“The problem, to borrow from Lee Child, is that the bar was set too low (and for too long), and we have yet to sail above it.” Philip Jones, Editor of the Bookseller, writes a commentary piece about the survey of Creative Access interns published in the Bookseller. See his musings in full here.

The Bookseller publish the results of our survey of all those Creative Access has placed in publishing roles. With a mixed bag of results, three quarters of respondents said that their internship confirmed that they did want to work in publishing, but 32% of said they had found it difficult to progress through the industry. […]

Book Brunch, the publishing trade’s daily news magazine, reports on Profile Books winning £5,000 to help support a marketing and publicity assistant from a BAME background. Profile marketing director, Niamh Murray said: “We’re delighted to welcome a Creative Access intern to Profile Books, and particularly honoured that it’s under the Mo Siewcharran Memorial Scheme. Colleagues at Profile […]

The UK’s leading trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press reports on the Financial Times’s sponsorship of the Creative Access Development Programme and that the entire UK board has signed up as mentors to Creative Access alumni. To read the full article in Press Gazette, see here. If you are interested in becoming a mentor […]

Music Business Worldwide report on the recent Gender Pay Gap reporting, showing that here’s still work to be done at the biggest music corporations, then, but a number of their independent competitors do offer a glimmer of hope for the music business in general. Absolute Label Services talk about their work with Creative Access, including […]

Leading trade publication for the publishing industry, The Bookseller reports on female crime writing group Killer Women’s new Mentoring Scheme which is supported by Creative Access, Arts Council England, The Good Literary Agency and a range of others. The initiative is designed to support emerging authors from BAME and working-class backgrounds and is endorsed by J […]

Arts Industry reports on HarrisonParrott celebrating its 50thanniversary by setting up a foundation to support diversity and inclusivity in the arts. The classical music agency partners with Creative Access and Tri-Borough Music Hub to develop a series of programmes tackling the problem. The full article can be read online here.

    The National Student highlights Creative Access’ latest achievement of placing its 1,000th intern and discusses the impact the organisation has made in terms of creating a more diverse workforce, featuring interviews with Josie Dobrin and intern number 1,000 Patricia from the Royal Society of Literature. The article can be read online here.

Arts Professional reports on Creative Access’s achievements since it was established in 2012. The piece features Director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris and former intern at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Anthony Lee, now Digital Manager at the Young Vic. The report can be read online here.

We are delighted to be featured in the online publication of BAME – The Education & Careers Guide – Issue 2 which highlights the need for Creative Access in terms of championing diversity and equal representation in the creative industries. You can read more about it here. (Please refer to pages 56 – 7).

Daily news service Book Brunch feature Creative Access’s latest achievement, including comments from Nicola Solomon at the Society of Authors, and Patricia Chidavarume, intern number 1000 at the Royal Society of Literature.  The article can be found at Book Brunch here and in full here.

The Bookseller, top trade publication for the publishing industry, reports on Creative Access’s latest milestone, including comments from Anthony Forbes-Watson at Pan Macmillan and Stephen Page from Faber & Faber.  You can read the article online at The Bookseller here or in full here.

Leading trade publication for the television and radio industry Broadcast, covers our announcement of placing our 1,000th trainee in the creative industries. The article reports on how Creative Access have now forged ties with more than 400 companies while overseeing the placements, which are given to trainees from BAME and lower socio-economic backgrounds. You can read it via […]

Whether you are a journalism student or a budding broadcaster with no experience, Hiba Hassan from the University of the Arts London gives advice on how to get that dream job behind the microphone, including a name check for Creative Access. Read the article on Journalism.co.uk here.  

Great report of Creative Access’s January masterclass hosted by the Radiocentre in the industry’s leading trade publication, Radio Today. For the full coverage, see here.

We are delighted to be featured on Radio Today in the run up to our CA Masterclass on Wednesday 16th January 2019. The article reports on the importance of working with young people to provide inspiration and opportunities in the creative sector. You can read it in full here.

We were proud to be recognised for our work within the publishing industry, placing over 250 interns, most of whom are still employed within the sector. Our CEO and co-founder Josie Dobrin was included the book trade’s 100 most influential people of 2018 by The Bookseller. She’s in great company with so many of our friends from partner […]

Leading comms publication, PR Week, take a look at how the PR industry is fostering creativity; what are the issues mentors think they need to tackle and is a lack of diversity in marketing communications hampering creativity? John Harrington speaks to Creative Access CEO, Josie Dobrin for her views on the issue.

Concrete, the University of East Anglia’s official student newspaper, reports on diversity in the creative industries and nominates Creative Access as their chosen organisation to fundraise for during this academic year. Read more about it here.  

The Bookseller, trade publication for the book industry, reports that Bonnier Books UK imprint Lagom has signed an “important and timely” anthology from the authors of Slay In Your Lane, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené.  As part of the publication of Loud Black Girls, The Anthology’ Bonnier Books is also offering a four-month editorial internship in collaboration with Creative Access. Read more about […]

A memorial fund supporting BAME internships in publishing and the theatre has been launched in memory of Mo Siewcharran, the former Nielsen Book director of marketing and communications who died suddenly in June 2017. The Fund – run in conjunction with Creative Access, will support four interns a year for an initial five years, with […]

As the television industry works towards ensuring a more diverse workforce, UK and US execs tell Television Business International the practices – from networking to Creative Access – that are improving workplace inclusivity. The full article can be read here.

This week the Resolution Foundation published a report which explores pay penalties among the UK’s ethnic minorities. The report shows that between 1996-97 and 2016-17 the employment rate among black and Pakistani/Bangladeshi men grew by over a quarter, while it doubled among Pakistani/Bangladeshi women. But in spite of this progress, large pay gaps remain. The average […]

National newspapers are now investing in BAME interns after realising the need to represent the communities they want to reach reports leading trade publication, the Press Gazette. Creative Access places around 30 to 40 young BAME journalists a year, working with organisations including the BBC, ITN, The Financial Times, The Telegraph and The Times. Co-founder and CEO of charity […]

Where is diversity in the creative industries? Co-founder and CEO of charity Creative Access, Josie Dobrin, travelled to New Zealand to speak at the Publisher’s Association of New Zealand’s biennial conference. Whilst she was there she spoke to radio host Kathryn Ryan about how to create more diversity in the creative industries, with a focus […]

Rajdeep Sandhu, Political Reporter at BBC Radio Kent (and former Creative Access intern at HarperCollins) explores the term “BAME”. Rajdeep explores the history of the term, interviews David Lammy MP and a host of Creative Access interns about their opinions. It’s a term often used by politicians, officials and the media – including the BBC […]

“Is this fake news?” was the message I received through my Facebook page with a screenshot of an advertisement for a training opportunity at a BBC radio station. It clearly stated that the roles were only open to people from Black and Asian backgrounds. Ushma Mistry reports on how affirmative action or ‘positive discrimination’ is […]

Broadcast,the a weekly magazine for the United Kingdom television and radio industry, features a piece on Creative Access’s new Development scheme. The full article can be seen here and below. Indie execs sign up as Creative Access mentors while ITV opens annual journalist scheme Arrow Media, Electric Ray, Twofour and ITN are among those backing Creative Access’ mentoring […]

Campaign magazine, the world’s leading business title for advertising, marketing and media communities, features Creative Access’s plea for more mentors to support our alumni as they progress their careers. The article focuses on Creative Access achievements to date and the recent launch of the Development programme for alumni. To read the article in full click […]

Yesterday the Sutton Trust published a report on unpaid internships, titled ‘Unpaid, Unadvertised and Unfair‘. In the report, Research Fellow Dr Rebecca Montacute looks at the true cost of unpaid internships in 2018; particularly highlighting that “even if transport costs are provided … the minimum cost of carrying out an internship in London unpaid is […]

The Bookseller reports on our latest milestone, focusing on top publishers Pan Macmillan, with quotes from Hamza Jahanzeb, digital marketing assistant and Anthony Forbes Watson, managing director of Pan Macmillan. To read the full article, see here.  

Have a read of this inspirational blog in The Bookseller magazine​ by Ziyad Marar, the president of global publishing at SAGE Publishing​ . He writes about how he had to change his first name to secure a role and also cites the measures SAGE is taking to improve diversity in the workplace, including working with […]

In a new Guardian article, ‘Breaking down the barriers – a new chapter in publishing’, Authors, agents, activists and publishers discuss their ideas for improving the prospects for BAME writers. CEO of Faber, Stephen Page references the partnership they will be holding every year with Creative Access to create 20-week traineeships for BAME candidates. For the […]

Creative Access have launched an exciting new mentoring scheme and are seeking volunteers from the industry. Despite the fact that almost 800 interns have been placed over the last five years many of the young people we work with still feel the need for ongoing guidance and advice as they progress their career. To that end, we are thrilled to have launched […]

In a new article, The Bookseller have spoken to seven panelists about their experience of diversity in the publishing sector. Head of Community Engagement at Cambridge University Press, Heidi Mulvey and Kiren Shoman, Editorial Director at SAGE, highlight Creative Access and the positive work it is doing to improve levels of inclusivity in publishing. For the full article […]

Should unpaid work experience be banned? Josie Dobrin, Chief Executive of Creative Access and former intern at ITV Shiver, Safiya Pommell discuss the issue with Matt Barbet live on Channel 5 news. To see the full report, click here.

Creative Access Chief Executive, Josie Dobrin, talks to journalist Hugh Muir for this Radio 4 documentary which examines whether the newspaper industry is losing touch with Britain’s increasingly diverse society.  Does the lack of diversity in newsrooms undermine the quality and accuracy of the news we read? Click here to listen to the full programme. […]

The Bookseller reports this week that Faber & Faber has created a bursary for a 20-week internship for a person from a BAME background, partnering with Creative Access to help with the recruitment. The company intends to make this an annual initiative. For the full article click here.

British artist Khadija Saye was a victim of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017 in West London. Saye was born in London in 1992, and graduated from the University for the Creative Arts in 2013. In this article friends and mentors of Khadija pay tribute to an extraordinary talent…

The Art Newspaper reports that donations are being made to create paid internships plus a general fund in memory of Venice Biennale artist who died in London’s Grenfell Tower fire. Click here to read the full article.

The organisation, which was previously a registered charity, has become a social enterprise after the government withdrew more than £2m of funding for its paid BAME internship programmes. The move means that it will still be able to place BAME interns across the creative industries. Whereas government funding previously subsidised the first year of paid […]

After the announcement of funding cuts by the UK Government, Society of Authors show their support in this blog piece, urging people to sign the petition to save Creative Access. Featuring quote from current intern Samia Gundkalli.

“We are very disappointed that Government has withdrawn funding from Creative Access, an organisation which we have worked with closely to offer routes into the music industry for young people from diverse backgrounds. It is vital that Government supports the efforts of businesses like music to ensure equality of opportunity and pathways into creative careers […]

The charity Creative Access is “exploring options” after government funding cuts have threatened its existence. Josie Dobrin, chief executive and co-founder of the organisation, told Press Gazette that she did not know whether they would have to close soon, although she said the intention is to keep going. She said that the organisation is in discussion […]

Pan Macmillan have partnered with Creative Access since 2013 and have since taken on eight interns. They have supportively pledged £50,000 to Creative Access and undertaken to double its intake of fully funded Creative Access interns in a bid to help the agency continue its work to increase diversity in the creative industries.

Having invested in Creative Access for three years, the Government now risks damaging its own efforts to get more disadvantaged young people into the creative industries. Having placed 700 young people with more than 250 media companies – 90% of whom have got jobs at the end of their placement – we could say ‘mission […]

 Television bosses are dismayed at the government’s decision to withdraw funding from diversity charity Creative Access’s BAME internship scheme. Piece written in today’s Broadcast Now. The scheme, which placed its 700th intern this month, works across the creative industries but has placed more than half of its interns in TV businesses, including a large number […]

A petition created by Creative Access supporter and journalist William Njobvu was launched to save diversity charity Creative Access from closure. Since it was started on Tuesday (13th December) the petition has secured more than 2,100 signatures, including from many high-profile industry figures.

Written by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff who was a former Creative Access intern placed at Financial Times magazine. Writing for Vice Magazine, Charlie responds to the news of Creative Access funding cuts by the UK government, channeling her concerns and showing her support.

The news came days after it emerged that the culture secretary, Karen Bradley, blocked the appointment of the former deputy chief executive of Arts Council England, Althea Efunshile, a black woman, to the board of Channel 4, prompting further criticism of the government’s commitment to diversity. Written today in The Guardian.

Last week it was confirmed that Creative Access is in jeopardy after the government pulled more than £2m worth of its funding. Earlier this year, the charity was assured by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills – which funded the charity until June 2016 – that funding would continue.

Diversity charity Creative Access is facing closure after the government withdrew more than £2m of funding for its paid BAME internship programmes. On 5 December, despite earlier assurances from BIS that the funding would continue, the charity was informed that the DoE would not continue to fund its work because its strategic priority was apprenticeships.

‘The publishing industry has shown “a genuine commitment” to “introducing diverse talent into the industry” as well as “nurturing and supporting young people into permanent roles”.’   Feature in the bookseller with quotes from Creative Access CEO Josie Dobrin.

24 November, 2016 A piece written in Broadcast Now by Anne-Marie Corvin about diversity organisations offering training opportunities praises Creative Access. The training available to those from under-represented groups TV is united in its goal of creating a more diverse industry: it is beginning to use the new reporting system, Diamond, and broadcasters are starting […]

The BookMachine interviews Creative Access CEO Josie Dobrin, discussing all things Creative Access, book publishing and diversity.

Today, Creative Access board member Nigel Warner was joined by Creative Access interns and alumni who took part in a publishing diversity conference organised by the Publisher’s Association. Check out the interview in The Bookseller’s special with CEO Josie Dobrin here (pages 6-7).

Harper Collins non-fiction publisher and Creative Access board member Natalie Jerome, collates a series of first-person accounts written by senior publishing executives from diverse backgrounds. This is the first such initiative to focus on the “rich line of brilliant BAME publishers”. Some of these pieces are written by former Creative Access interns: Ama Josephine Budge – former intern […]

Creative Access Chairman Sathnam Sanghera talks race equality and post Brexit challenges in this article in The Times.

Creative Access is delighted to have been mentioned in an article titled, ‘The Publisher’s Apprentice’ by The Bookseller. The article highlights the way UK government funded apprenticeships will change from early 2017, mentioning how Creative Access has helped to change the rather homogenous workforce that has been found in the publishing industry. You can read the full article […]

Matt Hancock was appointed Minister of State responsible for digital policy at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 July 2016. He was elected Conservative MP for West Suffolk on 6 May 2010. Matt made a speech on Friday 9th September 2016, addressing the UK Creative industries in which he said “As Skills Minister […]

Creative Access has been organising internships for young BAME talent for the past three years. In this article featured in Broadcast Now, former trainees and their employers tell Ann-Marie Corvin what it has done for them. 

A great piece in The Guardian that looks at the future of the BBC. It includes a comment from Michael Foster, founder and Trustee of Creative Access.

It’s been a year since Spread The Word’s ‘Writing the Future’ report found that unpaid internships were hampering diversity in publishing, and six years since Suzanne Collier called for publishing internships to be structured and monitored. A panel on diversity at this year’s London Book Fair heard that unpaid internships were a “very real barrier” […]

Literally every day, a young person will cross the street and speak to me about the difference Creative Access has made to their life.

The publisher is also embarking on its “biggest campaign ever” with Creative Access. “Without putting a figure on it, it’s going to be in the double digit numbers of hires,” confirmed Athanasiou.  

After getting a kick start to his career via Creative Access in 2014 Yassine Belkacemi is now a Press Officer at John Murray Press.

Creative Access announced at an event hosted by Google that it has now placed 500 young BAME candidates in six-month or year-long internships with more that 200 different companies, ranging from The National Theatre, to public relations firm Freud Communications.  

Creative Access, a charity that facilitates access to the media and wider creative industries for young BAME talent, has today placed its 500th intern.

Diversity charity Creative Access which places ethnic minority talent into the industry has placed its 500th intern.  

Which is why, Creative Access, the media charity I chair, and which is jointly funded by HM Government and the media sector, was set up by talent agent Michael Foster.

Announcement of the promotion of a Creative Access intern

Creative Access are cited as a great example of helping TV companies become more diverse in this Broadcast article.

At Creative Access, a charity that provides opportunities for young people from a minority ethnic background to work in the creative industries, chief executive Josie Dobrin pointed to the 2011 British census, which found that more than 40% of Londoners are non-white, and to the 2012 Employment Census published by Skillset in July 2013, which […]

The charity Creative Access has worked with a range of publishers and literary agents to provide paid internships for young people from BAME backgrounds.

Organisations such as Creative Access and the Ideas Foundation are working tirelessly to increase the appeal of the creative industries to people from inner city schools that may not previously have considered marketing or the creative industries as an option.  

Alison Forbes, marketing manager at the National Theatre, says Creative Access plays an important role in providing it with “bright, switched-on young people” – particularly as the company lacks its own graduate training scheme.

Established in 2012, Creative Access is a relatively new organisation aimed at providing young people from BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds with the opportunity to work in the creative industries.

In June 2014 the Director General announced that the BBC would take on 20 graduate trainee interns from the successful Creative Access programme as part of ambitious plans to address the on and off-screen representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.  

The creative industries have a long way to go to create a truly diverse workforce representative of modern society. I interviewed Creative Access, a company that offers paid internships to those from a BAME background and are determined to break this pattern.

Creative Access will “continue to operate as usual” after its current method of funding runs out next June, its c.e.o has said.

AMV BBDO hosted a Creative Industies Showcase for over 100 BAME graduates on 29th September 2015.

We are extremely proud to announce that Creative Access CEO, Josie Dobrin has been named as one of the most influential people in the publishing and writing sector.

Creative Access will run out of funding next year unless a new source is found, the charity’s founder Josie Dobrin has warned.

Inclusion of Creative Access CEO Josie Dobrin in the h.Club 100

Sathnam Sanghera, Times Feature Writer and Chair of Creative Access has written a powerful and insightful piece about racism in Britain today. This includes a mention of Creative Access and our work. Click on each image to enlarge.

“Factory Media will take on ten new interns on paid annual contracts, and for its inaugural initiative it will be partnering with Creative Access to ensure that appropriate structures, funding and support are in place for the new interns, as well as to assist in the intern recruitment process.”

“Film London and Creative Access are co-funding 12 entry-level placements for London-based creative companies looking for new animation talent, the local industry agency announced.”

Creative Access have been mentioned in Channel 4’s 360 Diversity Charter which aims to improve diversity at every level within the company. We are listed as one of the providers approved to supply interns for factual productions. (P34) You can read the full Charter here.  

“Film and media agency Film London and nonprofit Creative Access have joined forces to co-fund 12 entry-level positions for London-based animation companies seeking new talent.”

We are delighted to be teaming up with Film London to co-fund 12 animation traineeships for talented Black, Asian and ethnic minority artists. Click here to find out more about the scheme.    

Creative Access are extremely happy to be proposing a new diversity mentoring scheme for the UK film industry which should see 32 BAME interns (graduate and non-graduate) be placed into full-time, paid training roles over the next two years. The proposal aims to get the likes of Film4 and BBC Films to sign up to […]

Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Harriet Harman has praised Creative Access’ efforts in her recent speech to the Nations and Regions Media Conference which was hosted by the University of Salford. In her speech Harriet Harman MP, covered a range of topics related to the creative industry including the importance […]

The Bookseller recently caught up with Creative Access’ Chief Executive Josie Dobrin, to get her thoughts on the lack of diversity in the publishing sector. Titled ‘Publishers ‘must do better’ on diversity’, the piece also features contributions from some of Creative Access’ media partners where they discussed the benefits of having a diverse workforce. You […]

Creative Access’ Nigel Warner has written a superb piece about diversity in the creative sector following the IPA’s (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) recent Talent Adaptation event. You can read the full article on the IPA Blog here.

Creative Access has been mentioned in an article on The Guardian titled ‘Why is there still so little diversity in the British Media?’.  The article, which discusses the lack of BAME journalists, calls for an end to the lack of representation in British media and praises Creative Access for aiming to bring diversity to the […]

Creative Access was mentioned in this insightful article from New Statesman which discusses the lack of diversity in the British media. Titled ‘The British media has a terrible problem with “surface diversity”‘, the article questions the absence of BAME representation within some of Britain’s most popular publications, in spite of their initial “surface” efforts to […]

Asmma, one of brilliant Creative Access Interns has written a great blog on her experience of starting a new publishing role at Hot Key Books and the challenges of moving city in order to pursue her career dreams.  

Creative Access are delighted with yesterday’s Government funding announcement, which will allow Creative Access to recruit nearly 300 more interns with 150 media partners over the next two years. The great news was covered in publications, including, Broadcast,  the Evening Standard , Campaign and The British Black List. Click here to view the article.

Creative Access are delighted to announce that we are an intrinsic part of the  BFI’s new diversity scheme. From September BFI-backed productions must comply with new ‘three ticks’ rule that adhere to new diversity quotas, working with Creative Access  gives companies one of the 3 ticks needed .

Creative Access intern Malissa Mistry, has written a brilliant blog for the Publishers Association on how her Creative Access internship at Random House has helped her get her foot through the door and into a career in publishing.

The BBC will be taking on 20 BAME graduate trainee interns from the Creative Access programme, while continuing its partnerships with the Stephen Lawrence Trust, the Mama Youth Project and its own apprenticeship schemes.

Creative Access Interns were invited to Elstree Studios where Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, announced that the BBC will be taking on 20 Creative Access interns as part of a package to help address the on and off-screen representation of the BAME community at the BBC. Click here for full article.

Creative Access has been used in a new case study by Policy Exchange.

The magazine Screen Daily has written an article reviewing our Creative Industries Showcase, hosted at Channel 4. The article also comments on the importance of diversity in the creative industries and includes quotes from Creative Access’ Nigel Warner.

Listen here.

An image and profile of our Sony Music Masterclass has made it into the magazine, Music Week, as their Picture of the Week.

Creative Access co-founder Nigel Warner states UK’s creative industries ‘must back regional and ethnic diversity’.  IPPR report calls for advertising, film and TV to support businesses outside London and to help develop non-white talent.

Creative Access was born out of the flames that engulfed parts of London and other major UK cities in Summer 2011. The woeful lack of understanding in the media, brought together a small group of people together with a single mission: to try to do something urgently.

The CBI mentions Creative Access in their Growth Strategy document for the UK’s Creative Industries.

Creative Access attends Diversity summit, where Lenny Henry calls for a “structural change” in TV.

In 2012, Michael Foster, former co-chairman of agency ICM (now Independent Talent) and agent for stars including Sacha Baron Cohen and Chris Evans, set up Creative Access, a paid-internship programme for BAME people looking to break into the media industries.

A new article features in The CBI reports “The creative industries also need to be more accessible – particularly to young people from different backgrounds – if they’re going to attract the talent they need. To achieve this, the industry is taking action into its own hands”

Famous names in the world of politics and the media gathered at a reception in the House of Lords this week to celebrate the achievements of the diversity charity, Creative Access.

Monique Meledje, Creative Access intern at Hot Key Books, talks about how becoming an intern has opened a new chapter in her life. Please click here to read the article.  

John Athanasiou, director of people at HarperCollins, said HarperCollins had become involved in Creative Access to improve diversity in its recruitment, and had begun running apprenticeship schemes.

Ziyaad Desai from ITV studios talks about how he swapped stocks and shares for the dazzling lights of  production. Please click here for the article.

A new internship scheme, in conjunction with Creative Access and BPI, is set to offer six aspiring music executives from ethnic minority backgrounds paid 12-month placements in the music industry.

As a born and bred Londoner, I only have to walk outside my door to see a wide range of people with a variety of skin colours. Yet, when I flick through the newspapers, all I see is whiteness.

Sky News recently interviewed Creative Access intern Matthew Kay, who was placed as an intern with the broadcaster through the Creative Access scheme. In the interview, Matthew talks about Creative Access, his time at Sky News and much more.  

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg visited the Random House offices on Vauxhall Bridge Road as part of his “Opening Doors” campaign to make access to jobs fair and open to all talented young candidates.

Michael Foster’s Creative Access aims to find roles for 750 people in television, films, publishing and PR. 

Leading indies including Shine Group, All3Media and Endemol have clubbed together for the first time on an initiative to promote diversity in the indie sector.