This Wednesday Creative Access partnered up with the one and only National Theatre to deliver a masterclass discussing how to navigate a career in theatre and the future of theatre both on and off stage. We were joined by Juliet Gilkes Romero, writer in residence at the National Theatre, Sara Bakhaty, Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales at the National Theatre and Ola Animashawun, who is a National Theatre associate, as well as connections dramaturg and co-founder and creative director of playwriting consultancy, Euphoric Ink. We were spoilt by their wealth of knowledge! The discussion, chaired by Lisa Jonas, assistant director of Business Planning and governance, provided an insight into a career within theatre and how the industry is growing from strength to strength after a long, hard two years of stagnation. 

We began by exploring the various routes our panel took into the sector, and with all members, this journey was not a linear one. Juliet came from a journalism background and maintained her love of writing by also joining writers’ groups, completing a masters and surrounding herself with like-minded people who were just as passionate about writing as she was. “There’s no straight line to this,” she says as she encouraged our audience to build resilience, “and there’s nowhere to hide on stage.” The importance of remaining true to yourself is a theme that continued through this masterclass, as we learnt just how your integrity can act as a magnet, or a beacon, shining to those who are willing to take a chance on your work. As a dramaturg, Ola’s role is vital in the process of bringing a script from paper to stage play. They are experts in the study of plays, musicals or operas and it is their job to provide the cast and crew with vital knowledge, research and interpretation for their works. He also sits on a board that discusses the wider programming at the theatre and is vocal about creating a strategy to address diversity within the sector. Having started out as an actor, Ola eventually found the right role for him, becoming an advisor, instead of being on stage. Sara also struggled to find the right fit, moving from a career in retail, initially into advertising agencies and latterly into theatre marketing. “It became apparent I had no passion for the things I was selling”, she told our audience, “then this role came up and it felt like a real natural transition.”  It is truly never too late to begin that change, and with the rise of the squiggly career, the working journey is no longer a straight line; instead, it’s quite common to change role, company and even career to find something that fits just right.  

Juliet shared an inspiring story about a play she wrote “At the Gates of Gaza”, which took seven years to go into production. She went on to talk about the play’s first bad review. “I wanted to shave my head and hide under the covers” she continued but stressed the importance of remembering the people who did support her and the impact her play had. She then shared a poignant quote from author Hilary Mantel; “The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence – arrogance if you can manage it,” finishing on the note that you may have to believe in yourself way before the world does. Ola agreed, encouraging us to “keep the faith”, especially with freelancing and the issues that can sometimes arise. The instability means it’s necessary to have a fallback option, but this shouldn’t deter you from theatre if it’s truly your passion. Juliet adds “get serious about your finances” as there may be times when work is a little quieter, and you will still have bills to pay. Both Ola and Juliet wouldn’t change their careers though, as their love of culture, theatre and playwriting allows a richness, and pride that almost jumps off them as they speak. 

When asked about marketing in theatre, Sara had lots of gems to share. “The fundamentals are the same” she begins, “as you still identify your market and create a campaign, but it begins to get a little more complex.” The hardest thing, she admits, is capturing the essence of a 90-minute play into a short Instagram advert or a poster you might see on the tube. A marketing campaign not only has to incite interest but pique it enough so that seats are filled at the play. When the average attention span is 8.5 seconds (a goldfish’s is 9!) this can take a little work. Sara also says it’s important to think about the existing experiences, and how they can be used and translated for new work. Marketing in theatre is a fantastic opportunity for those who don’t want to be on stage or write, but are still passionate about the sector, and creative enough to find new and innovative ways to share and spread their excitement. Its career trajectory is wide, with many entry positions. Although it’s competitive, Sara tells us not to give up! If you can’t find a direct marketing role within the theatre, find a marketing role in another adjacent sector. “Sometimes it’s the sidesteps which are the most interesting”. She finishes by telling us “It’s never too late” as she made her career change at 30 and is now super excited to come to work as she is surrounded by culture, music and art that she finds interesting.  

We finished our evening by touching on the future of theatre, the still very present issues surrounding diversity and the moves that need to be made to create an industry that reflects our society. Sara openly admitted that theatre needs to do better, especially surrounding progression. She’s passionate about “continuing to nurture the talent” as there are a few entry-level roles, but this means nothing if retention is poor. Ola agrees, advising us to look at the organisations and hold them accountable. If you walk into a room where no one looks like you, be prepared to ask why, and question any answers you aren’t content with. If we aren’t prepared to ask uncomfortable questions, diversity may take a lot longer than necessary. “It’s never over till it’s over” Juliet adds, “we are always on the verge of having improvements taken away.” Theatre has made strides, but the walk is long, and we must be prepared to fight to make space in places where we too can belong.  

We’d like to give a special thanks to Lisa Jonas and the National Theatre for hosting our first in-person masterclass in two years since the pandemic. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to our amazing panel and all of you who attended. We hope you enjoyed it, and we’ll soon be back with some more in-person masterclasses – hope to see you there!   

In February 2022, we commissioned our first Thrive survey to provide a snapshot of candidates’ confidence and optimism about their career progression and to understand what stage employers in the sector are at in their diversity, equity and inclusion plans. The survey was conducted across our own Creative Access community, employer partners and the wider industry. Key findings included:

Candidates:

• 69% of candidates report seeing opportunities for career progression
• 85% report having the necessary skills and knowledge to progress their career

Employers:

• 69% employers reporting an increase in representativeness of workforce

• 36% reporting increased equity in progression and rewards

We conducted research into the expectations and ambitions of over 800 young people looking to work in the creative industries post-pandemic – the first generation to do so. The research revealed:

• When considering where they would like to work, this generation claim to be more influenced by an organisation’s reputation and how well they look after employee wellbeing rather than the salary they are offering (12%)
• When looking at specific roles, the job description sounding inspiring and challenging is more important than salary
• 82% of respondents are expecting to be promoted within the first year of their first role
• Just a quarter are quite or very optimistic about finding a role post-education, with well over half (57%) who are not optimistic

You can read the full press release here.

If you don’t have many contacts in the creative industries, mentoring is a great way to gain expert advice for getting ahead in your career. Former ITV x Creative Access mentee, Wakai Muganiwah talks about how her mentoring experience shaped her career aspirations and helped her gain confidence and the skills for applying to internships and roles in the TV industry.  

For a very long time I have known my desire to work within the media and communication industry. Yet, as a University of Leeds journalism student, I had been confused on where to start my journey and how to begin filtering towards my dream career.  

While I had known about Creative Access for years prior to my mentorship, I had never truly looked at the incredible opportunities it had to offer. I was slightly lost in an abundance of career aspirations and goals, so when I came across the Creative Access mentoring scheme in the summer of 2021, it felt like a perfect opportunity to get clarity on where I was going in life and when I was allocated Paul Moore, the Group Corporate Affairs and Communications Director at ITV, I was ecstatic. I was surprised at how perfect the pairing seemed. A communications director who had been in a variety of disciplines would be extremely helpful in guiding me towards narrowing down the career I desired.  

Initially, I had been extremely nervous to begin this mentorship scheme, but the ease and the support I received throughout the process, from both my mentor and the Creative Access team alleviated all of my preliminary anxiety. Over the six months of mentoring over zoom, I can truly say the advice and guidance I received was invaluable. We completed a variety of tasks and exercises that helped me begin exploring my passions more in order to compact them into tangible careers.  

• We completed CV workshops, where Paul guided me in improving my CV to entice employers and capitalise on my skills and work experiences. Through these workshops I can truly say my CV improved immensely and helped me acquire some of the incredible placements and internships I have today.  
• Practice/mock interviews were extremely helpful in preparing me for future interviews. We practiced under the guise that I was interviewing for a role in media and communications and my mentor acted as an employer in a well-known media organization. After the exercise I was given constructive feedback on ways to improve my interview techniques.  
• Guidance on how to write a cover letter, something that I can truly say became one of the core elements to the success of my applications. I had previously not recognised the significance of cover letters when submitting job applications, particularly paired with a tailored CV.  

It goes without saying how lucky I was to get this help in the aftermath of the pandemic. Like so many in my position, finding such incredible placements felt intangible because of the socio-economic effect of the pandemic. Several months on, I have two 3-week placements and a year internship with Discovery – a role that I applied to through Creative Access. I would not have had the confidence to apply for the amazing opportunities I got had it not been for my mentor’s encouragement, from his help with my CV and cover letters to the interview exercises.  

I applied for this mentorship with the aim of guiding me into the right direction to begin starting my career and guiding me on what else I can do alongside my studies to begin my career, yet I got so much more. I honestly cannot express how much of an incredible opportunity it was to talk to and get guidance from an industry expert. These schemes are important because they allow students and young people like me the opportunity to be seen!  

Despite applying the scheme on a whim and not expecting too much, I received so much more than I could have asked for. Not only did I acquire an incredible contact, but I gained an extremely enriching experience. I never understood the value of having a mentor to help guide you through the extremely confusing industrial work. It is not easy to start a career in the creative industry, but I was fortunate enough to get such an amazing advisor.  

The Creative Access mentoring schemes have created an enormous difference to my personal and professional life. It has given me insight and advice that I would have otherwise never acquired and it has cemented Creative Access’ determination to help people like me.  

Lauren Brown in the Bookseller has reported: “Creative Access and Penguin Random House have opened applications for the second year of their joint mentoring programme for those aspiring to work, or currently working, in publishing and the wider creative industries.”

The mentoring programme will help 500 people from under-represented backgrounds in the creative industries connect with and gain support from publishing professionals by 2025.

Read here.

2022 programme is open for applications from those aspiring to work in or currently working in publishing or the wider creative industries

Penguin Random House UK and Creative Access, the leading social enterprise in progressive career development and support, are today announcing year 2 of their long-term programme to provide mentoring to over 500 people aspiring to work in or at entry-level in publishing by 2025. The aim is to break down barriers and myths and showcase the rich mix of roles and opportunities on offer within publishing. 

The programme’s focus will be on reaching career talent from communities currently under-represented in publishing, for example in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background or disability. It is open to people over the age of 18, including students at college or university or those who have some professional experience (in publishing or wider industries). Also welcomed are applications from those not currently in education, employment or training.

Successful applicants will be mentored by individuals who have at least two years of experience in the industry from across the different teams at Penguin Random House, including editorial, marketing, HR, design, digital, legal, technology and finance. The senior leadership team will also be participating again. There are 90 places available on this year’s programme which is open for applications from today until July 11^th (2022). 

This programme is designed to be an equal partnership between mentors and mentees and mutually beneficial to both. Mentees will have the chance to gain insights and expertise, develop skills and confidence, and build new connections and networks. And mentors will have the opportunity to learn from the fresh perspectives of their mentees and challenge their existing ways of thinking. To help set the new relationships up for success, Creative Access will offer training to both mentors and mentees. 

Over the last year, Penguin Random House and Creative Access have partnered to offer 250 under-represented people in publishing mentorships. The impact has been significant, with 90% of mentees sharing they’d been supported by their mentor to apply for roles in publishing and 84% that their industry contacts and networks had expanded. Fifteen mentees have gone on to secure roles in publishing, five with Penguin Random House.

Josie Dobrin, CEO, Creative Access:

Val Garside, HR Director, Penguin Random House:

In the latest episode of the Independent Publishers Guild podcast, Josie Dobrin – CEO of Creative Access – discusses diversity and inclusion in the publishing industry and how Creative Access supports people from under-represented backgrounds get into publishing. Listen here.

19^th June marks World Sickle Cell Day, a day that aims to raise awareness of sickle cell across the world. In this resource, admin & recruitment assistant, Courteney, shares her tips on handling sickle cell in the workplace so you can find the support you need. 

I have been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia since birth, it’s classified as a long-term health condition that in essence means your red blood cells are shaped differently. This means they can get ‘stuck’ in blood vessels, which causes a lot of pain and many other complex issues with the body. 

Having sickle cell can be quite unpredictable and it can impact people in a variety of ways. Some of the symptoms that occur for me include anaemia, fatigue, jaundice (in the eyes), and sometimes full-blown sickle cell crisis.  

A sickle cell crisis can appear anywhere in the body from aggravating joint pain to not being able to walk. 

Communication is key when handling sickle cell at work. I’ve been very open with my team about my condition and the needs that come with that and I always ask for help when need be. Having an understanding team and a supportive work environment is how I’m able to work at my best, and when I’m at my worst I know that I have reliable people to lean on. 

Living with the condition for so long, you tend to build up practices and learn the signs of an incoming sickle attack, learn how to pay attention to your body and prepare the best you can. 

The main practices I’ve learnt to implement in the office are: 

• Keeping blankets in my bag and layering up when cold (even when something small like the aircon is switched on). 
• Always having a drink on hand to remain hydrated. 
• Worst case scenario carrying around my medical card to be my voice when I’m unable to speak and to give those around me a clear understanding of what I need. 

For more support and resources, visit the Sickle Cell Society website: https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/  

Did you know: 

Approximately 15,000 people in the UK have sickle cell disorder, and this year Creative Access has teamed up with the Sickle Cell Society to support their latest blood drive campaign, Give Blood Spread Love: https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/blooddonation/  

There is a growing demand for better-matched blood types within the UK to provide life-saving transfusions for people with sickle cell. NHSBT estimate that 40,000 new black-heritage donors are required this year to meet the needs of sickle cell patients across England. Please share this link with friends and family members so we can increase blood donations for people with sickle cell and save lives today: bit.ly/scsgiveblood 

Hi! I’m Adina and I work as an Account Assistant for London Communications Agency (LCA), having started in January. My family is originally from South Africa, however I was born and grew up in North London and ended up studying Media and Communications at the University of Sussex. Graduating in 2019, I was part of the first year hit by the major economic repercussions due to the pandemic. Finding a job proved to be a near impossible task….

After countless applications and soulless rejections (if I was lucky enough to receive a reply at all), I knew I had to go about my job search in a different way. At this stage, nearly all my friends were a part of the Universal Credit scheme, and almost half were now employed through Kickstart – it was time to hop on the band-wagon. Although slightly lengthy, the registration process for this scheme was smoother than expected, and in about a week I was matched with my coach at my local job centre.

Starting my job search afresh with a new sense of hope made this whole process so much easier! I also was pleasantly surprised to see such a large number of companies taking advantage of this scheme, and it then only took me a day or so to come across Creative Access. Although I am somewhat creative, a role in the arts industry wasn’t quite where I had imagined myself. Luckily, the advertised vacancies were not limited to only these, as this is where I spotted my role at LCA!

LCA is a full-service PR consultancy that delivers campaigns, consultations, and content to clients across the built environment sector. My main role within the company is providing practical and logistical support to my client account teams, which includes King’s Cross and a range of developers and architects. Along with daily monitoring and scoping the net for any coverage for our clients, I also research a variety of topics within the built environment when handling client requests and come up with creative ways to pitch my clients’ projects to the media.

Being LCA’s first and only Kickstarter, this was a new realm for all of us. Luckily, everyone on my team made it their main focus to ensure this has been entirely a learning process, allowing me to try all aspects of the business, even those my role wouldn’t usually cross!

On the topic of my team, I have to say this isn’t a normal office. Everybody here has been more than welcoming and supportive throughout my whole journey, but also approachable and just plain lovely (shout-out to my appraiser Phoebe)! It’s a pleasure to be here, and I can thankfully say the feeling seems mutual as I was offered a full-time position just two months in.

In my experience, the Kickstart scheme is literally the sole reason I am where I am today. I was lucky enough to join a thriving agency, but for many other companies, Kickstart helped them to stay afloat through an exceptionally difficult period. Similarly, for myself and so many other young people living through the pandemic, the re-opening of the job market meant we now had a chance to start/continue our careers.

Creative Access allowed my transition into LCA to be as smooth as possible. I have now attended two workshops since starting, giving myself and other Kickstarters key information to take into our roles and further in our careers. This also gave us a chance to connect with those in similar roles and hear about their personal experiences. Those on the Creative Access team have always been warm and welcoming as well as supportive whenever needed.

As my Kickstart journey soon draws to a close (and I became a permanent member of the LCA team!!!), my aim is to continue learning and growing here, soaking up everyone’s knowledge while progressing on my PR path.

By April Brown – programmes manager, Creative Access

For Carers Week 2022 we want to remind our community about the findings of our Young Carers research and encourage employers to support carers in the workforce. April Brown who is both a carer and programmes manager here at Creative Access shares the benefits carers can bring to the creative workforce and the steps employers can take to make it more inclusive for them.

Have you ever cared for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without your support? There are over one million young people in the UK who are trying to navigate their personal, academic and/or professional lives while facing the daily pressures of caring for someone who cannot look after themselves. Many of these young people are now doing so with increased pressure due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2012, Creative Access has been working to enable people from communities that are under-represented in the creative industries, to access careers, progress and reach leadership. We’re aware of the numerous barriers people face when working in the sector and we wanted to raise awareness today of the young carers and young adult carers in our community who deserve to be supported.

• 58% of young carers are caring for longer as a result of the pandemic and lockdown and are spending on average an additional ten hours a week or more on their caring role
• 78% of young adult carers aged 18 to 25 were experiencing an increased concern for their futures since Coronavirus

Our Young Carers survey and focus group was conducted to coincide with Young Carers Action Day on 14^th March to help understand the impacts of caring responsibilities on emerging creative professionals who identify as carers and how we can better support their needs in the workplace.

This year, many creatives have started to transition to hybrid or in-person working practices after working in isolation for the last two years. Since 2020 we have had to adapt to social distancing, support bubbles and numerous lockdowns juggling domestic life with remote work and/or learning simultaneously. This exceptional period initially allowed us to slow down, reflect and shift our approaches to work and life, with some beneficial side effects. In December, we released our updated research highlighting the impact of covid-19 on under-represented communities with 26% of participants citing flexible working as a positive outcome of the pandemic, something that the majority of our young carers also identified as a huge help. It is important to remember that for many employees and freelancers this flexibility is still an integral factor towards being able to cope with work and caring responsibilities and that many of the people being cared for are still vulnerable and shielding. The pandemic isn’t over yet. It’s also important for employers to be aware of their duties under the Equality Act 2010 which states that a carer cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their association with a disabled person.  

In the same vein, industry events have been adapted over the last two years to accommodate virtual audiences which allowed for greater opportunities to engage with local, national, and global communities. It would be a great disservice to those who aren’t physically able to participate if this wasn’t continued; especially as we have all become so familiar with virtual platforms like Zoom. 80% of the carers we surveyed felt like they had missed out on opportunities in their career due to caring responsibilities and 60% said they were unable to network or attend industry events.

Our findings also highlighted the unique skills and attributes that young carers can bring to the workplace with participants stating their empathy, time management, awareness of accessibility, patience, and crisis management abilities, as well as practical skills such as first aid training and Covid awareness. 

Unlike parents, many carers are invisible in the workforce, reluctant to discuss their personal situation due to stigma and unaware of the support available to them. 30% of our respondents felt like they weren’t supported in the workplace and 10% couldn’t work due to their caring responsibilities. Caring is often less predictable than child-care. Flexible working policies need to include the flexibility to change arrangements as caring responsibilities change. They also need to recognise the possibility of emergencies arising.

• Implement flexible working policies compliant with the current law, and allow as much flexibility for change as is consistent with business needs
• Review all your employment policies to ensure they are ‘carer friendly’
• Quote carers specifically in policies and other documentation or create a policy specifically for carers
• Nominate a key contact in the workplace
• Set up an internal carers group or forum – to allow carers to meet together occasionally

Michael Irwin – Co-Chair of Tate’s Parents & Carers Network upholds the value of an internal carers group:

They can tell you what will really make a difference to their ability to do a good job for you and keep up with their caring responsibilities at the same time. There are often small and inexpensive things employers can do to help – such as:

• Allowing carers to leave mobile telephones on in meetings in case of emergencies
• Flexing start and finish times to help people deal with caring commitments before and after work
• Allowing carers time and access to a telephone to check on the person they care for from time to time during work hours

Surveys, focus groups and employee carer groups are all useful ways to find out what the carers you employ would value.

For more employer advice and ways to get involved in Carers Week 2022 visit:

Carers Week: https://www.carersweek.org/ways-to-get-involved/for-employers/

Employers For Carers: https://www.employersforcarers.org/

Carers UK: https://carers.org/working-and-learning/how-employers-can-support-carers

Our head of intern recruitment Anoushka Dossa spoke to Jordan Page for their recent article on the rise of ‘OTT’ job applications, discussing whether or not they are ‘worth it’, in VICE.

Speaking on how branded CVs and cover letters, and even gifts, can affect under-represented groups when applying to jobs, Anoushka said:

Read the article.

Evie Barrett has written about Creative Access’ new research regarding ‘Generation Post-Pandemic’ and their career expectations.

“An employer’s values, commitment to staff wellbeing, and reputation as a good place to work are more important to PR newcomers than a good salary, according to new research.”

Read here.