The Mo Siewcharran Fund has awarded its latest round of grants to four innovative, creative organisations in Leeds, London and Brighton, across publishing, theatre, music and art: Blast Theory, World Book Day, Come Play with Me and Arcola Theatre.

The Fund was set up five years ago in memory of Nielsen Books’ former director of marketing and communications, Mo Siewcharran, by her husband, John Seaton and is administered by leading diversity and inclusion social enterprise, Creative Access. 

Mo Siewcharran was passionate about ensuring theatre and publishing were accessible to all and the grant funds internships for talent from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds to improve accessibility and representation in the creative industries.  

Impact of the Fund

Since the Fund started in 2018, it has supported 36 Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse trainees in publishing, theatre and music across the UK. Its impact can be clearly seen across each sector: last year Creative Access found that two-thirds (63%) of interns supported by the Fund stayed on at their host organisation at the end of their traineeship, whilst 9 out of 10 (89%) trainees continued to work in the same sector. 

On this latest round of recipients, founder of the Fund, John Seaton said: 

“If I say I have recently felt personal sadness you will think I am giving the wrong quote. But, hear me out. The personal sadness was occasioned by the sixth anniversary of Mo’s death at the end of June. Thank goodness therefore for this vibrantly good news. It is a supreme pleasure for the Mo Siewcharran Fund to be assisting these four wonderful companies, diverse in both purpose and location, but united in their desire to create working communities where there are no barriers.”

The grants contribute to the salary of an intern for a six-month traineeship, and trainees benefit from a full programme of support from Creative Access to ensure that they thrive in their new role.  

Brighton-based recipient Blast Theory make interactive art – including performance and theatre – to explore social and political questions. The group’s work places the public at the centre of unusual and sometimes unsettling experiences, to create new perspectives and open up the possibility of change. On being awarded the Fund, Business Director Anne Rupert said: 

“We are thrilled to receive support from the Mo Siewcharran Fund and Creative Access. Our paid internships offer a great opportunity for learning and skills development: building confidence and opening up career prospects. Working with Creative Access will enable us to offer a longer placement and reach people who are often excluded from these types of opportunities.” 

Recipient World Book Day is a small charity with big ambitions, committed to improving diversity and inclusivity in children’s literacy and reading. Its vision as a charity is to see more children, from all backgrounds, developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure, benefiting from the improved life chances this brings them​. Chief Executive, Cassie Chadderton said:

“Funding from the Mo Siewcharran fund will provide a supported entry route to a charity playing a vital role in encouraging more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience the life-changing benefits of reading for pleasure.” 

The Fund was also granted to Arcola Theatre, one of the UK’s only theatres founded and run by first-generation migrants. Over 20+ years, they have consistently created responsive, high-quality theatre by and about the lived-experience of people of marginalised backgrounds. Leyla Nazli, Executive producer said:

“As a diverse led organisation, Arcola is always looking for ways to develop the next generation of theatre makers from the Global Majority. We are proud to be partnering with Creative Access and grateful for the support of the Mo Siewcharran Fund.”

The Fund is once again open for other theatre, publishing or music organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities. 

Those interested in applying should contact lucy@creativeaccess.org.uk. The deadline for the next round of applications is Friday 1^st December 2023.  

In partnership with BBC and Radiocentre, we hosted this month’s masterclass in BBC’s historic radio theatre – home to some of the most iconic broadcasts of the last 90 years. Rooted in its rich creative history, we welcomed the next generation of talent from our community in the creative industries to gain wisdom from radio broadcast professionals at the top of the game. The panellists took a deep dive into what it takes to ‘make it’ in radio, the various routes in, plus career lows and highs so far. Our chair was the famous Radio 1 DJ Melvin Odoom, he instantly set the tone for great informal discussion and humour, as he opened with: “You lot must really love radio because it’s blazing outside!”.  

Panellists included: Melvin Odoom (chair & radio DJ / presenter, BBC Radio 1), Creative Access alum Naomi Julien (social media assistant, Kiss FM), Faron McKenzie (head of station, BBC Radio 1Xtra), Shivani Sharma (producer, LBC Radio), Robbie Wojciechowski (assistant producer, BBC audio science).  

Career lessons learnt 

You don’t get into these roles or reach the heights our panellists have without learning a lot along the way. For 1Xtra exec Faron McKenzie, resilience is key: “You get confronted with things to see if you can really push through and to push through those blocks is real passion.” This sentiment was shared by Kiss FM’s Naomi Julien and LBC’s Shivani Sharma who both discussed the ways their flexibility and open-mindedness has been rewarded at work. Naomi said problem-solving and being flexible was integral to working in social media, where things can abruptly change and she has to adapt quickly.  

LBC’s Shivani told the audience that trying things outside of her first passion – journalism- led her to production and she encouraged the audience to be open to new opportunities. BBC Audio Science’s Robbie, reflected on his younger days spent in a youth club in Brixton, where he discovered a space that was incredibly creative, and emphasised being around people that enhance your passions. Melvin’s story was a lesson of perseverance, as he started at the BBC as an assistant with Rickie Haywood-Williams but wanted to be on air: “No one wanted to hear our voices”. After not giving up and winning a competition to be a radio presenter, he got signed with Kiss and the rest is history.  

Setbacks 

Careers have gone in unplanned directions, there’ve been setbacks, and there’s also a lot of ‘stuff’ that comes with being human in a fast-paced, creative industry like radio broadcasting.  

For Faron, music was the passion that brought him here, and by no means was a job like this going to fall in his lap. He described his early experiences; humble beginnings that included washing pots in a BBC building in Birmingham, listening to pirate radio, – and his innate curiosity for music, having grown up attending church with his gran and reading the inlays of CDs and records. Faron conveyed that the reality that these challenges were also experiences that contributed to his success. 

Shivani spoke about the challenges of not getting the job she wanted and being turned down for the BBC journalism trainee scheme as a graduate. She gave the comforting advice: “Don’t trust anyone who just lands their dream job straight away”. LBC wasn’t part of her plan, but it ended up being the right place for her. Naomi similarly explored various career paths, originally wanting to be an audio producer. It was in the middle of a job interview that she realised she wanted to create content. 

Being a neurodivergent radio producer 

Robbie spoke of his challenges in radio through the lens of neurodivergence, and this was really helpful insight that we want to avoid paraphrasing, so here it is: “I have autism and ADHD, and every day there’s a curveball. Learning to be confident in who you are and speaking up for yourself has taken me years and there’s been tricky moments, lots of bosses that didn’t understand me. I changed jobs ten times [Robbie was an ex-journalist at NME]. Learn where your heads at, and speak your mind and your truth. The BBC is uncomfortable to work sometimes, with the structure and the hierarchy, but peer networks and support can help along with being confident. It’s not linear.” 

One piece of advice for their younger selves 

Faron: Just keep going! Blend resilience with creativity. Don’t leave your identity at the door because being unique is how you generate amazing content.. 

Naomi: Throw yourself into it, no matter what. Get involved and speak to everyone. 

Shivani: Keep a record of everything you’re doing, any experience, any freelance work. You don’t realise you’re getting so much experience. You can then make a diary or a showreel. 

Melvin: Sometimes you’ll fly and sometimes no one cares about the short black guy from Radio 1. Manage your brand. So, change your mindset on networking. Don’t see it as a fail if you didn’t tick a box and talk to someone. You leave an impression when you are yourself. 

Robbie: Document the culture around you. Archive what you’re involved in. Having questions and working them out with your friends is best, you don’t need an expert guest! 

Getting into radio – “just do it” 

If you’re wondering how to get your foot in the door, Faron says it’s simple: “you’ve got the tool in your pocket to create content”. All the panellists agreed that with a smart phone and some friends wanting to tackle a question or a topic, you can create your own content. They advised keeping your LinkedIn fresh e.g. fill it up with recent recommendation from people you’ve worked with, build your brand on social media, and be analytical about what you like about others’ content so you can apply it to your own. Teaching yourself the technical parts (YouTube is your best friend here) and learning how to become a good listener will also set you apart. Melvin advised bringing authenticity and purpose to it: “Radio is such an intimate form, if you are faking it, they will know. You can hear people smile on the radio! My rule is it doesn’t have to be right, it just has to be funny. I’m gonna have a beginning, middle and end.” 

Best and worst days: the radio version 

The panellists were intimate and honest with this audience question. There have been many challenges for these professionals and most had met problems that they couldn’t solve from answers in a book. For Melvin, it was the day of George Floyd’s death. He is someone whose purpose is rooted in making people laugh and he said ever so sensitively: “It’s my job to talk, and I didn’t know what to say”, but he still went live. For Robbie, he talked candidly about experiencing a panic attack at work whilst with a guest on the podcast, and how he navigated that as a producer. 

Melvin summed up the best of that radio can bring when he said, “There are no normal days in this industry, I could be buying antiques with Gemma Collins one day or covered in custard at the CBBC the next.” 

It was a wonderful evening and we want to thank everyone involved. Melvin also wanted it to be said that to all the people who are the future of radio in the Creative Access: “When you’re a boss in a radio, please employ me!” 

Listen to the recording:

For Creative Access’ latest masterclass, Warner Music UK hosted a stellar panel of speakers working in different arms of the organisation to discuss the rich variety of roles on offer behind-the-scenes in the music industry. 

Our chair Jeremiah Gogo is the head of data & A&R analytics at Atlantic. He delivers research and analysis projects to help inform marketing, A&R and streaming decisions.  

Arina Logacheva is the senior A&R Manager at Parlophone. She was previously the first female A&R at Sony Publishing Scandinavia.  

Maláika Carr-Haji is a marketing manager, Warner Records, where she has worked since 2019. Maláika is also a content creator and tastemaker.  

Priya Jaspal is the head of streaming & digital at Warner’s distribution arm, ADA, working across multiple platforms including Spotify and TikTok.  

Rotimi Skyers is digital and marketing at Warner Music Group’s Rhino label and formerly he was at Universal Music Group. 

Different paths – how can you land a role in the industry? 

When asked about how they got into the industry, each of our panellists had differing career journeys but agreed that networking and demonstrating your passion for music will get you far. Both Jeremiah and Priya went down the more ‘traditional’ routes of getting internships at record labels (coincidentally – both at Universal at around the same time!) and then worked their way up from there. Jeremiah and Priya emphasised the importance of being ‘in the room’ and embracing every opportunity you’re given. Priya built on this to explain: “Put your hand up to every task. Learn and do as much as you can. Spot gaps in what you think people need – how can you make somebody’s life easier?” 

Meanwhile, Arina has been in the industry for 10 years and said she had spent time volunteering at music festivals, working in radio and taking part in mentoring programmes, before getting told her opinionated nature would be perfect in an A&R role. She said that if you want to work in A&R, the best thing to do is start yourself: this could look like going out there and managing an artist or putting on club nights. “You need to speak the same language as the artist”, she says. The most important part of being in A&R is being able to connect with people at every different level.  

Both Maláika and Rotimi didn’t start off working in the music industry at all. Maláika had always worked in retail, but she spent time outside of work talking about music online and establishing herself as a tastemaker. This led to her applying for an internship at Warner, and despite not having the ‘work experience’, her passion for music meant she was offered an assistant role instead. She advised to think about what you’re currently doing that shows you actually have an interest in the industry you’re coming into. “When I turned up for my internship interview, I spoke about things I was currently doing – I had a playlist, I was on a show on Linkup TV, I was also trying to get a show on Rinse FM – even though my CV was just retail and I don’t have a degree, the things I was doing in music were what got me the job,” she said. 

Rotimi who studied architecture at university, stated that he “didn’t take the standard path”, explaining that he did “everything under the sun” from working at McDonalds, to carpentry, to doing exhibitions. He then fell into his data analyst role and applied for an internship at Universal. Similarly to Maláika, they said he was applying for the wrong job and they offered him a job in digital marketing instead proving the importance of putting yourself forward for opportunities even if you might not be considered the right “fit”. Rotimi explained that it is vital that if you haven’t got the experience, do your research before an interview: “You get one shot, go for it”.  

Researching your role and the industry is something Jeremiah agrees with. He says that you should “get to know the tools that the industry is using”, stating that in data, Chart Metric is a great tool, sign up for a free trial and play around. This can help you stand out amongst other candidates.  

“It all comes down to the human element” – what’s it like working in music? 

Our speakers all agreed that data and new technology such as streaming and TikTok is playing a huge part in the ever-changing landscape of the industry. Jeremiah and Arina noted how important data is for A&R and marketing, but they insisted that while data helps, you still need to use your gut and emotional intelligence to discover new artists and get the deal signed.  

As for marketing artists now with the rise of TikTok, Maláika explained that whilst there is an over-saturation of new music and you’re competing for everyone’s attention, her job is to “champion the artist and their story, and their music”. For example, with Pa Salieu, Coventry was integral to his campaign and she had to ensure that came across, as well as ensuring that they used photographers and videographers who could capture black skin. “We work in a business, but we work with artists every day. Once they’re at a place where their happy to bring out music, my job is to support them in any way I can,” she said.  

Like Jeremiah’s role, Priya’s job is pretty new and only came about in 2014 post the growth of streaming. While she’s aware that people don’t really understand what her job is, she describes its 3 different pillars:  

1. Sales pitch – trying to sell the artists to Spotify, telling the story in an authentic way and getting them on playlists 

2. Marketing – pitching for billboards and campaigns  

3. Data – you don’t have to be a data expert but you need to understand trends in data and think about what the artist needs in their campaign to feed into their streaming story  

She explains that her role bleeds into data and marketing, highlighting the collaborative nature of working in the music industry. Similarly to Maláika’s story about Pa Salieu and the importance of understanding your artist, when Priya led streaming on Central Cee she stated that it “all comes down to the human element”. She went on to say, “we have to lean into what he wants and just advise him on what’s currently happening in the industry.” 

Rotimi works on historical artists: his job is to repackage and retell these stories. Much like Maláika and Priya, he says that the “beautiful” part of his job is to “make sure the stories are still being told with love and care”. He works on everything from big artists like David Bowie’s catalogue, to Kate Bush’s syncing with Strangers Things, to Warner’s Black British catalogue who weren’t supported enough in the first run, explaining that now he can give these hidden gems a second life.  

What challenges have you faced in your career? 

As with any job, there are challenges. Maláika explains that being from an under-represented background in music can be difficult at times: “There’s being a woman, there’s being a Black woman. Also depending on your class, that factors in.” She states that it’s harder as a junior being around men as “your voice might not be heard”, but she highlights the importance of seeing female role models in leadership positions in giving you hope of what you can achieve.  

Rotimi said: “Being Black and where I’m from, you get pigeon-holed because you’re in an office with people who aren’t like you.” He continued that he’s had people question his vocabulary, but he advised the importance of utilising your knowledge and recommended networking – “there will be people in the building who can relate to you”. This partners with Maláika’s advice of finding the power of your voice and knowing the importance of it so that no matter what room you’re in, you’re adding value. 

Overall, our panel agreed that in the music industry you have to have confidence in your own opinion and trust yourself, but that this can be built upon simply by having a passion and love for music and telling stories. 

A massive thanks to our panel for their honesty, advice and for sharing their inspirational career journeys with us. Keep an eye out for details on our next masterclass on 5^th December 2022 which is being hosted by the Financial Times!  

For our October Masterclass, we were proud to host three of our Creative Access alumni who delivered an exciting and insightful session discussing their careers so far in the music industry, their advice on how to stand out and how to make connections. 

Our chair Kyle George is a Brand Partnerships Co-ordinator at Warner Music UK, connecting brands like 1800 Tequila with artists such as Ed Sheeran and Kojey Radical. Having studied Law at the University of Southampton, Kyle wasn’t aware of the different roles within the music industry – such as brand partnerships – but used his transferable skills to get an internship at Warner Music through Creative Access in 2018. He has stayed there ever since. 

Kyle was joined by radio presenter, journalist and DJ Kamilla Rose. Kamilla was one of the firstinterns we ever placed in 2012, with TV production company TwoFour where she learnt the “inner workings of a media company”. However, unsatisfied creatively working in “corporate” TV production, Kamilla successfully moved into music. She volunteered at community stations such as Reprezent Radio and Foundation FM and began blogging and interviewing artists on her own account. She then got a paid position at BBC 1Xtra and now hosts a show on Capital and has begun to work in audio production. In 2019, Kamilla was awarded the prestigious Radio Academy’s ‘30 Under 30’. 

Sadé Lawson is a Producer and Creative Consultant, whom we placed with Sony in 2013. Hailing from Scotland, Sadé did unpaid internships throughout university and struggled to find paid work when she moved down to London. She praised Creative Access as the “turning point” for helping her access her first “industry job” which allowed her to get her foot in the door. Throughout her time at Sony and later as a Product Manager at Warner, Sadé had side-gigs such as running events, DJing, forming networks with other creatives and starting up her own production company – COZY – with a friend. She is now freelance and has worked within artist management on the likes of FKA Twigs’ album Magdalene.  

Much of Sadé’s experience in the industry came from her creative projects outside her jobs at record labels, emphasising that these became the things which people began to approach her for. She said: “These things help you stand out because you have lots of different facets to what you do.” Kamilla echoed this sentiment as she didn’t have one “set first job in music”. She explained that whilst volunteering at community radio stations like Reprezent, she was able to gain an insight into the music industry that she wasn’t possible in her corporate TV production job. Through this, she honed her presenting style enabling her to get presenting gigs at BBC 1Xtra and now, Capital. Both Sadé and Kamilla demonstrated that if you are a creative person, you have to throw yourself into a variety of different projects in order to learn. 

Importantly, all three of our alumni recognise the difficulties that come with balancing a career and gaining work experience in the creative industries with the realities of living costs. Sadé knows how “lonely” this experience can be for people trying to break into the industry, especially those coming from outside London with no connections in the city. Kyle, Kamilla and Sadé all recommend planning and to keep reminding yourself that the hard work will benefit your career in a few years. 

A way of breaking down these barriers though, for Sadé, was making connections with her peers working in music. Similarly, when Kyle asked the panel how people can stand out, Kamilla stated that networking is one of the most important things in the industry. She stressed that it was essential to gain the details of all those you work with because without these lines of communications, you might miss out on opportunities for which you are a perfect fit.  

These insightful words are especially true if you are freelance. One fantastic example of the importance of networking and getting to know people within the industry was Sadé’s story of how she came to work with FKA Twig’s management team. Sadé explained that she ended up having a job in the same office as them and having been around them and understanding their processes, when she got the role with the team, was able to integrate into it easily. She emphasised the importance of a management team understanding the artist’s vision, but also how her previous label experience gave her perspective executing the project keeping the label in mind as well as the management and the artist.  

Kyle, who has never been freelance, gave a different perspective. He explained that despite not having a creative background, he took what he could from his degree to make himself stand out. In his applications for music jobs, he spoke about intellectual property, copyright and trademark laws to show his transferable skills for the roles. He advised that:

All three of our alumni encouraged the audience to be open to opportunities, with Kyle urging them to “Apply for everything!”. Sadé and Kamilla also advised people to try different things outside their comfort zone. Alongside this, the panel recommended researching the companies and people that you want to work with and connecting with creatives who are both your peers as well as those who are senior to you. Kamilla was an advocate for harnessing the power of LinkedIn, suggesting people to drop someone a message and say, “hey, can we go for a coffee?”. 

In regards to their hopes for the future of the industry, Sadé said that because of the pandemic, she is now able to work with creatives remotely. She hopes that if the pandemic has changed things for the better, it will be so that people will have the chance to make networks across the world. All three of our alumni highlighted their hopes for more representation within the music industry, with Sadé looking forward to it becoming more accessible for young creatives who are from outside London, or who don’t come from monied backgrounds. Kyle’s hopes also arose from his experiences working within a label, making the point that “initially it felt like all they wanted to hear from Black people was about hip-hop. It feels like that’s all we can contribute, when there’s loads of people making rock, house, pop, all sorts of stuff. That has to change…”. Meanwhile, Kamilla’s hopes focus on those working behind-the-scenes in music and she has a network called the Bring In which aims to equip the next generation with the networks and skills for the music industry. She told the audience that she was looking forward to seeing more diversity in senior positions. 

It was inspirational to have our alumni Kyle, Kamilla and Sadé speak to the Creative Access community about their journeys in the industry, proving that despite the barriers that make the industry sometimes seem inaccessible, getting started in music, forming valuable networks and moving into more senior positions is achievable. So, if you are interested in taking up the challenge to break down barriers and realise your own hopes and aspirations by choosing a career in music, make sure that you check out the current opportunities on Creative Access.

Watch the session in full on our YouTube channel here.

To be in theatre or to not be in theatre? Our former Creative Access intern from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Armani Ur-Rub decided to go with the former option and shares his journey into the Arts with us…

It’s not uncommon to finish university and struggle to find your first job. In fact, I reckon it’s more common than not in the current climate. Being plunged into an over-saturated job market, where it feels like every job spec requires ‘at least two years’ office experience’, can feel like an uphill battle. But winning is not impossible.

After graduating, I immediately went looking for a job in the Arts, but every application I sent off seemed to hit a brick wall. Application after application fell by the wayside without response, and it’s natural to feel downtrodden by that, but that’s not a reason to give up – it’s a reason to search harder.

About 11% of all NPO (Non Profit Organisation) staff are Black or Asian*. A staggeringly small amount, but progress is being made (we are that progress). Art and Government quotas demand that council-funded organisations hit a “BAME” workforce quota, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Widespread awareness from the Arts Council is good. But it’s still easy to overthink that quota and to feel like a token – and that’s a totally fair feeling to have, but it’s probably not the best way to look at it. And that’s the second way in which Creative Access changes so many lives.

They don’t just help you find a job, they help you become part of a growing, and diverse community who are taking the Arts by storm.

They exist to rebalance the Arts

• To help BAME professionals feel represented on stage, screen or in journalism
• To help redress unfair representation
• And they help you meet other interns and alumni who have been through exactly what you’ve been through

I had lived in Newcastle and have frequented other parts of the North, but I wasn’t prepared for how overwhelmingly white Stratford-upon-Avon would be. But it’s hardly fair to blame the RSC for the demographic of the area around it. When you see a show with disabled or POC actors, you can immediately tell that steps in the right direction are being taken.

Moving to Stratford-upon-Avon was difficult, but it was a leap of faith I’m happy I made. How would I have looked at myself if I hadn’t uprooted my London life, knowing that I had a chance to help pioneer diversity in the arts? Someone always must be the first…and equally, sometimes you might think you’re the first, and you’re not; but it’s still important to always tell yourself that your presence is making an important difference.

Creative Access still gave me an opportunity to come back down to London regularly for masterclasses where I met like-minded, excellent CA interns who had started their journey at the same time as me. Following my five-month internship, I came back to London with more confidence and an improved understanding of how theatre worked. I have now secured an improved role at the RSC in their London office where I work on the press and marketing for all their shows at the Barbican and in the West End, including Matilda The Musical.

If you’re an aspiring BAME who’s looking for a way into the Arts, look no further; Creative Access will support you every step of the way.

You can follow Armani on Twitter

*Overall in 2016/17, 11% of all NPO staff were from a BAME background – the same as the previous year – compared with 16% of the working age population. Across all staff, 54% identified as white, while 31% were unknown and 4% did not disclose. – from Arts Council England stats, taken from an article on The Stage.

Want to know how an internship in music can take you to running your own business? We caught up with former Creative Access intern, Darren Blair to hear about his internship, what he is up to now and what some of his plans are for the future.

Darren was interested in getting into the music industry and in 2015, secured an internship with I’m Not From London in Nottingham. The company promote events, gigs, parties and festivals, run two record labels and are also a registered music publisher.

“It’s sometimes harder when you don’t live in London as well” he tells us, “to find opportunities in the industry, that’s why it was great to find this in the East Midlands.”

We asked Darren to tell us a little about his experience at the record label, “I really enjoyed it. It allowed me to progress and get the good experience on my CV. It was essentially my first foot through the door. Creative Access made the process a lot easier and it was great to have the support from an organisation who genuinely understands the complications and discrimination within the industry.” He continues:

Darren clearly made a great impression on the company too! His line manager from I’m Not From London said: “Darren was an asset to us as I believe he will be wherever he decides to go to next. Creative Access was a great help to our business providing an extra person to help us grow in what was our busiest year so far to also teaching us the skills of man management, HR and how to most effectively teach and utilise an employee’s talents. We couldn’t recommend Creative Access enough to companies wanting to expand both their business and increase skills.”

Since his internship, Darren has not only stayed firmly within music and events, he has also now started his own freelance business. Under the name, ‘Darren Blair – Music Business Management’ he now works for himself in all areas of event management. Darren launched the business last November and by March already had his first major contract.

One of the major things Darren advises to people interested in the music industry is the need to learn as much as possible about as many roles as possible. He says “with events – it isn’t all about qualifications. What you need is experience”.

Darren now works for up to ten companies from Festival stages to arenas such as Wembley and Cardiff and some jobs even involving living on tour buses for long periods of time.

Having come so far already in such a short space of time, we asked what the future holds for Darren, he told us “my main aim is to be a tour manager, whether it is UK, Europe or international. I want to be responsible for the crew”

The fast pace definitely suits him and Darren shows absolutely no signs of wanting it to slow down. Follow Darren on Instagram and Facebook keep up to date with his impressive work!

Will Robinson, Managing Director of I’m not from London tells us his recipe for a successful career in the music industry…

There are far too many egos in music already and if you’re in the industry side you may have to deal with a lot of artist’s expectations and demands. You need to be able to get on with people and keep yourself grounded. You can be assertive without being a bully, you can be confident without being arrogant and you can be relaxed without being slack. You never know who the person you are talking to is connected to or where they will be in the future.

The more experience you can gain in this industry the better. The good people will stay in the industry a long time, so knowing and having worked with people in the past means your network will be all the bigger for starting earlier. Like many other creative industries, people prefer to work with people they know.

Jump in feet first, you’ll learn by your mistakes and if those mistakes are spent with your own money, you’ll learn incredibly quickly and hopefully you won’t repeat the mistake! If you have no connections, get stuck in and show you’re not afraid of hard work and getting your hands dirty and doors will start opening for you.

The industry has so many jobs attached to it, lawyers, labels, artists, sound techs, publishers, DJ’s, producers, roadies, tour managers, promoters, publicists, accountants, make up artists, stylists, video directors, drivers etc. The more of these skills you can learn the better. Sometimes one income stream may slow down for some reason, so being able to turn your hand to something else which is still linked to your industry means you are not reliant on that one way of making money.

Listen to people and take in what they are saying, it might give you a fresh perspective on a situation. People naturally like to pass their wisdom on and it’s good to have a few “mentors”: people ahead of you in the game that you can call on for advice.

If you plan for the worst, you won’t be disappointed or taken by surprise when disaster strikes. Festival and concert/gig planning for example rely on so many different groups of people and sets of circumstances and there’s always something that may go wrong. Having a contingency plan and a back up will give you some peace of mind that you have a strategy should things go awry. The same goes for budgeting; it’s best to leave some over for costs that you didn’t plan for needing.

If you’re serious about a career in the music business, understand that it will be hard, competitive and for a while may be financially less than your ideal wage. You may have to volunteer your services for free until professionals value you enough to pay you. Think of it as a long game and concentrate on building your contacts, knowledge and reputation.

Despite what they say, business is personal. Sometimes it’s better to take a walk around the block than reply to someone with a furious ranty email which could take the situation to a place where a problem can’t be resolved. Try not to hold too much of a grudge for the simple reason that you may need to call on that person again. If you can try and stay above all the negativity in these situations you can come out the bigger person.

If you’re about to start work with someone, or partner on a new project, try and make it official. Time is precious and working on a project for an extended period of time without commitment from the other party can be stressful. It’s good to approach these conversations as partnership contracts or agreements, laying out what you all agree on and expect from each other. The earlier you can get things agreed on legally and financially in writing, the sooner you can get on with the fun creative stuff as a team.

Confucious said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

If you’re making headway in your career, remember to enjoy it.

If you’re not happy, you’re probably not as productive as you could be so work hard of course but remember to be able to switch off every now and again. Consider yourself lucky and stay positive.

A love of music and community lead Will to become a music promoter. He chose the name I’m not from London as a reaction to the then London-centric nature of the industry. INFL’s continuing mission is to educate, nurture and champion the talents of those involved in the business & art of music on either side of the microphone.

In this case study we profile Richard Lartey who completed a Digital Marketing internship at Absolute Label Services and was offered a full time role after.

Richard graduated from Ravensbourne University with a degree in Content Development Production, focusing on television and new media development. He had a number of opportunities after graduating but taking the next step and finding himself a role that was stable, secure and promised more than just a short term contract proved to be elusive.

After a number of failed applications and interviews he came across the Creative Access internship at Absolute on his university’s Facebook job group.

Going into the application process it was important for Richard to make sure that his application was tailored towards the role. This is where Creative Access came in to support Richard; he sat down with a member of the team, to discuss the job role ahead of the interview with Absolute. It was clear from the job description that Absolute were after a candidate who had a strong digital knowledge and an interest in music so Richard highlighted his website, music blog, as well as his experience of digital design and technical code level knowledge. In addition to this, Richard looked through previous roles and picked out the key skills he had developed whilst completing past tasks, which were relevant to the role.

After attending the interview at Absolute’s office Richard was given a call within an hour of leaving, offering him the role.

Richard started his internship in September 2014. As the internship approached the half way stage his manager made it clear that they wanted Richard to stay on full time beyond the initial 12-month period. He now works as Digital Marketing Coordinator, responsible for keeping Absolute at the forefront of the industry as the market moves towards a streaming future.

Since going full time Absolute have employed a new Creative Access intern to take on the roles he previously covered and Richard is supporting her.

Links:

http://absolutelabelservices.com/

http://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2016/mar/02/brits-awards-chairman-diversity-not-reflected

http://nationofbillions.com/30-more-under-30-the-future-of-the-music-biz