A 2023 study showed that less than 25% of young people had been given any guidance from school, college, or university about how to get into the creative sector (Ravensbourne University London). At Creative Opps, our core belief is that progress comes through collaboration at all stages in professional lives. Sharing our experiences and successes can inspire and, crucially, sharing difficulties we’ve faced helps us pre-empt challenges and strengthen our collective futures. Access to creative industries is largely based on contacts and networks, leading to many young people being dramatically underrepresented in these industries. 64% of respondents in the Class Ceiling Report (Creative Access and Fleishman Hillard, 2024) agreed that people from working-class backgrounds are under-represented in their creative industries.
One of our values is addressing structural barriers that people face. It might be that you come from a difficult economic background or you’re part of an under-represented group. This is where our flagship Mentorship programme comes into play. Over the last few years we’ve recruited dozens of mentees who have expressed interest in a career in the creative industries and paired them with relevant industry professionals.
Pairing mentors and mentees is a thoughtful and considerate process. We take great care to ensure that each match is tailored to align with the specific interests, goals, and expertise of both the mentor and mentee, using the information shared with us in the expression of interest form. For young people, mentorship helps to demystify the industry and create inroads and pathways to it. For mentors, it provides an opportunity to reflect on their careers, keep tabs on the ever-changing world of the industry and most importantly give back by supporting young and inquisitive minds.
Building on the success of our previous mentoring programmes, we are excited to announce the launch of recruitment for the latest round of our mentoring programme. Pairs will meet for 1-2 hours a month, either remotely or in person, and begin to forge professional relationships. Mentors act as a guide and sounding board for young people, helping them anchor their aspirations. This six-month programme offers a supportive environment, with funding available to cover travel and refreshment costs for any in-person meetings.
The mentors in our 2024 programme come from diverse creative backgrounds and represent all stages of their careers, ranging from freelancers and emerging talent to seasoned industry veterans and professionals working within major organisations. Our current mentors work in organisations including leading entertainment communications agency inside/out, Greenacre Films, Bella Figura Music, BBC, Netflix, TIME Magazine, The Guardian as well as freelancers in acting, sports, podcast, radio and much more.
Throughout the programme, we also host events that provide valuable opportunities for networking and panel discussions. Our June 2024 event featured industry leaders from music, PR, journalism, marketing, and production. We are excited to continue offering these experiences in the next round of the programme.
Interested in being mentored? If you’re aged 16-25, have big aspirations and need some advice and guidance to get where you want to go then please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.
Interested in being a mentor? Do you have experience in a professional or academic field that you think a young person could really benefit from? Please fill out this form.
Michelle Kambasha is the Creative Opps Mentorship Co-ordinator and has facilitated and overseen dozens of mentor/mentee relationships. Her background in the creative industries includes publicity, marketing, public speaking and journalism, particularly in the music world. She has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion within creative spaces and for her efforts was named as Music Week’s Women in Music Roll of Honour (2017), She Said So Alternative Power List (2018) and Keychange Innovator (2023). Come and say hi to Michelle at [email protected].
This mentoring program is made possible through funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.
