Join our community of over 750 employers, large and small, in publishing, PR, advertising, film, TV, art, theatre, music and beyond.
Employer partnerships
Creative Access enables organisations in the creative economy to ACCESS exceptional talent at all levels from under-represented groups.
Paid internships & entry-level
Our paid internships are ring-fenced as Positive Action schemes for those from communities under-represented in the creative industries. We provide each intern with a full support programme, including an induction monthly masterclasses, mental health and wellbeing support and a Creative Access ‘buddy’.
Our talent community
We provide employers with access to our 60,000 strong community of talented candidates, which continuously grows thanks to our active social media communities and partnerships with colleges, universities and youth organisations across the UK. Over 80% of our registered candidates are from groups under-represented in terms of ethnicity, disability, and socio- economic background.
Our Opportunities board
Listing your role on our specialist opportunities board gives you access to a large pool of individuals from under- represented backgrounds seeking new opportunities. Our expert team of in-house copywriters will help make your listing inclusive and accessible. Roles are promoted via our social channels and in dedicated sector newsletters.
Our recruitment principles
We ask all our employer partners to follow our best practice inclusive recruitment principles, which are proven to improve application rates from candidates from under-represented groups. Posting a salary (or salary bracket) is mandatory on our platform; research shows will increase your applications by 40%.
Creative Access enables people from historically under-represented groups to THRIVE in the creative economy at all levels by building inclusive cultures through company-wide training.
Employer training
Our training is designed to make help organisations become more inclusive; from diversity and inclusion, to mental health and wellbeing; and leadership. Training is interactive and impactful, including group discussion, personal reflection and best-practice sharing. All our trainers have lived experience of the issues that they address; our mental health and wellbeing workshops are run by senior psychologists and our legal training by an experienced equalities lawyer.
Bespoke workshops
Our workshops are tailored to your organisation and sector, can be virtual or in-person and are impact-driven. Training can be anything from a company-wide programme to a one-off session. Each session helps deepen understanding of personal and collective impact; to affect behavioural change to create a more inclusive environment and identify any barriers to doing so.
Open workshops
Our virtual open workshops are ideal for individuals or smaller organisations. We run regular sessions on different topics led by our senior training team. All workshops provide a safe space and a supportive environment for questions, learning, and reflection. You can find out more and sign up for a session here.
Training themes
- Introductory workshops: Introduction to EDI; Successful allyship; Conscious Inclusion; Understanding intersectionality
- The talent life cycle: Inclusive recruitment; Inclusive line management; inclusive interviews; Supporting ERG’s; Manager’s FAQ (an interactive session)
- Focus on behaviours: Micro-aggressions and micro-affirmations; Confidence building and presence; Owning mistakes; Work/life balance and building resilience
- Protected characteristics (deep dives): Disability equity; Embracing neurodiversity; Mental health and wellbeing at work; Understanding gender bias; Age in the workplace; Race in the workplace and anti-racism; Let’s talk about class; Menopause at work
- Leadership courses: Managing diverse teams and inclusive leadership; 1:1 Executive coaching
- Legal training: The Equality Act and Positive Action; Gender identity and trans-inclusion in the workplace
- Bespoke content: Designed to meet your specific objectives
Contact us to find out more about our training here.
Mentoring
Creative Access runs multiple highly successful mentoring programmes, including our own alumni programme (generously sponsored by The Financial Times), bespoke schemes with employer partners and universities across the UK.
Mentoring relationships should be reciprocal. Mentees benefit from increased knowledge of the sector, improved confidence and new networks and mentors from training on how to best support aspiring and early career professionals and exposure to new talent.
Joining a mentoring programme
If you are interested in becoming a mentor please follow this link and we will do our best to match you as soon as possible on one of our programmes. If you wish to be mentored, register and look out for details of upcoming programmes on our opportunities page.
Collaboration with universities, colleges and schools
Creative Access works with educational institutions across the UK, attending careers fairs, running employability sessions, training days (and more!) with the aim of engaging students from under-represented communities, inspiring them to learn about roles in the creative industries, and increasing the likelihood of students from under-represented backgrounds securing work in the creative economy upon graduation.
Our dedicated initiatives are proven to raise confidence, build understanding of careers in the creative industries, and help individuals feel inspired and optimistic about their career.
We are always interesting in hearing from universities about any relevant careers and employability events we can join to meet students and connect them with our opportunities. Please complete this form to find out more about how you can work with us and help create a more diverse, inclusive and representative creative economy.
Career Development Bursary
Creative Access research shows that 77% of people in the creative industries have not applied for a role and a third have turned down a role due to financial obstacles, such as re-locating, living and commuting costs.
We work with partners to create schemes to help eligible candidates overcome these financial barriers to career progression.
We have recently completed the second round of the Creative Access x McLaren Racing Career Development Bursary, a fund aimed at talent from under-represented communities who have aspirations to work in or develop their career in the creative economy.
The Bursary was first launched in 2021 and has supported more than 80 individuals with funding for new equipment, driving lessons or re-location support to help them progress in their career.
With the cost-of-living crisis arriving just as many are getting back on their feet after the pandemic, the case for supporting our Bursary has never been stronger. If you – or your company would like to contribute, you can contact us to discuss or donate here.
“This bursary means I’ve been given a chance, by providing me with equipment I would not otherwise to have access to. For this, I’m so grateful, and excited to start on my journey in filmmaking.”
Aisha, an aspiring filmmaker from Edinburgh
Mo Siewcharran Fund
In 2018, Mo Siewcharran’s husband, John Seaton, launched a memorial fund to support internships for young talent from ethnicities that are under-represented in the theatre, publishing and music industries. The Fund contributes to the salary for a six-month traineeship and a full programme of support is provided by Creative Access.
You can read about the full impact of the Fund in the report here.
Applications
The Fund is once again open for theatre, publishing and music organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities. Those interested in applying should contact Lucy@creativeaccess.org.uk.
- Deadline for applications: 1st December 2023
- Companies will be informed: 11th December 2023
- Internships must commence by 1 March 2024
See our resources for employers
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Creating an effective virtual mentoring partnership
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How to host a remote internship
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How to virtually onboard your new starter
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How to write an inclusive job advert
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Improving understanding of racial justice – educational resources
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Why stating the salary puts your organisation at a competitive advantage
Find out the impact of our partnerships
Keep in touch.
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