Podcast production company and community group Content is Queen is postponing its annual International Women’s Podcast Festival to 2024 due to lack of funding, the organisation has announced.
The International Women’s Podcast Festival is an annual one-day event held by the organisation in London and streamed online, dedicated to amplifying the voices of women across the audio industry.
CEO and founder of the organisation Imriel Morgan blamed the postponement of the event on “a lack of industry support and funding”. The organisation also stated in a press release that it is disappointed at this outcome “but not surprised”, suggesting that a lack of backing from industry leaders has previously led to other events by diverse founders being postponed or cancelled.
“This prevailing trend only further highlights the systemic obstacles underrepresented groups face within the industry,” the organisation stated. “The decision to postpone was not taken lightly, but it is our responsibility to prioritise the quality and impact of the event."
“In the meantime, we encourage all individuals, organisations, and industry leaders to reflect upon the importance of supporting underrepresented voices and representation within podcasting. Let us work together to dismantle the barriers that prevent diverse talent from flourishing in this dynamic field.”
Previous backers of the International Women’s Festival included social network Pinterest which acted as a global partner, and independent podcast company Acast which acted as a UK lead partner. Content is Queen has also worked with a number of other podcast and audio companies including Audible and Little Dot Studios.
In the second half of 2022, a number of podcast companies including Acast reported that they were facing financial challenges and undergoing cost cuts due to difficulties in the macroeconomic environment. Acast also announced that it was reducing its work-force by 15% in September last year due to facing a high operating loss that quarter and lower organic net sales.
