Creative Access alum, Luke James, shares his thoughts on returning to the office after nearly two years of working from home during the covid-19 pandemic.

I go back to the office full-time this week and honestly everything about it, aside from the return of the office birthday cake, is making me a bit nervous. The pressure is on, with the government and big business screaming for the country to get back into the office. Coincidentally, those that scream the loudest for this have a huge economic interest in making sure that their lucrative office buildings in the centre of the big cities up and down the country are being used. However, as most of us aren’t property tycoons or postcode millionaires, there are a lot of conflicting feelings around returning to the office.

I’ve got good reason to be hesitant to return to the office, I’ve enjoyed a simple life at home not having to worry about things like awkward micro-aggressions – “no I haven’t brought ‘jerk chicken’ in for lunch again, it’s just last night’s dinner”. I, like many others, am really not looking forward to my creeping social anxiety returning right in the middle of an important pitch, and if I could avoid using public toilets for the rest of my life I would. These issues are ultimately trivial compared to the impact that returning to the office will have on my wallet.

Full-time office work can add up very quickly. Commuting, the occasional lunch and, unless pyjamas with holes in the crotch become on trend, new clothes will all cost me money. Whilst I’m experienced and fortunate enough to be able to mitigate these costs, it’s my junior colleagues that will be hit the hardest by this. Aside from the obvious (that they are paid less) often our junior colleagues may feel the pressure to spend money to keep up with senior members of staff – I know I certainly did. Couple this with the skyrocketing cost of living, the coming increase in national insurance and energy prices and I do fear that return to the office means, yet again, excluding those from lower-incomes the opportunity to work in our industry. We risk losing those junior members of staff who do not have the capital to survive returning to the office. It goes without saying that those who struggle with mobility or social issues also stand to lose the most. In some ways a return to work can be seen as a step-back for diversity of thought.

It’s not all doom and gloom and I really am looking forward to returning to my office. I’ve missed those shared experiences of hearing someone’s good news together, I’ve missed going to the pub to discuss a long day at work, I’ve missed the birthday cakes. It’s easy to forget the human aspect of these jobs that have been mostly solo over the last 18 months. Perhaps my rose-tinted glasses need some adjusting, but these days I even yearn to watch a colleague chew with their mouth open. I’m fortunate enough to enjoy my job and love where I work, but I know it’s not the same for everyone. It’s an over-simplification to suggest that you should find a working environment that you love – how do you even do that?

Perhaps we should just be grateful that we even have a choice in the first place. Many workers up and down the country don’t have the luxury of working from home at-all, let alone some form of hybrid working. There are genuine benefits to the office, the socialisation aspects, the growth and learning opportunities, the birthday cake – but is this worth the cost of greater autonomy over our day-to-day lives? Is this a step-back in the fight to have a greater work-life balance? How detrimental will all of this be to increasing the level of diversity of thought in the workplace? I’m not sure, but I do know that sales of birthday cakes will surely rise to pre-pandemic levels.

Ambitious Nutopia x Creative Access positive action programme offers opportunity to join the team on a new global adventure series

Award-winning production company Nutopia and Creative Access, the leading diversity social enterprise, are today launching ‘Nutopia Partnerships,’ an ambitious new collaboration to address the under-representation of people from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds at senior levels in the TV industry.

As part of the new landmark programme, Nutopia is offering a unique opportunity, funded by National Geographic, for four experienced individuals to join the team on a multi-part multi year global adventure series.

Less than 10% of senior production roles in the UK TV industry are held by people from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds, according to the Creative Diversity Network*. The Nutopia Partnerships initiative is the first programme of its kind specifically designed to tackle senior-level diversity in the industry and the first to be led by an independent production company. It is part of Nutopia’s ambitious new diversity and inclusion strategy spearheaded by CEO and Founder, Jane Root and supported by Creative Access, who work with over 450 employers across the creative industries to enable them to be more accessible, representative and inclusive through progressive recruitment, training and mentoring.

The Nutopia Partnerships will be an accelerator programme aimed at creating the next generation of creative leaders by offering a training opportunity to traditionally underrepresented groups.

From today candidates from Black, Asian and other ethnic backgrounds, who have already taken on senior roles in TV and film. The positive action programme is designed for both the existing senior production team and the successful applicants to learn new skills and approaches. The successful candidates will receive insight and experience on the making of an episode from start to finish, under the guidance of senior leadership; deepen their leadership, financial and technical skills and have first-hand on location experience in the most challenging situations. They will bring new insights to our senior team, driving the next level of creative aspiration across Nutopia. To find out more and apply, click here.

“While we are seeing progress being made to address diversity at entry-level in the TV industry, the lack of diversity at senior levels remains a serious and concerning issue and is a real barrier to the retention and progression of the new, more diverse junior talent coming in to the industry,” says Josie Dobrin, founder and CEO, Creative Access.

“This new, industry-leading collaboration between Nutopia and Creative Access is designed to specifically target this issue. We are very proud to be working with Nutopia, as well as National Geographic to drive meaningful change in diversity at senior levels in the industry,”

“At Nutopia to achieve the next level of creative aspiration we need to invite people in and embed different voices and experiences in our core. We are proud to partner with National Geographic and Creative Access on the Nutopia Partnerships,” says Jane Root, founder and CEO, Nutopia.

“Our aim is to create a lasting legacy within factual television across senior levels. There’s much work to be done, and we will continue to learn as we make progress through our most comprehensive initiative to date.”

Who is eligible to apply?

Candidates applying should be currently working at Line Producer/Producer / Series Producer / Director level or similar and looking to further progress to the next level or make the move into high end factual TV.  The Nutopia Partnerships are designed to give the successful candidates space to bring their creativity into the world of factual adventure.

As a Nutopia Partner they will embark on a 12-month programme that will take them through all the processes of senior leadership in a multi-part global factual series, from development of the episode story, production on location with a large crew and then edit oversight.

In addition, they will also be provided with a curriculum of leadership coaching, a bespoke training plan with focus areas for individual development and a mentor, to give them the skills and experience to make the move into a senior role in the premium factual genre. They will be funded to participate at a rate commensurate with current salary.

The ‘Nutopia Partnerships’ will run over two years. There will be four Nutopia Partners who each join the team for 12 months and we are looking for people to join the 2022 cohort. 

*Source: UK Race and Ethnic Diversity: a deep dive into Diamond data, Creative Diversity Network, October 2020

FURTHER APPLICATION DETAILS

The Nutopia Partnership project will run over two years. There will be four Nutopia Partners in total, completing 1 year each and recruitment is opening from February 10^th for year one.

The team particularly want to hear from adaptable and collaborative individuals with the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Demonstrable experience at mid- senior level, Line Producer, Producer, Series Producer
• The desire to learn more about the whole process of making high-end factual entertainment TV.
• Proven creative leadership
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to maintain key relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• Confidence to think analytically and make effective decisions in fast changing environments.
• A commitment to this project for 12 months with an interest in building a career in factual documentary.

To apply

Please upload your CV & covering letter as a single document to Creative Access by 3^rd, March 2022.

The partnership has been covered in Televisual, Broadcast and C21 Media.

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, 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

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.

Originally a guest-blog for the Advertising Association.

People from working-class backgrounds are under-represented in many industries, however the Advertising Association’s All In Census found that, in advertising, they were outnumbered almost two to one by those with a privileged upbringing. The creative industries, specifically advertising, need to do more to represent society as a whole, not just one subset. At Creative Access, we recognise the barriers people from under-represented communities face when entering the creative economy, but there are ways your organisation can attract, support and retain employees from all different walks of life. 

The most fundamental way to improve diversity of social background in your organisation is to pay your employees a fair and living wage. The London Living Wage is now the standard for agencies and organisations based in the capital. This may seem obvious, but too often agencies rely on unpaid or low-paid interns. Most people cannot afford to work for free, so by taking on unpaid labour, you deny a whole host of people a way of gaining access into the industry and limit access to those whose families can afford to subsidise them.

In fact, our recent research shows that financial barriers, such as re-locating, living and commuting costs, have prevented a staggering 77% of our community working in advertising and PR from even applying to jobs. Anecdotally in this research, numerous people from low-income backgrounds explained that they would be unable to live if they took on an unpaid internship and even some paid internships as the salary is so low. Many also said they struggled to find an entry-level salary in the creative industries on which they could survive living in London. 

Paying your employees a fair and living wage is not only a way of attracting a breadth of talent which might not usually be able to join your organisation, but shows potential employees that they are valued. In entry-level positions, this is key for gaining confidence and providing a helping hand into what can be an unknown world. 

Young people from working-class backgrounds cannot afford to make the jump into advertising unless they are offered job stability. Internships or contracts that last only 3 months do not offer this. Yes they provide experience but they make financial and living situations too precarious and people from lower income backgrounds cannot risk taking on a role with such little job security, especially without the promise of being offered something longer-term afterwards. 

Value your employees’ time and work. Are there long-term internships, entry-level training positions, or mentoring opportunities that you can offer them to help them progress? How can you ensure that employees from working-class backgrounds progress into more senior levels? Are you able to provide support with re-locating, living or commuting costs such as the Career Development Bursary, Creative Access offers in partnership with McLaren Racing. 

Analyse your data. Figure out which demographics are under-represented and why and develop specific initiatives or processes to tackle these in the long-term. Stop hiring by word of mouth, which excludes people who do not have networks within advertising. Instead recruit across a range of platforms. 

Ensure your recruiter roster is fit for purpose. Do your recruitment partners have a strong enough network amongst under-represented groups? Are their own teams diverse and representative? Are they incentivised just to ‘close’ a role or to think creatively and look for talent via different networks and communities? And when you do advertise a role, make sure to state the salary. Transparency with contracts and payment is key for potential employees to gain a clear picture of the role. 

There are ways that you can ensure different social backgrounds feel comfortable and confident within your organisation. At Creative Access, we offer a wide-range of employer training that can benefit all staff, from senior to junior levels. We conduct training on unconscious bias, class and inclusive leadership with expert professionals, such as clinical psychologists, lawyers and diversity experts. 

Being outnumbered in a work environment can be a very lonely experience. Employers must instil in their employees that their differences are not a point of contention, but a point of a celebration. Supporting your current staff helps retain them, showing potential employees that your organisation takes diversity seriously.  

Across the advertising industry, not enough is being done to ensure that diversity in social backgrounds, ethnicity and disability is improved. We need to break down the barriers that make any industry difficult to enter, but advertising specifically will improve with a broader range of backgrounds, experiences and ideas. Diversity fuels creativity, and how can you speak to a diverse audience without an inclusive team? 

You can find out more about Creative Access positive-action schemes, paid internships, diverse recruitment and training here. 

I’m Sunita Ramani, and I work at Greenhouse, a specialist green communications agency focused on delivering positive social and environmental impact. I found Greenhouse through Creative Access in November 2020 when I was hired as a Trainee Administrative Assistant, and I have since progressed to Senior Account Executive, opening up a whole range of opportunities – including most recently, being involved in several exciting initiatives around the COP26 climate conference.

Why does diversity matter at COP26?

This summit is significant for all of us – the future of our planet rests on the commitments being made in Glasgow at this very moment, and the steps that world leaders take to meet them. But as with any global disaster (the Covid19 pandemic being a prime example), not everyone is equally affected, and people of colour worldwide are suffering some of the worst impacts of the climate crisis, despite contributing the least to its causes.

How communications can help to achieve climate justice

For me, getting to work with organisations fighting for climate justice is what I love most about my work at Greenhouse. In the lead up to COP26, I supported the international charity ActionAid with their EarthWalk campaign which highlighted the unequal representation at the climate conference. In particular, many invitees from the Global South have missed out on attending the negotiations due to vaccine inequalities or a lack of funding.

By supporting ActionAid with their PR and digital communications, we encouraged thousands of people across the world to take part in EarthWalk, collectively marching over 43,000km to call on world leaders to Step Up for Climate Justice. On the third day of the summit, ActionAid projected videos from people across the world taking part in the campaign in central Glasgow, as a way to bring their voices to COP26 and remind negotiators of their duty to listen to those on the front lines of the crisis.

I have also been supporting the work of the Just Rural Transition, an initiative bringing together food producers, governments, businesses, civil society, rural and Indigenous peoples to champion people-centered solutions to our food and land-use crises. Providing nutritious, affordable food for a growing population in a way which is both just and sustainable is an enormous challenge, and it is essential that we centre the food producers and rural communities who hold the knowledge and experience to tackle these issues.

By amplifying the JRT’s messages through PR and social media during COP26, we’re helping to increase awareness and understanding of a ‘just rural transition’ and ensure it is on the agenda as world leaders discuss how to transform our food systems for the better.

Going to Glasgow

Whilst I’ve been able to do all my work remotely, COP26 being only a train ride away is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I decided to head up to Glasgow over the weekend for the Global Day of Action – a day for people everywhere to come together in support of climate justice, and to centre marginalised voices who have largely been excluded from the official negotiations.

Marching on the streets alongside nearly 100,000 people, and hearing the firsthand stories of those who have experienced the devastating realities of the climate crisis were a powerful reminder of why it is so important to do this work. At the rally on Glasgow Green, I listened to Indigenous leaders, trade unionists, and activists from the Global South all describing their fears for their future, and calling on us to unite and stand with them in demanding a better one.

I’ve come away from Glasgow reminded of how essential it is that people of colour bring our voices, perspectives and stories to every aspect of environmental justice work, from campaigning on the frontlines to re-telling the stories of our communities behind the scenes. Each one of us is needed in the fight for a better planet, as there is no climate action without climate justice.

If you’re interested in working for a sustainability organisation, keep an eye on our Opportunities page for our latest roles.

Creative Access surveyed more than 1,900 people working in, or looking to pursue, a career in the creative industries to examine how financial barriers impact career progression. The results demonstrate how crucial the bursary from Creative Access and McLaren Racing will be to enabling people from under-represented groups to access and progress in the sector. Key findings include:  

• Just over three quarters (77%) have not applied for a job due to the associated high living or commuting costs 
• Over a third (35%) have refused job offers because of financial obstacles 
• 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  

• 47% people surveyed say financial barriers have ‘greatly’ impacted their career progression – 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  

The top 5 creative sectors where potential candidates did not apply for a role due to financial reasons are:  

1. Film – 86% 
2. Music – 86% 
3. Theatre – 85%  
4. TV – 82% 
5. Museums & Galleries – 81%  

This research was done to coincide with the launch of the Creative Access x McLaren Bursary.

Creative Access is teaming up with McLaren Racing as part of a unique industry-first alliance working towards diversifying talent in motorsport, particularly in creative roles.

The multi-year McLaren Racing Engage programme will leverage the expertise of Creative Access to drive forward the 20-time Formula 1 constructors champions’ diversity, equality, and inclusion agenda.

Working alongside the Women’s Engineering Society, EqualEngineers, and the Smallpeice Trust, Creative Access will support McLaren Racing to promote STEM and Formula 1 as an accessible vocation to under-represented groups, foster a culture of inclusion within McLaren, and advance meaningful and sustained change in the motorsport industry. This will be achieved by investments in grassroots-level education and training through various STEM initiatives, funding, and mentorship programmes.

“We are thrilled to be part of this coalition with McLaren Racing,” Josie Dobrin, Chief Executive of Creative Access, said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with like-minded organisations to truly make a difference to one of the sporting world’s most prestigious brands.”

Creative Access will be the lead partner for aspects of the programme that focus on improving inclusive strategies, policies, and recruitment practices to hire, upskill, and advance diverse talent in McLaren Racing’s creative functions, including in their marketing, brand, and design teams.

The initiative will also see the launch of the Creative Access Career Development Bursary, a new fund aimed at talent from under-represented communities who have aspirations to work in motorsport. The bursary will support them with financial grants as a means to overcome some of the real obstacles they face in entering the industry or progressing in it.

Josie Dobrin added:

Details of the bursary scheme will be unveiled later.

Given the fast-moving nature of motorsport and the technological advances that underpin optimal performance, Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has highlighted the importance of innovation driven by diversity that will enable his team to stay competitive.

“McLaren Racing is fuelled by brave innovation, but brave innovation relies on diversity of thought and experience across all levels and functions, reflective of our fans, our partners and our communities,” he said.

Although there are no official figures on the make-up of the workforce across Formula 1 teams, there is a perception that the sport is inaccessible to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and that there’s a lack of diversity across the racing industry. Formula 1 has stated a commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive sport by breaking down the stereotypes associated with a motorsport careers and encouraging people from all backgrounds to get involved so that the sport better reflects the world in which it races.

A press release from McLaren Racing can be viewed here.

The programme follows Penguin Random House’s commitment to better support emerging creative talent from under-represented communities as part of its accelerated inclusivity action plan.

Creative Access and Penguin Random House have re-opened applications for their new mentoring programme which will see senior leaders from the publisher take on mentees from groups that are under-represented in the publishing industry.

In this second round of the programme, Creative Access will find and match 100 people with senior leaders from across Penguin Random House. The programme is aimed at those from under-represented communities who want to pursue a career in publishing, whether they are in education or have some work experience in publishing or other creative industries. The programme also welcomes applications from those currently not in education, employment, or training. Alongside this, the Penguin Random House HR team will pair each of their leaders with a second mentee from within the company to offer support and advice on career development and progression.

The programme, launched in October 2020, is running as two six-month cohorts over a 12-month period. The second cohort is open for applications until 25th April 2021 and mentees will be matched with mentors comprising Penguin Random House UK’s entire Senior Leadership team (including CEO Tom Weldon) alongside a number of other Heads of Department across the company. To help set the new relationships up for success, Creative Access will offer training to both mentors and mentees.

This programme follows Penguin Random House’s launch of its Books for Everyone, by Everyone action plan in July 2020, which set out a renewed commitment to being a more inclusive company and publisher. It outlines a number of actions focused on removing barriers for entry and offering greater support for career progression and development for those in the company, including a commitment to match each leadership team member with two mentees.

Josie Dobrin, CEO, Creative Access:

Val Garside, HR Director at Penguin Random House:

If you are interested in applying for this programme, please apply here.

BAME is the acronym that has been used in an attempt to describe people who are not from White ethnic groups. We consider whether this term has outlived its usefulness, and whether a more nuanced alternative exists…

What is BAME?

The acronym BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) originates from, and is mostly used within, the UK. The UK Government introduced ethnic group categorisations in the 1991 Census. The original classifications were:

• White; Black-Caribbean; Black-African; Black-Other; Indian; Pakistani; Bangladesh; and Chinese

These categories are clearly non-exhaustive so there was also an option for ‘Any other ethnic group’. Since then, with the UK’s ethnic diversity increasing, BAME started to gain prevalence as the catch-all term capturing those who did not identify as White. By 2011, the most recent UK-wide census, 7.6 million people fell under the BAME category. Now, it’s about 14% of the population.

Has BAME been bad?

BAME has, to some extent, been a useful lens through which to identify and address the disparities that ethnic groups who are not White face in the UK. In our sector – the creative industries – they are conspicuously under-represented in the workforce. They are also less likely to secure permanent roles, or ascend to senior leadership positions. Addressing these issues was exactly why Creative Access was established in 2012, and we have been proudly working alongside talented creatives from under-represented backgrounds and creative organisations to redress these inequities.

When discussing the additional barriers that people faced in our sectors on account of their ethnicity, people from under-represented ethnicities were able to find strength in numbers, and band together as a larger collective under the term BAME. Using the term BAME had been important for us to articulate our mission, identify candidates, and monitor workforce data.

However, the UK is one of the most ethnically-diverse countries in the world, and London – one of the world’s great creative hubs – is even more so than most of the rest of the country. Simplifying the complexities of so many different ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities into the acronym BAME might inadvertently do as much harm as it has done good.

Over the last year, as the experiences and injustices suffered by Black people in particular have made headlines around the world, it has opened up a conversation about whether grouping all people who aren’t White together under one acronym actually undermines efforts to truly understand the challenges specific communities face. Consequently, we’ve seen a decline in the use of BAME and louder calls for a more nuanced alternative.

Why we can do better than BAME

In 2018, political reporter and Creative Access alumnus Rajdeep Sandhu wrote for the BBC about the need to move away from using BAME. Her voice has been joined by a chorus of other who cite strong reasons for doing so, amongst which are:

• It entrenches power dynamics whereby people who are classified as BAME are perpetually seen as ‘the other’, ‘the minority’, ‘the marginalised’. The reality is that those deemed ‘minorities’ are actually the overwhelming global majority.
  • Read Natalie Morris’ piece with Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder.

• It masks deeper disparities within different ethnic groups by banding them all together under an acronym simply on the grounds of not being White. This erases the nuances that people from different ethnic backgrounds experience.
  • Read Tolu Coker’s piece on how BAME can be used to skew data

• It attaches a label to people who themselves almost never identify as such. BAME is not a race or an ethnicity, and research shows that very few people self-identify as BAME. Many don’t even understand what it means.
  • Read Zamila Bunglawala’s piece for the Civil Service Blog

• It creates confusion as White minority groups (like Irish Travellers and the Roma) are sometimes included in BAME and sometimes not. It doesn’t allow space for these under-represented communities who don’t identify as Black or Asian, and are – at least for statistical purposes – considered the same as White, but without the same privileges.
  • Read Hannah Vickers on representation of Travellers in media

What are the alternatives to BAME?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that race and ethnicity still plays a major role in determining an individual’s outcomes. It has also shown us that we should be more open to talking about race and ethnicity, and more understanding each other’s experiences. Therefore, there is still a need to categorise people by their ethnicity.

In seeking alternatives to BAME, we must be conscious not to continue to homogenise ethnicities under a broad acronym, we must be wary of unintentionally creating hierarchies of ethnicities and relegating some of ‘other’ status, and we must try to ensure we include all the groups that we intend to under categories that feel specific enough for people to self-identify under a term that means something to them (and not just to data collectors at official institutions).

We listened to voices within the sector, including those that contributed to the #BAMEOVER campaign and to Creative Access alumni, and over the past year have moved away from using the acronym ‘BAME’ in favour of using ‘Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse’.

As conversations around ethnicity and identity have shifted since the 1991 census, we will continue to be ever conscious of how language can be used to unite and divide, conceal and reveal. Just as we are on a mission to help the creative industry move with the times, so too must we be able to lead change and start with ourselves.