As her Twitch handle might tell you, Anna — @annaisdancing — is all about dance. The BroadcastHER Grant winner is a UK-based student, studying digital art, and a Just Dance streamer as well as a K-pop dance coverist.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

My dream is to inspire people and encourage others to get involved with dance. I want to be someone who makes people smile and I hope I can do that through my streams.

How will the BroadcastHER Grant from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals?

It will allow me to upgrade my equipment so I can improve the quality of my streams and make better content.

What does being the recipient of the BroadcastHER Grant mean to you?

Being the recipient of the grant means so much to me. I didn’t expect to win because I applied on a whim and also because I’m relatively new to streaming. It’s a complete honor to be chosen and I’m still so shocked that this is happening.

Women are underrepresented in gaming, broadcasting, and e-sports. What can we do to change this?

While there has been a lot of change recently regarding women in the industry, there’s still plenty of work left to do. Things such as the BroadcastHER Grant allow women in broadcasting to grow and develop in an industry that can be seen as predominantly male. There also must be more representation of women in games — with women being the main characters and having diverse personalities and body shapes. Having more women of color represented within games would also allow for a wider audience to relate to these characters and get involved with the gaming community.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?

I never really knew much about Twitch or streaming before I started, so getting to know the platform and getting to know how to work the streaming equipment was a challenge. It’s something I’m still learning.

What advice do you have for women who want to start broadcasting?

If you want to start, I say take the leap and start! Make sure you have mods to help you out and then just be yourself. It’s not about having the best equipment; it’s about sharing your passions with people and allowing your personality to come through.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

Sometimes I find it hard to stay motivated and it often stems from me comparing myself to others. But I feel like the main thing that keeps me motivated is my drive to improve. It’s important to have an end goal, so I often try to improve my skills and my content.