggled with self belief, confidence and imposter syndrome.
“If I'd had this network of people like LWD in the beginning, I’d have been like ‘Oh, that's totally understandable’, having been in a leadership position where it feels like it's come quite fast.”
For creative copywriter Dan, who has worked at various ad agencies across the North East and Scotland for over two decades, LWD gave her the push she needed to take the plunge and set up her own consultancy, Mam’s The Word.
“When I was younger, I probably was guilty of not saying my truth… almost being too scared of that,” she explains, “Now I feel like even if my voice shakes, even if I get a nervous rash, I have the confidence to say my truth.”
“There wasn't anything like [LWD]… it just felt like this space where I could just say the things that I was always too scared to say.”
Since taking over LWD Newcastle, Sarah and Dan have brought together North East creatives from a wide range of backgrounds, creating a unique and highly sought-after sense of community among people at all levels and stages of their creative careers.
“It's important for creatives not to stagnate. I think coming to things like this will always open up a different way of thinking or new people to bounce off.” - Sarah
The group itself has given a platform to a wide-ranging array of both seasoned creative professionals and aspiring creatives - from the Executive Creative Director at drinks brand innocent to an ambitious 17-year-old heading to university to study graphic design.
“We have such a mix of women, and we have new women coming along all the time,” explains Dan, “After every single LWD event I walk away with a spring in my step, because I just always think ‘what a lovely group of women’.”
Even the act of turning up to an event takes courage for many creatives, who like Sarah and Dan can suffer from the dreaded imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence.
“It amazes us how many new women turn up and go: ‘I’ve been thinking about coming for such a long time… I don't know what stopped me.’” Dan says, “I think they think it's gonna be like some wanky networking thing.” Knowing nods ripple throughout the room; as creative women who’ve been playing the game for a while, we all get it.
Being in a professional space where you can be open about the struggles you’ve faced is a rare and precious thing. LWD manages to create an environment where authenticity and collaboration are prized above ego and competition. It is also truly a labour of love, with Sarah and Dan running the events as volunteers along with their wider team.
Sarah explains: “It's great doing LWD to actually give other women reassurance - you can't put a price on that.” Dan agrees, adding: “It feels like a really safe space where people aren't afraid to use their voice.”
“We've had women who've just been having a really hard time, and they've found the courage to share,” Dan says, “They kind of feel like ‘here’s this lovely group of women who are going to support me, and they've got my back.’ Sometimes you just need that, especially if you’re having a hard day.”
“There wasn't anything like [LWD]… it just felt like this space where I could just say the things that I was always too scared to say.”
As well as offering a safe and comfortable space for female and non-binary creatives to share their truths, the LWD Newcastle events also have a fantastic track record for sparking inspiration and innovation for many.
“It's important for creatives not to stagnate. I think coming to things like this will always open up a different way of thinking or new people to bounce off,” explains Sarah, “We like to think of all the things that have happened in the LWD setting. People have gotten jobs from it, people have found freelance work and connections, photographers have been commissioned to do projects.”
The relationships formed at the LWD events have proven to be genuinely transformative in some cases. Sarah and Dan themselves have gone on to work on groundbreaking creative projects together outside of the group, including an award-winning project for political multi-partisan organisation Elect Her and a domestic violence awareness campaign for local women’s charity Newcastle Women’s Aid.
The power of the group is so fierce that even the pandemic couldn’t dampen the sense of community it creates. During the first lockdown, the LWD Newcastle events reached a whole new group of creatives by going online. “We'd never done any online events, but so many people were wanting to be part of it,” explains Sarah.
For Sarah and Dan, their future plans are to keep giving women a voice and a space to be real, while also affecting change and tackling gender disparity in creative industries. According to the pair, only an astonishing 12% of women in the creative industries are working as creative directors or are in leadership positions. With shocking statistics like that, it’s no surprise that we’re all second-guessing ourselves and that imposter syndrome is almost endemic among women in creative industries. “It would be great to actually support more people and show people that there are women in leadership roles in the creative industry,” says Sarah.
“It would be great to actually support more people and show people that there are women in leadership roles in the creative industry.”
As well as visibility of female leaders, Sarah and Dan are dedicated to championing a culture of transparency, particularly when it comes to pay. “We want to try and break those taboos and get people talking about money,” Sarah explains, “At the events we'll have women that are like ‘I'm costing this project’, or ‘I'm doing this, what would you charge?’ We'll have that open conversation so it's not hidden.”
Given the special connections and invaluable support that LWD Newcastle has provided to female and non-binary creatives so far, the movement looks set to keep on growing in this part of the world, especially with neighbouring LWD groups thriving in Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.
Despite all of their incredible work with Ladies, Wine and Design Newcastle, Sarah and Dan remain endearingly humble and down-to-earth, focused on maintaining the sense of community they’ve helped to nurture rather than growth for growth’s sake.
As the interview draws to a close, the pair relax and Dan breathes a sigh of relief: “That wasn't nearly as terrifying as I thought!” she says.
I realise then that no matter how far into an impressive career someone may be, creativity is never without fear. But by knowing we’re not alone, and that amazing women like Sarah and Dan are championing us, it feels a little bit less scary.
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