Calling all PR pros – aspiring or seasoned – we’ve got some fresh careers advice for you from #CAAlumni and steering group member, Abs Gandhi. 

Abs started off as an intern at Freuds back in 2014 and he is now the PR manager – EMEA at tech company, Snowflake. If you want to know how you can leverage your agency position to go inhouse, the importance of relationship management and why those from under-represented communities should work on their personal brand, then read on… 

Snowflake used to be one of the clients that I represented when I was working at a PR agency. I helped launch Snowflake into the UK market in 2017, and it was my favourite account to work on. It really helped me to grow and flourish in my role. A role came up to lead the PR in EMEA and it was the perfect opportunity for me. I knew how great the company was, as well as the employees within the company. The client I was reporting into is now my boss, which really helped me fit into my role easily and lead the Snowflake PR engine in EMEA.  

Relationship-management. There are so many tools and skills that help you flourish in a role in PR, but without the ability to form good connections with fellow colleagues, senior leaders, and of course, media, you will really struggle to drive real impact in your role and for the business. If it wasn’t for my abilities to focus on relationships, I may never have secured my current role.  

PR is not just about what you do for the company or clients you represent – it’s how you conduct PR for yourself. If you’re bringing something to the table, whether that’s unique or otherwise impactful, you should really shout about this. I have often felt that people from ethnic or low socio-economic backgrounds always have more to do when progressing in their career, and it’s essential to take the time to focus on your own brand, as much as you do in your job. 

Being responsible for the growth of PR across EMEA is a project in itself, and one I’m most proud of. When I joined the company there were only three core markets. Now we have PR presence across 17 countries which shows massive growth, and one that I’m truly happy to have played a key role in.  

Diversity in each working day. I often get asked, what do you do in your day-to-day role, and it’s the most difficult question to answer because every day is a new day. And that’s what really separates PR from other industries. You have the ability to be creative, expressive, strategic, be at events (domestic or international) – all completely different experiences and which help you develop skills all-round.   

One thing that I tell anyone starting their PR career, and one that I think is essential in the creative industries, is to remain authentic and be true to yourself, without compromising too many of your core values.  

The other thing more specific to PR is to find your niche. There are a number of PRs out there, but to climb the ladder and make yourself known in your agency/company/amongst colleagues, you should hone in on something that you’re interested in (just as writing or another specific skill set), and one that makes an impact. For example, in agency life and still in my role now, developing strong and authentic relationships with media has really helped me in my career in creating trust and of course, landing the right stories. 

A great deal of managers I’ve had have really inspired me, and have become mentors and great friends at the same time. I’ve always looked up to them because they have enabled me to be authentic, support my career, and always been a great sounding board if I’m ever facing any difficulties. Having a good manager can really propel your career, and I’m grateful to have had such an amazing group of people manage me. 

Looking for a new role in PR, check out our opportunities board! 

For this week’s installment of #CreativeIndustryTrailblazers, we’re chatting to Creative Access alumni and member of our steering group, Hetty Ashiagbor! Starting off as a location runner via Creative Access in 2015, Hetty’s career history so far reads like a dream resume, having worked as a social video producer at Mail Online and producer for BBC Good Food. She is now living out her creative dreams as a content creator at The Lego Group.

Here, she tells us about her current role, her insights into what skills are needed for a career in production and her own career inspirations… 

I needed a new job and to progress within my career. I wanted to work within multi-platform video content. My search mainly consisted of LinkedIn but I also applied for roles within media sites such as APA and Creative Pool. I submitted my CV before being contacted to take part in a three-stage interview process, and my final interview was a presentation. 

This may sound like a cliche, but I would say that it is imperative to have excellent communication and organisational skills. You have to be passionate about the content you’re producing and have an understanding of the production process. The production process can be split into three sections: pre-production, production and post-production. An understanding of costs and budgets is also needed. 

If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. There’s no harm in asking for what you want. 

One of the first projects I ever worked on was a one-off documentary for Channel 4. I played a major part in the development stage, which was later commissioned by Channel 4.  

It is such a fun role. No two days are the same, so you’ll definitely be kept on your toes. You play a massive part in bringing together a project and ‘making things happen’. Producer roles are so versatile that there’s almost always a producer role that would be the right fit for anyone who wishes to work within the position. 

Learn as much as possible in every role you’re in, stay up to date with what is happening within the industry and network where possible. Don’t be afraid to move around within different roles and companies in order to progress. Be bold, take risks, ask a lot of questions and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.  

Dr Joanna Abeyie MBE. Joanna has made a significant impact within the creative industries and has been an inspiration to my career since my first few roles working as a freelancer in TV production and development. Joanna is a champion for diversity within the sector, having launched Shine Media which focused on entry level recruitment for ethnic minority groups within the media industry. As diversity grew within entry level roles, Joanna saw an opportunity to work to increase diversity within senior positions. There was and still is a lack of diversity within senior positions across the sector. As a result, Joanna launched Hyden to cater to this specific need.  

Joanna’s career from working as a journalist to being a social entrepreneur and catering to the needs of the creative sector is an inspiration. She has progressed significantly within her career in such a short space of time and has won awards and has received an MBE as a result.  

I have crossed paths with Joanna on a number of occasions. The most prominent time was when she accepted an invitation to be a panelist at a networking event I organised, and hosted for creative professionals. She was so humble, kind and gave a wealth of knowledge as a panelist. Her experience is invaluable and she was transparent in her advice. You could tell that she just really wanted to help people. She thanked me after the event but really, I couldn’t thank her enough. 

One of her most recent roles was working as the head of creative diversity at the BBC. Her career trajectory is incredible and she continues to make ‘waves’ and ‘headlines’ for the amazing work that she does. 

Looking for more career inspo? Check out the rest of our blogs here.

This week’s creative industry trailblazer is Hearst’s branded content editor, as well as a freelance journalist, and member of our steering group, it’s Isabella Silvers. Isabella started off as a Creative Access intern at Time Inc in 2015 and has since worked at Hearst across titles like Cosmopolitan and Digital Spy.  

In this interview, she gives us the lowdown on why being a multi-platform journalist is such a fulfilling role she also tells us about the projects she’s most proud of and reveals the skills anyone looking to break into the industry or wanting to move up the ladder needs to succeed...

I was working at InStyle when they closed the magazine and I was made redundant. My boss at the time told me that a friend of hers was hiring at Hearst – I applied, and the rest is history. I’ve worked at Hearst for over six years, starting as a digital commercial writer and I’m now their branded content editor. I produce branded content for all our titles across all digital and print platforms, focusing on Cosmopolitan and Digital Spy.  

For the past two years, I’ve worked this role part-time with a job-share whilst I focus on editorial freelancing, whether that’s writing articles, interviewing celebrities, hosting panels or working with clients on sponsored social media posts. I worked up to this by freelancing alongside working full-time, and networking to build up contacts. I also write a weekly newsletter, Mixed Messages, about mixed-race identity. 

Communication is key. Knowing how to present your ideas to commissioning editors, convincing people to speak to you for features and writing clearly is vital! It’s also essential when negotiating pay, advocating for yourself and balancing multiple requests; when I’m writing or producing commercial content, I need to balance the interests of our magazines, their audiences and the client, which isn’t easy. Being a problem-solver and thinking outside the box is also a huge asset. If you can’t find any contact details for someone you want to interview on their website for example, are you going to give up or keep digging? 

Ask for forgiveness, not permission! Obviously take this one with a pinch of salt, but you will come up against barriers and nobody is going to advocate for you as much as you can for yourself. Sometimes it pays to take a calculated risk rather than waiting for a green light. Also: don’t ask, don’t get. It’s always worth asking the question – the worst someone can say is no! 

It has to be my newsletter, Mixed Messages. This weekly newsletter about mixed-race identity started as the seed of an idea in my head and is now something thousands of people subscribe to. I’ve even been stopped on a train by someone telling me that my newsletter influences the way they raise their child. To me, that’s incredible and encourages me to keep going. So far, ‘ve interviewed the likes of Selling Sunset‘s Amanza Smith, musician Jordan Stephens, presenter Miquita Oliver, author Dean Atta and more. In terms of branded content, I am so proud to have commissioned a series with Digital Spy and streaming service NOW that asked five LGBTQ+ writers to share the films or TV shows that resonated with their queer identity. You can read those pieces here. 

It’s an incredibly varied role where no week is the same. You get to speak to so many different people and hear about so many cool brands, organisations, events and movies. You learn something new every single day and you get to share that with the world. The joy of bringing someone’s story to the page and making a difference in the world is unmatched. Your piece could even be used to push for changes in the law or drive people to a charity they’d not heard of before, how great is that? 

Reputation is key, so if you’re known as a reliable, friendly and hard-working person you’ll always be considered for opportunities. But don’t wait for others, push for yourself. Flag to your manager things you’d be keen to be involved with, make a case for courses you’d like to do or awards you want to enter. Always be advocating for your own progress and if you need to break the rules a little… I’ll let you fill in the blanks.  

Banseka Kayembe. Everything she writes is just spot on – whether it’s Love Island commentary on Instagram or a deep dive on race and colonialism, each piece is nuanced, historically contextualised, socially aware and digestible. I also really rate Tobi Oredein at Black Ballad – by and for Black women, this site covers a multitude of topics and looks outside the London bubble too.   

Inspired to look for your next journalism opportunity? Head to our opportunities page.  

This month our employer partner Penguin Random House hosted the latest instalment in our career-in-focus events series, this time to shine a light on publishing career in sales. These are events intended to demystify important, but lesser-understood industry functions – if you’re an employer and interested in doing a career-in-focus event with our community get in touch (details are below).  

At this panel and networking event we got to hear about four very different career journeys from Penguin Random House sales team members. We were joined by publishing and sales enthusiasts from our community at the Penguin UK offices for career wisdom, networking and free books!  

The panel which was chaired by Ella Darlington (head of communications and marketing, Creative Access) featured:  

• Justin Ward Turner (international sales manager – South Africa) 
• Riannah Donald (key account executive – UK waterstones)

• Cara Conquest (sales director – international online, North American and South Africa) 
• and Victoria Ajayi (senior key account executive – UK children’s non-trade) 

The expert speakers represented different areas of the publishing house as well as different career stages. And here are five potentially surprising insights we took from the talk on how to have a successful publishing sales career, according to our expert panellists: 

1. Retail is a common route in. There’s lots of different routes into publishing but working in a bookshop is a common one. Senior key account executive, Victoria, explained how the skills required in retail are totally transferable to this industry, and her previous experience at Schuh really helped her develop the sales skills (such as KPIs, financial goals & competitive selling) that she uses in her role now. Similarly, sales director Sara, developed her ability to upsell, speak to people and have difficult conversations during her time selling advertising space. All the panellists emphasised that sales experience is incredibly valuable to the publishing sector as a whole. 

2. Natural curiosity is more valuable than traditional qualifications. If you’re worrying that you absolutely *need* that publishing degree to get your foot in the door, the panellists say that you don’t! Strong sales experience is likely to be more useful than a publishing degree. What makes an individual really stand out is their curiosity and passion. Don’t underestimate how infectious it can be when someone explains the reasons behind their favourite book, or how much potential a candidate shows by being curious about how selling works or what makes different readers and retailers tick. Interpersonal skills like showing that you can bring people together, build trust and rapport, with an innate passion for bookselling, is what will lead you to success.  

3. BookTok is exciting, and influential. Take a page out of key account executive Riannah’s book and keep an eye on BookTok (or Book TikTokers) for the latest trends and creativity. She also said it’s an opportunity to inject some extra fun into the sales publishing world: “In what other job would I get to dance, whilst promoting a book?!”.  

4. Application advice. Apply for jobs you have a genuine passion for, and showing you’re passionate about the employer will carry you far – has Penguin (or even one of its competitors) printed a book you really love? Scroll through the website and bring your opinions on what book is going to do well next. Demonstrate promotional acumen with a curiosity of how they make money or how they target a specific demographic. If you haven’t got retail experience, have you ever set up a book club? Got people together for a cause? Is there an example of when you’ve changed someone’s mind? Think laterally about those skills, and also, use spellcheck! 

5. Work/life balance. International sales manager Justin wanted to set honest expectations for the budding audience members on the busy and varied lifestyle of people in sales publishing: “My advice to anyone starting out is to ensure you can handle the workload, because it is a lot. So, learn how to say ‘no’ in a constructive way. Become confident in knowing when it’s useful for your time to be involved and when it’s not, because your time is important’. Useful advice for any industry! 

Are you an employer interested in doing a career-in-focus event with the Creative Access community? You can get in touch: info [at] creativeaccess [dot] org [dot] uk  

Job hunting, or career switching? Make sure you’re signed up with Creative Access and following us on all social channels to hear when the next event is. A very big thank you to Penguin Random House UK for hosting us! 

In our latest edition of creative industry trailblazers, we’re speaking to Creative Access alumni and member of our Steering Group Nitin Rishi! Nitin started off as a technical runner for TV and radio production company, Somethin Else in 2015 and now works as a freelance producer and director. He work has been broadcast across all major UK broadcasters and he’s produced programmes at major global events like the FIFA World Cup Final, as well as directed commercials for brands such as Porsche, D&G and Christies.

Here he gives his advice on the skills you need to break into the role of producer/director, and how you can move up the career ladder in TV and film too, as well as what inspires him creatively…

My first foot in the door was working as a technical runner for TV and radio production company, Somethin’ Else. This was through the Creative Access paid internship scheme, and it provided an invaluable foundation to build my skills and network.  

I tried to learn as much as I could about cameras and post-production and eventually progressed to in-house camera operator and editor.  

After two years full time, I went freelance as a shooting assistant producer to get more experience in the editorial aspect of production. I jumped between various editorial and crew roles to eventually work my way up to a producer / director in TV, whilst also maintaining an active presence in lighting, shooting and editing for both independent and commercial productions. 

A solid understanding of filming and post-production processes and techniques is essential. This includes a certain degree of technical knowledge so you can clearly communicate with your crew to ensure a seamless production process and a polished-looking finished product. 

Treat everyone you work with or alongside with respect and kindness and don’t burn bridges. You never know where your next project might come from. For example, the runner on your set today might be the executive on a show hiring you later down the road, so be a nice person and stay in people’s good books. 

When I first started freelancing, I was one of the camera operators on Sky Art’s ‘Brian Johnson’s Life on the Road’ I got to work with rock legends such as Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason and, of course, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson himself. I’m a huge fan of rock music so this was a special project for me to be involved with.  

If you want to have a dynamic, varied career where you get to travel the world, work creatively to tell stories through pictures and sound, and temporarily immerse yourself in different worlds and subcultures, then you’ll be really well suited to this line of work.  

There are a few things I’d recommend: 

1. Make sure you always nurture and focus on your passion for filmmaking; always be learning and upskilling. Whether it’s refining your soft skills, like leadership and organisation or your hard skills, like learning how to use new cameras and mastering editing software.   

2. Ensure everything you do is executed punctually, properly and enthusiastically, no matter how menial the task. People will take notice and begin entrusting you with greater responsibilities.  

3. When you’re starting out always be prepared to go the extra mile. Work on as many different projects as you can but be conscious about taking on more than you can handle.  

4. Build and maintain a strong network in the industry; be sociable, helpful and be that person that connects people.  

Filmmaker and director Asif Kapadia: Every generation has a filmmaker that is able to bring documentaries to the mainstream and Asif Kapadia has been able to do this with his exceptional films like Senna, Amy & Diego Maradona. 

His films are accessible and meticulously put together, but also have a raw authenticity to them.   

We are also both British South Asians from North London so for me to see him break through the glass ceiling to become one of the most celebrated directors of his generation is very inspiring. 

Read more of our creative industry trailblazer series here.

In our Creative Industry Trailblazers series, we’re focusing on some of the best and brightest minds working across TV, film, music, marketing, theatre, journalism, design and beyond. Creative Access supports individuals at all stages of their career cycle, and we’re excited for you to read about the experiences & lessons from our impressive mid-senior community. 

In this blog, we’re delighted to chat to #CAalumni and current member of our steering group, UK correspondent for Bloomberg TV, Lizzy Burden. In this interview Lizzy reveals how she got into journalism and the skills you need to progress in the industry…  

I freelanced as a producer at the BBC, was a grad trainee at The Times — a role I secured via Creative Access — then wrote about economics for The Telegraph and Bloomberg News before moving to Bloomberg TV as UK correspondent. 

Resilience. 

Cut your teeth in print. It gives you a foundation of specialist knowledge that enables you to speak with confidence and authority, it hones your writing and teaches you how to hunt a real scoop-worthy story. 

When it was still taboo in the business word, I wrote a feature about menopause in the workplace, interviewing a FTSE 100 CEO on-camera about her experience of hot flushes. When calling business lobby groups for comment, press officers literally laughed down the phone — that’s how little the topic was talked about. In the end, the story got millions of hits and helped bring about a parliamentary inquiry into the issue. Now I rarely attend a diversity event where menopause isn’t mentioned. 

It’s a cliché but you get a front-row seat to history. I sat cross-legged on Downing Street with nothing between me and Boris Johnson delivering his resignation speech — same for Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak when they took office. I interviewed shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves as the pound crashed in the aftermath of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget. I’ve witnessed Sunak and Emmanuel Macron’s bromance up close in Paris. But, more importantly, good journalism can change history’s course. 

Be open to opportunities. I didn’t set out to be a financial journalist but I have discovered I love its rigour and the impartiality of the markets’ perspective. 

Stephanie Flanders. She’s my former boss at Bloomberg and was previously BBC Economics Editor. She explains complex concepts simply and when she interviews policymakers, they meet as intellectual equals. 

Check out Lizzy’s tips for getting into journalism here! https://creativeaccess.org.uk/latest/top-tips-for-aspiring-journalists  

Or, if you’re looking for a new role in the industry, head to our opportunities board.

Our newest series, Creative Industry Trailblazers, highlights some of the best and brightest working across the creative industries – in TV, film, music, marketing, theatre, journalism, design and beyond. At Creative Access we support individuals at all stages of their career cycle. And we’re excited for you to read about the experiences and lessons from our impressive mid-senior CA community. 

Who better to start with than a former CA intern and current member of our Steering Group, Arshdeep Kaur? Arshdeep kicked off her career via Creative Access as a talent assistant intern at TV production company Arrow International Media and CPL Productions in 2016 and now works as a product lead at Sky. 

I project managed the creation of an internal employee website from scratch for a campaign I was working on and loved it! I realised there was a whole career path within product and technology doing these kinds of roles. I started to book in chats with product owners, heads of departments and directors at Sky to get advice and slowly transitioned over to product and tech. 

Stakeholder management – being a people person is so crucial in a role where you rely on relationships to help get things done. 

I constantly had imposter syndrome. Sometimes women feel the need to fulfil 100% of a job description prior to applying, but the best advice I received was: “When entering a new role, you should actually feel incompetent. Once you feel competent it’s time to move on to your next role or challenge!” 

Building an automated, international volunteering portal for our employees from scratch. There are so many moving parts to a project like this, it’s a challenge of many competencies, namely project management.  

It’s constantly challenging, but just as equally rewarding. You also get to work with super smart people who you learn something new from every day.  

Get networking and book in a coffee with a colleague or friend who works in product or technology! 

All the female leaders I’ve worked with or have been kind enough to mentor me. Many didn’t actually come from science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) backgrounds, so they gave me confidence that I could succeed in this area without a technical background or qualification.  

If you’re interested in switching career industries like Arshdeep did, check out our top tips on how to do so here. 

Media consultant, trainee plumber and Creative Access mentor, Rebecca Fenton gives us the lowdown on how both mentees and mentors can get the most out of a mentoring partnership…  

I am a senior media professional with wide-ranging content development experience in marketing, project management and executive production spanning the worlds of audio, digital, tech (Amazon: Audible), TV (All3Media: Lime Pictures) and publishing (Worldreader). 

– Be as honest and open as you feel comfortable being 

As a mentee, sharing insights into your career, personality type, professional and personal ambitions and even factors like your wage bracket and age can be helpful for a mentor to best guide you and  share relevant anecdotes and experience. Openness in a safe environment such as mentoring with a Creative Access appointed contact can also engender a mutual trust that can be nurtured throughout the sessions and potentially beyond. 
 

– Ask for what you want (respectfully) 

If you have specific aims, ambitions or questions for your mentor – or if you are looking for specific introductions or advice in any given sector – be clear in terms of what you would ideally like to get out of the working relationship. Work with your mentor to map out steps towards your goals and requests. A mentor may not always be able to provide everything a mentee asks for, though the adage is true: ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’. You may be surprised where your focus and assertiveness takes you. 

– Be on time!  

It may sound obvious but remember that your mentor is a busy person too and is giving their time and expertise for free. Strive to show mutual respect by logging on or showing up on time or a few minutes early, so that your mentor isn’t kept waiting and doesn’t have to chase things up. Travel delays inevitably occasionally happen, though overall, punctuality goes a long way – both in your working relationship with your mentor and beyond in your wider professional life. It is also a plus if you take the initiative to schedule any Zoom meetings or meeting places where possible. Many mentors may be time-poor and will appreciate it, so by doing this you can get stuck straight into your sessions and make the most out of them. 

I find mentoring most rewarding when I see growth in confidence, understanding and professional opportunities in the mentees that I work with. I come from a modest background with no family members or contacts who worked in media; I could not afford to complete unpaid internships and was not coached educationally in public speaking or self-promotion, so I had to work my way up and work out many things for myself. Thankfully I have garnered support and tips from official and unofficial mentors, bosses and colleagues along the way.  

I personally found the transition from middle to senior management one of the trickiest to understand and navigate. By working with mentees who are looking to make this same move and sharing my experiences (including the peaks and pitfalls) with them, I can ensure that they are best informed at this pivotal professional juncture. 
 

My first mentee came to me with a list of professional and life aims and goals that she was aiming for and by the end of our 6 months, she had achieved all of them! This is hugely due to her capabilities and expertise, though I was pleased to work with her in approaching these goals in a calm, organised and strategic manner to help her manage stress and prioritisation at a time that was a real state of flux for her on both the work and home front. She recently shared with me that almost a year after our mentoring relationship, she now considers me a friend, which I take as the highest compliment.  

I have had a few mentors over the years and have learned that some mentor/mentee relationships tend to find you if they are meant to, alongside official mentoring programmes and schemes. The mentors that I had around the time that I was mid-senior level in my career reminded me to slow down, not to be too hard on myself, to not be too impatient or presumptive, to consider my options and to focus on the important things. And without fail, all of them always emphasised that no job or career move is worth sacrificing your health or mental health over – something that many mid-level candidates may be in danger of doing in order to feel that they must prove themselves.  

I am pleased to be part of Creative Access’ mentoring program to emphasise to my mentees that there is another way – that life and /work balance is possible and should even be aimed for as a core career goal. 

Feeling inspired to help someone accelerate their career? Sign up to become a Creative Access mentor here.

Looking for a mentor? If you’re not already signed up with us, do so here. Creative Access runs several opportunities for mentor matching across the year, so keep an eye on our opportunities board as well as on our socials for upcoming mentorship programmes…  

Ever wondered how activists stay motivated? In her role as an activist engagement intern at Greenpeace, Creative Access intern Salomé Revault d’Allonnes empowers and brings activists together in their fight against the climate crisis…

I work at the intersection of activist engagement and collective care training.  

A lot of my work revolves around designing and facilitating workshops with different groups of activists. I’m also supporting the Activist Development team in coordinating logistical and welfare support for activists before, during and after an action.  

In terms of digital communications and storytelling, I also co-edit the quarterly activist newsletter, regular email updates, website copy and I presented a social media video for our recruitment campaign. 

Collective care: programmes and practices which support the mental wellbeing of people who are part of causes and movements.  

I really enjoy how varied my role is. It combines many of my interests from my research and tutoring background to my more creative and storytelling side and, last but not least, my passion for social and climate justice and transformative organising. 

No week looks the same and that’s something I really value. 

I graduated from university in September 2021. I was initially looking to work in the documentary film sector, which I did for a bit, but the lack of security required me to work part-time in jobs outside the industry which didn’t work for me. I knew I wanted to tell stories that matter, speak truth to power and contribute to transformative change. 

I am grateful to Creative Access for allowing me to even consider such a well-known organisation in the environmental and NGO sector. I remember seeing the vacancy in a newsletter and thinking why not give it a try without realising that I could potentially be successful. It felt too big and unattainable. 

Creative Access were really helpful during the application process by giving feedback on a first application draft and organising a call with shortlisted applicants. That feedback really helped me refine my application and make it to the interview stage. I couldn’t quite believe it when I was offered the job! 

There were other internships being advertised at Greenpeace at the time I applied, but the reason I applied for this role in particular was its focus around building a culture of collective care in the activist network.  

With previous experiences around migrant justice and feminist organising, the concept of collective care really resonated with me, and I’ve been given quite a lot of freedom in designing that programme.  

I’ve been designing and delivering workshops to develop a culture of collective care with an anti-oppression lens with different groups of activists, volunteers and artists. 

My proudest achievement was when someone who applied to our new activist training programme mentioned a collective care session I had run in a previous volunteer gathering as one of the reasons why they were motivated to take action with Greenpeace! 

My advice would be what I keep trying to tell myself every day: your opinion and experience matter and have value. You have a unique perspective and even if you feel like you don’t have enough relevant experience, you have many transferable skills and there’s no way you’ll know everything about a job before you do it.  

Stay true to yourself and put forward all the things you’ve done and created, including in unpaid contexts. If you want to break into this sector, it means you are creative and passionate, and these are very powerful tools. 

Want to learn more about how you can pair a passion for sustainability with a career in the creative industries like Salomé? Sign up here for our upcoming masterclass on Thursday 30th March.  

Want to know what’s it like working for an immersive theatre company? Did you even know that you could? In the latest blog for our series ‘jobs you didn’t know existed’, former #CAIntern Jessie Francis talks us through her very exciting role as a creative assistant at the trailblazers of immersive experiences, Secret Cinema…

This is always a fun question, to answer. I am a creative assistant at Secret Cinema – an immersive theatre company that brings beloved films, television franchises and even occasionally music to life. In our shows, the audience are not passively watching the narrative unfold, but actively find themselves in the story, uncovering deeper layers of character motives, backstories, mysteries and secrets. Essentially, it’s a bunch of people creating the most elaborate fan-fiction you have ever witnessed.  

Being in the creative team, we are responsible for ensuring our shows encompass cohesive and innovative storytelling or world-building across the narrative structure, the set, the performances and some marketing assets. I also bring additional skills to the role through my illustration and video editing skills – so it’s wonderful being able to contribute to the creation of our shows through my many multi-hyphenate interests. 

Any part where I get to dive into story, or a character, or world development. I adore how research can inform a narrative and create a story that audiences can logically follow and understand; which then enables us to push the boundaries of surrealism and theatricality. So, whether you’re faced with Regency Lady Gaga performances, epic scale alien battle sequences or intimate conversations with characters in rooms, where you have no idea how you entered (or even where they are), the roots of the story and world are always grounding you and driving your experience.  

I will always be grateful to Creative Access for pushing job roles and careers that I never knew existed, because I didn’t go looking for this job at all. I didn’t even know to look for this job.  

I graduated from university in 2019 with a first in animation, and when asked what I wanted to do, I didn’t have a specific vision; but I knew I wanted to work in a story department, or in a writers room, or in story or character development. I was like Lily Allen in the beginning of her LDN music video: ‘Um I’m just wondering have you got any like sort of punky electronica grime kind of like new wave grime but kind of like maybe more broken beats like kinda dubby broken beats but a little bit kind of soulful… do you know what I mean?’. No one knew what I meant (I don’t think I did either.)  

I started off in 4Creative – Channel 4’s in-house creative team – on a 3-month traineeship (courtesy of Creative Access) where I edited and wrote scripts for trailers. I then went on to work as a scene build and prop design artist for Blink Industries x Netflix’s charming, spooky, queer animation series Dead End: Paranormal Park. I was job hunting for my next role prior to my contract ending, and on a whim, I applied to a Secret Cinema creative assistant role that was advertised on the Creative Access opportunities page. It turned out that many of the skills I possessed, and was interested in pursuing, made me the perfect fit for a company where everybody wears many different hats and brings so many varying abilities to their roles.  

It would have to be Secret Cinema presents Bridgerton. It was my first show, and I remember sitting in the writers room surrounded by talented creative directors, performance directors, actors and writers and just wanting to absorb all the knowledge everyone had, whilst simultaneously wondering how the hell I had got there. It was surreal and amazing.  

My only real advice would be to not limit yourself to what you believe you are qualified for. I read somewhere once that men apply for jobs even when they are underqualified, but women only apply if they believe they are overqualified. This has stuck with me, and so I applied for anything that caught my interest and didn’t get caught up in the details of what I had studied or been trained for. Skills can be transferable, softwares can be taught – YouTube and google are your best friends.  

At my core, I knew I wanted to be a storyteller and artist, and so although editing trailers, designing props for animation and creating immersive theatre all seem vastly different, they all share the core function of visual storytelling. So don’t limit yourself, and don’t feel embarrassed or flaky for career or industry pivoting. Everything you try and everything you learn will inform and equip you for whatever you do in the future – no matter how disparate it may seem from where you came from. I still adore animation, and would love to return to it one day, but I’m thoroughly enjoying my time in theatre – a medium I was so interested in as a child, and never thought I was talented enough for. And who knows, there’s probably a world in which both can be combined. 

Check out Jessie’s illustration and editing work here, and her blog here.

Sign up to our opportunities board and find your creative role here.

In this series, Creative Access is focusing on the amazing jobs happening behind-the-scenes in the creative industries to hopefully inspire you to think about some roles and career paths that you might not have heard about before!

Former Creative Access intern Kaler Wong tells us all about his career journey from curatorial and artist administrator at White Cube to gallery assistant at East London-based contemporary gallery, Kate MacGarry…

I work as a Gallery Assistant at Kate MacGarry, a contemporary art gallery in East London. We put on six exhibitions a year and support the artists we work with in external shows, commissions and lots of different projects.  

I work as a Gallery Assistant at Kate MacGarry, a contemporary art gallery in East London. We put on six exhibitions a year and support the artists we work with in external shows, commissions and lots of different projects.  

We’re a very small team of six so the job is really varied and involves things like assisting with exhibitions and art fairs, administration, marketing, front of house, organising events and even condition checking works of art (below: check out Kaler and colleagues checking some prints, and take the time to appreciate ‘our beautiful bookshelves which took a whole day to arrange’). I’ve done everything from shopping for purple hydrangeas for an artist’s work to model-making miniature booths for art fairs. 

Spending time learning about an artist’s practice and then having the chance to meet them and work with them on an exhibition. We work with 21 contemporary artists (and two artist estates) who work with all sorts of media and are inspired by so many different things. I’ve learnt about ornithology, carpentry, prehistoric archaeology and Malawian history to name a few areas. I enjoy hearing artists speak about their own work and what they are trying to achieve. As an artist myself, I really enjoy seeing the development of the ideas of others, as they form something physical and concrete, and overseeing the whole exhibition process.  

I also enjoy talking to guests about art as we get a lot of different people who visit the gallery. We often have groups of students from art schools who visit with varying levels of enthusiasm (occasionally students look bored out of their mind but thankfully they’re an exception). It’s good public speaking practice and ensures I’m knowledgeable and on message on the show itself. (See image of Kaler below giving a talk to a group from Kingston School of Art). We usually have the artist give a short talk to staff about the show before the opening which is invaluable for more personal insights and interesting details. 

I got into this role after a year-long traineeship at White Cube gallery, an opportunity I got through Creative Access. Honestly, I really didn’t think I would get the role, after having applied and then been rejected for a number of similar junior positions at other galleries. That was a really great experience in learning how the gallery system works and opening my eyes to the number of different roles and people that come together to put on an exhibition and support artists. 

White Cube is a mega-gallery which represents some renowned international artists, so I tried to make the most of the learning opportunities. I was lucky to have a really helpful manager as well as an amazing mentor who made me feel well supported and comfortable asking stupid questions. It also taught me a lot about how to work with people and the importance of communication, from observing how my colleagues dealt with different pressures, to dealing with demanding or temperamental artists (which I saw a fair amount of). 

Previously to that I did an undergrad degree in history and a master’s in art history. The art industry in general is really overqualified – I didn’t need the master’s degree to do the job, but I probably needed it to secure the role. I had previously volunteered at a couple of arts organisations and have always enjoyed making my own art @kqhuangart – which also gave me marketing skills.  

Something that has really helped in my roles so far has been making an effort to see exhibitions and writing about what I’ve seen. When I moved to London for my master’s degree, I was visiting at least three exhibitions a week (admittedly quite easy in London, it may be harder elsewhere). The more you see, the more you can contextualise things and learn what you like. Being able to speak coherently about an exhibition I’ve seen or about artists I like has been very useful in interviews and more generally. It’s easy to be discouraged when things are not going your way and you’re applying for jobs and not getting anything back. But, if you’re passionate about art, don’t stop attending exhibitions and reading about them.

Looking to enter the museum and gallery sector? Find opportunities here!

Ever heard someone’s job title and thought: “Wait, you can do that as a job?!”… This month, we’re highlighting all the coolest jobs happening behind-the-scenes in the creative industries that you never knew existed. In today’s blog former Creative Access intern, Ayodele Ogunshakin fills us in on her time working as a storyliner on one of the UK’s longest-running soaps, Coronation Street.

As a storyliner, I worked as part of the Coronation Street story team to pitch, develop and write storylines. The team comprised of an assistant storyliner, storyliners, senior storyliners, story editors and a story producer.  

I really enjoyed attending story conferences; as nerve-wracking as it was, I loved pitching my ideas and writing them. It was also great to work with such a talented and encouraging team, and I always found it surreal to see plot lines we talked about and developed just months earlier, brought to life on screen by the editorial teams and the fabulous cast and crew.  

What is a story conference? This is a space to meet and network with other storyliners, script writers and editors AKA any roles involved with story and script developments on soaps. They usually consist of workshops where writers can work on pitching, testing out and sharing ideas to ultimately help them create and develop their skills.  
 

The team at the famous British soap, Emmerdale, organised a storylining workshop in Media City and I was really curious because I had never heard of the role before. After attending the session, I realised it was the job I had always wanted but didn’t know existed. We were all given storylines to write after the session and I received helpful feedback.  

Years later when Creative Access advertised a storylining workshop being run by Coronation Street I went along with a better understanding of what a storyliner does. Having learnt from my experience attending the Emmerdale workshop, I put the feedback I received into practice and secured an interview which led to a role as an assistant storyliner, and eventually a promotion to the position of storyliner. 

If anyone is interested in becoming a storyliner, I would encourage them to look out for workshop opportunities as they provide incredible insight into the role and what you can expect when working as part of a story team.  

I recently moved to Canada and have been learning a lot about how the industry works here. I love writing and creating characters, so I plan to continue doing that and I hope to have my personal projects and scripts produced soon too.    
 

Read more of Ayo’s advice from when she was a panelist at our creative industries showcase in Leeds here. 

Looking for your next role in TV? Check out our opportunities here.