Creative Access, the leading social enterprise in progressive career development and support, and McLaren Racing today announced the first 25 people from the creative industries to receive funding through the Creative Access x McLaren Racing Career Development Bursary, which launched in Autumn 2021, as part of McLaren Racing Engage.

The Bursary is a new fund aimed at supporting talent from under-represented communities who aspire to work, or further their career, in the creative economy, but who are currently held back from doing so because of their financial status.

The bursary received over 200 applications showing how funding is urgently need to support people from under-represented groups in progressing their creative careers.

Each successful applicant will receive a grant of between £250 and £1000, which must be used to enable them to progress in their chosen creative career. The majority of applications were to fund driving lessons, with applicants citing being able to drive as critical to break into or work in the film industry as filming locations are often in remote areas. Funding was also requested for:

• Essential equipment such as cameras, lighting and photo editing software
• New laptops – many applicants talked about trying to edit films or create content using dated or broken laptops
• Re-location costs
• Training courses

Erica, a documentary filmmaker from Glasgow was awarded funding to purchase a laptop as her existing one is 6 years old, no longer fit for purpose and holding back her progression within filmmaking. She commented: “Receiving the bursary has been immensely beneficial to me as a documentary filmmaker – I’m excited to put the fund to good use in supporting my creative audio-visual work this year.”

Jordan, from London, needed funding to enable him to launch his creative freelancing career, he says: “Receiving this bursary has honestly been a switch up for myself, it’s now put me in a position of me being able to support my own visions and bring my creativity to life. It’s sparked a motivation within myself that I didn’t have prior. I’ve faced some levels of imposter syndrome along the way, this a big step into tackling this and I have Creative Access to thank for it.”

Aisha, an aspiring filmmaker currently studying in Edinburgh, was awarded funding for vital equipment to help her break into the industry. She says: “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.”

Research carried out by Creative Access to coincide with the Bursary launch, with more than 1,900 people working in, or looking to pursue, a career in the creative industries, revealed the crucial role the bursary will play in enabling people from under-represented groups to access and progress in the sector:

• Over three quarters (77%) have not applied for a job due to the associated high living or commuting costs
• A third (35%) have refused job offers because of financial obstacles
• Almost half (47%) of people surveyed said financial barriers have ‘greatly’ impacted their career progression.

The Bursary is the first initiative from the Creative Access and McLaren Racing partnership, which was formed in June this year under the McLaren Racing Engage alliance, which aims to diversify talent in motorsport.

Josie Dobrin, CEO of Creative Access says: “We received an overwhelming number of applications for our first Career Development Bursary showing how critical funding is to enable people from under-represented communities to access careers and progress in the creative economy. Funding to purchase a laptop or camera equipment or driving lessons can make all the difference to someone looking to break into our sector and develop their skills or even reach the location where they have been offered a role. Whilst we are pleased to be able to support these 25 applicants, the response we received and our recent research shows how we need to be doing more to support people with funding – as well as career opportunities – to improve representation and inclusion.” 

Rebecca Constable, Director, People Experience, McLaren Racing, said: “We’re thrilled to be helping 25 individuals with this bursary. We hope this funding will remove the barriers which might have otherwise prevented them from enhancing their skills, obtaining much-needed equipment, and ultimately reaching their creative career goals.

“Seeing such a high volume of applicants makes it clear just how vital the funding is to so many people and we strongly believe that financial status should not be something that holds back the next generation of creative talent. We look forward to seeing how the successful applicants develop and progress in their careers and we hope to be able to support many more people on their journeys through further McLaren Racing Engage initiatives, in the future.”

Additional results from the Creative Access survey include:

• 76% of 18 – 25 year olds and 79% of 26 – 35 year-olds have not applied for roles due to financial pressures and 69% of 18 – 25 year olds have not taken up a role
• The most common financial pressures impacting career progression are cited as unaffordable living, commuting and relocation costs – this increases to 61% for those from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds
• 80% of people who identified as having disabilities did not apply for a role and 59% did not take up a job offer because of financial barriers
• Financial status also prevented 82% of people from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds from applying for roles and 58% from taking up a job offer

About Creative Access

Creative Access is a leading social enterprise combining an unrivalled network of talent from communities under-represented in the creative economy, with progressive career support and development. Our mission is to enable people from communities that are under-represented to access, progress and reach leadership in publishing, film and TV, music, the arts, theatre and beyond. Since it was founded in 2012, Creative Access has place 2,194 individuals in paid internships; supported 58,773 candidates with employability skills; set up mentoring for 2,261 young people and delivered 3,319 hours of inclusive employer training.

About McLaren Racing: McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966, since then McLaren has won 20 Formula 1 world championships, more than 180 Formula 1 grands prix, the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt and the Indianapolis 500 three times. McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US. 

The team will contest the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and the 2022 INDYCAR Series with Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. McLaren was the first F1 team to be certified carbon neutral ten years ago and has successfully retained the Carbon Trust Standard Award, most recently in February 2021. They were also the first team to be awarded the FIA Institute’s Environmental Award in 2013, which they have consistently maintained at three-star level.

In 2022, McLaren Racing will enter a new category of motorsport when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road racing series that highlights the impact of climate change.

About McLaren Racing Engage: In June 2021, McLaren Racing launched McLaren Racing Engage, a strategic alliance with four expert partners to drive forward a programme of collaborative initiatives to diversify talent in motorsport. The four partners are: Women’s Engineering Society (WES); EqualEngineers; The Smallpeice Trust; and Creative Access.

The alliance will drive a shared agenda to: 

• Promote STEM and F1 as an accessible vocation to under-represented and under-privileged groups
• Foster a diverse and inclusive culture within McLaren’s workforce and communities by providing accessibility to young people and under-represented groups
• Advance meaningful and sustained change for McLaren Racing as an employer, and F1 as a sport and industry

McLaren Racing Engage will advance the team’s diversity, equality and inclusion agenda as part of its broader sustainability programme, including its commitment to F1’s WeRaceAsOne platform.

Ayo Ogunshakin was a trainee researcher through Creative Access at the BBC in 2018. She then found an opportunity working as a storyliner on Coronation Street via our website. Talking to Prospects, Ayo shares her advice for breaking into the TV industry and gives an insight into the day to day challenges and highlights of her role.

Read here.

Watch here.

The article showcases statements from publishing’s leading figures including Stephen Page, executive chair of Faber, Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House, Anthony Forbes-Watson, managing director of Pan Macmillan, David Shelley, CEO at Hachette, Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier and CEO of Curtis Brown, Jonny Geller, emphasising Creative Access’ achievements over the past 10 years.

They highlight Creative Access’ ‘trailblazing’ role in changing the landscape of publishing through placing 550 people from under-represented groups in paid internships in the book industry. Creative Access has also helped 8,500 people in their searches for publishing jobs.

Read in full here.

Creative Access is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a new website and brand identity as industry heads such as Stephen Page and Tom Weldon pay tribute to the social enterprise’s impact.  Read more here.

Creative Access, the leading social enterprise in progressive career development and support, is today celebrating a decade of work within the creative industries, improving career access and progression for over 60,000 people under-represented in the sector in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background and disability, or facing significant barriers to employment. 

In those 10 years, Creative Access has, in partnership with some of the leading names in the industry, including ITV, BBC, Penguin Random House, National Theatre, White Cube, Aardman and The Guardian, not just changed the face of the creative industries, but the faces within it. Through a unique combination of mentoring, training and a progressive approach to recruitment, it has, alongside its partners and alumni, made the industry more representative, more inclusive and more accessible. 

Over the past 10 years, Creative Access has: 

• Placed 2,194 individuals in paid internships across the creative sector 
• Helped ensure over 85% of these are still in the industry today
• Supported 58,773 candidates with employability skills, career advice, masterclasses, CV clinics and training
• Enabled 2,261 to participate in mentoring programmes 
• Delivered 3,319 hours of inclusive employer training
• Held 142 masterclasses on how to break into and navigate a career within the creative industries 

Julian Bellamy, managing director, ITV Studios says, “As one of the longest standing partners of Creative Access, we’ve seen first-hand the impact of Josie and her team’s dedication to creating opportunities for candidates from communities that are under-represented in television. Be that through supporting us to bring hundreds of new trainees into the group, many of whom are still with us as they progress their careers and take on more senior roles or through the ITV mentoring programme. We’re proud to have given Creative Access a home within the ITV Studios’ offices – there is no doubt that they have been such a positive force within our industry in ensuring true diversity and inclusion for all.”  

“Penguin Random House’s partnership with Creative Access spans 10 fantastic years, with Random House the first ever publisher to join forces with them in 2012. Creative Access’s work to support talented people from groups under-represented in our industry aligns perfectly with our mission to make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone. Achieving that mission starts from within, and they’ve helped us identify the next generation of creative talent to build a more representative organisation, with more than 40 Creative Access alumni now working at our company,” says Tom Weldon, Chief Executive, Penguin Random House. 

Rufus Norris, artistic director, National Theatre says, “Creative Access is a bold and dynamic cornerstone of the creative industries. For the past ten years they have been successfully providing a nurturing pathway for talent from under-represented groups into meaningful careers across the creative industries.  It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome 25 Creative Access trainees to the National Theatre and I look forward to welcoming more trainees in the next ten years and watching them and Creative Access continue to not just thrive but imbed their forward-looking footprints for others to follow.”

The not-for-profit is marking its 10^th birthday with a series of special events and activities throughout 2022 with partners, alumni and the wider industry, starting with the launch of a new website and brand ‘look and feel’. The new website has been created to improve access to resources, opportunities, mentoring and training for people from under-represented communities in the creative industries to support career progression. Resources include everything from CV clinics to masterclasses on how to navigate publishing and other creative industries with insider tips from Creative Access alumni who have experienced these challenges first hand. 

“I’m so proud of what Creative Access has achieved in the last decade with our incredible partners and talent community. When we started it was rare to meet someone who wasn’t from a privileged background working in the creative industries. Although we’ve seen great progress in the last ten years, the fact we still use language around ‘under-representation’ shows how far we still have to go. Many people are still facing visible and invisible barriers to accessing and progressing in the industry from financial obstacles to racism, which we continue to work hard to help them overcome,” says Josie Dobrin, founder and CEO, Creative Access. 

“We describe ourselves as a ‘sunset organisation’ and hope that one day when publishing, along with the UK’s broader creative industries, truly reflects our society, we will no longer need to exist.”

Contact:

Bibi Hilton

Director of Communications, Creative Access 

07989 571 978 

bibi@creativeaccess.org.uk

About Creative Access

Creative Access is a leading social enterprise combining an unrivalled network of talent from communities under-represented in the creative economy, with progressive career support and development. Our mission is to enable people from communities that are under-represented to access, progress and reach leadership in publishing, film and TV, music, the arts, theatre and beyond. Since it was founded in 2012, Creative Access has place 2,194 individuals in paid internships; supported 58,773 candidates with employability skills; set up mentoring for 2,261 young people and delivered 3,319 hours of inclusive employer training. 

Josie Dobrin, CEO of Creative Access and will instead become executive chair, Heloise Wood in The Bookseller has reported. Wood highlighted that Creative Access are hiring for a new CEO, the details for which can be found here.

Read the article in full.

Josie Dobrin, founder and CEO, Creative Access, announced an exciting leadership change for 2022. Read more in the announcement from her linked-in account:

“It’s been 10 years since Michael Foster, Nigel Warner and I came together to form Creative Access. We were frustrated at the lack of diversity in the creative industries and aware of the positive impact we could have on the sector if we could go about changing this. So we set out to change the conversation around equity and inclusion; to persuade businesses to prioritise it, take action, and provide access to the sector to those from communities that were under-represented in the sector.

Over that time, we’ve worked with government, industry bodies and many of the UK’s biggest creative companies to bring in new talent and create more inclusive workplaces. I’m so proud of what we have achieved in the last decade; our impact can be felt in all corners of the creative industries. We’ve helped thousands of people find quality paid roles that genuinely impact on both the output and bottom line of the UK’s creative economy.

When we started back in 2012, it was rare to meet someone who wasn’t from a privileged background working in the sector. Although we’ve seen great progress in the last ten years, the fact we still use language around ‘under-representation’ shows how far we still have to go. Many people are still facing visible and invisible barriers to accessing and progressing in the industry – from financial obstacles to racism – which we continue to work hard to help them overcome.

Global events over the past few years have made our work more relevant than ever. Organisations – big and small – are finally seeking to bring in and nurture individuals from communities that continue to be under-represented across the creative economy. Creative Access has seen a huge growth in the volume of companies wanting to work with us.

This all means that Creative Access now needs two different senior people who can really focus on their own role. Firstly, a CEO who will inspire and lead the organisation, evolve our business model to drive commercial growth, and take Creative Access to the next level – while remaining true to our mission as a social enterprise. And secondly, someone with the time and experience to focus on our social mission, devising innovative and impactful strategies with longstanding and new partners to really deliver long term change to the creative industries.

It’s with this in mind that I have decided it’s time to pass on the overall responsibility of growing Creative Access to a new CEO and move my focus to overseeing the development of new and existing partnerships and building on our social mission. To that end, once the new CEO is in post, I will become Executive Chair of Creative Access. Over the last few years, my work has bridged both roles, but now is the right time to split them across two people. So I am stepping aside as CEO, and we are seeking someone exceptional to take on that role.

In this – our 10th anniversary year – and in unprecedented times, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve diversity and inclusion across the creative economy and to support thousands more talented individuals from communities currently under-represented in the sector to enter and thrive in their careers. The world is catching up with our passion for diversity and inclusion; our profile is high, and demand for our services is growing. For the right person, it’s the chance to turn this global interest into future business and join our brilliant team in taking Creative Access into its new phase of growth.”

If you are interested in the role of Creative Access CEO, take a look at our application pack and send your covering letter and CV to Shehrazade Zafar-Arif at shehrazade.zafar@society-search.com by Friday, 11 February 2022

Andrew Kersley has reported our research that out of 250, mostly younger journalists from under-represented backgrounds, only 26% described themselves as financially stable compared to more than twice that – 55% – who were in May 2020.

He continued that “65% of respondents reported that improving their mental health was a priority in the coming year, compared to more financial incentives such as finding a permanent job (60%) or getting a pay rise (13%)”.

Read the full findings in the Press Gazette.

Georgia Snow in The Stage has highlighted our research into impact of Covid-19 on under-represented communities within the creative sector, explaining that: “Theatre workers are prioritising their mental health over increased financial stability as they enter 2022”.

Read the full article in The Stage.

Our recent research regarding the impact of Covid-19 on under-represented groups in the creative industries, particularly within the publishing industry, has been featured in an article by Adam Rowe in Forbes Magazine.

“Data out from the London-based diversity organization Creative Access and reported on by The Bookseller this month compares responses from a December 2021 survey against the same survey results from May 2020. The respondents were a cohort of 250 people in creative industries, most of whom were from under-represented groups. One and a half years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the results suggest, have taken a big toll.”

Read the article in full here.

To coincide with our ten year anniversary, we are today releasing new research showing the impact of covid-19 on people working in the creative industries. It particularly highlights the impact on those from communities under-represented in the sector.

The research was first run in May 2020 and then again in December 2021 to look at changes in financial and job stability, career optimism and sources of income for people working in the creative industries as a result of the pandemic. Our research found:

• Financial stability has declined – in May 2020 53% said they had enough money to live on versus 42% in 2021
• 45% said their mental health had been negatively impacted – rising to 64% amongst those with a disability
• 42% said their ability to save money had been negatively impacted
• 25% said it had negatively impacted their job security
• Over 10% have had to re-locate due to Covid-19 to find work – 48% re-located to London/the South-East showing how important it is for employers to support housing costs in the capital

But there was some positive news:

• A third (33% said their mental health had been positively impacted through greater flexibility and time at home
• A third (36%) said the pandemic had a positive impact in giving them more time for hobbies and interests outside work
• 30% said they felt their creativity had been positively impacted

Two thirds (63%) felt quite or very optimistic about their careers going into 2022. Their top priorities going into 2022 are:

• Improve their mental health – 61% (65% for women, 45% for men)
• Get a permanent job – 41%
• Maintain flexible working – 26%
• To find a paid internship – 22%
• Leave current job for a new opportunity – 20%
• Get a pay rise or promotion – 20%

Since the end of lockdown, 51% have applied for a new role; 46% have started looking for a new role; 39% have started a new role. 7% have received a pay rise and another 7% a promotion in their current roles.

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. This under-representation may be in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background and disability or those facing significant barriers to employment. Creative Access unique combination of mentoring, training and a progressive approach to recruitment has completely changed the face of many sectors in the creative industries. The organisation has:

• Placed 2,194 individuals in paid internships
• Supported 58,773 candidates with employability skills
• Enabled 2,261 to participate in mentoring programmes
• Delivered 3,319 hours of inclusive employer training

Read about our latest research in PR Week, Forbes and The Stage.

John Harrington has written in PR Week about our findings regarding under-represented groups in the creative industries, that almost 1 in 2 PR creatives feel ‘financially unstable’, which is more than in the early stages of the pandemic. However, many are optimistic for the future, with fewer experiencing job insecurity or mental health problems.

Read in PR Week.