The Creative Access team has grown and with so many great new additions, we’re letting you in behind the scenes. We’re excited for you all to know a little bit more about our roles. So, grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while we shine the first CA Spotlight on our brilliant Kickstart Coordinator, Yasmin Hemmings

Can you introduce yourself to us?

I’m Yasmin Hemmings and I am the Kickstart Coordinator at Creative Access.

Could you describe your role in a little more detail?

I lead on Creative Access’s involvement with the Kickstart programme, which is a government-led scheme for 16-24 year-olds who are on Universal Credit. Creative Access is a Kickstart gateway, which means that we take applications on behalf of employers and submit them to the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP). We’re working with a lot of employers and we’ve had just over 200 placements approved across more than 70 employers, including the Whitechapel Gallery, Curtis Brown, Paines Plough and The Young Vic theatre.

My day-to-day role consists of speaking with employers who are interested in applying for a Kickstart role through Creative Access. I also prepare Kickstart applications to be sent to the DWP, and then further down the line I support employers with their Kickstart placements to help make sure that it all goes smoothly, as well as help them liaise with Job Centres. Once employers have informed me about hiring someone, I’ll then register the new starter and get in touch with them about our Kickstart support programme which consists of multiple training sessions at the start, middle and end of their placements.

What’s your favourite thing about your role?

I love it when an employer lets me know that they have found someone for their role. Knowing that this person who has not been in work for a long time now has a role with a really exciting and creative company is so fulfilling. Hopefully, with their Kickstart placement, they’ll be able to find something beyond this too.

Also, because I run the induction programme for the new starters, I get to meet them, and it’s lovely to be able to put a face to the name.

What previous experience do you have?

I am a former Creative Access intern for the London Symphony Orchestra, where I worked in their education team and in-house record label. Since having that opportunity of working for an education team I really wanted to follow that line of work and offer projects to those who may not normally get involved in creative activities.

I then moved to English National Opera and worked in their education team, and after that, I became Learning & Participation Producer at the Philharmonia Orchestra where I looked after projects aimed at schools, universities and music hubs. My previous role to this one at Creative Access was Schools Engagement Manager for the Barbican Centre. It’s always been about connecting people to creative opportunities.

My current role combines my professional experience with my personal experience outside of work, where I’m one of the Directors of a volunteer organisation called Young People in the Arts which is a networking organisation for people taking their first steps into an arts-based career. We run events which allow like-minded people to meet each other and network, as well as panel discussions that are about hot topics in the arts, such as diversity and sustainability.

Can you tell us more about Kickstart and why you’re passionate about it?

So, the pandemic has massively impacted the jobs landscape and I think the Kickstart scheme is a wonderful scheme. It supports people who might not have been able to find a job otherwise and it’s supporting new roles to be created. These jobs wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the scheme. It offers 16–24 year-olds the chance to not be so negatively affected by the pandemic.

I was job searching during the pandemic and I can appreciate just how difficult it is. I can only empathise with those coming out of education and trying to get their foot in the door. I think Kickstart definitely helps and I’m really keen to speak to employers and encourage them to sign up. I think a lot of people don’t realise that this scheme is completely free to employers; they can get someone into their organisation and support them in the world of work.

Finally, and totally unrelated to your job, what’s your favourite animal?

My favourite animals are cats. I love them. I grew up with four lovely Birman cats, they’re long hair pedigree cats. However, since I moved out of my parents, I’ve developed an allergy to cats, so despite them being my favourite animal I’m also very allergic to them, so I can never probably own them myself!

To view our Kickstart opportunities click here.

I (Larah Yearwood) was hired by Creative Access in October 2020 and I have been dealing with Imposter Syndrome throughout my employment. Here, I share my experience and some tips to help others navigate through the same issue.

Imposter Syndrome is something a lot of people struggle with. It is the internal belief that you are not good enough to be where you are. That you do not deserve to be where you are and that maybe, other people will realise you are not as good as you say you are. A completely false belief that for many of us can impact on our work, life, and relationships.

My story
As a young black woman, I already face challenges in my life and career for where I want to go. Mixing Imposter Syndrome in with this makes life a little more complex. While Imposter Syndrome can vary with people, the general idea that you are not worthy of being where you are normally stays the same.

Before starting as the Marketing Assistant for Creative Access I was furloughed and then made redundant from my previous job, which was just devastating.

Anyone who has been made redundant will know the feeling, especially during the incredibly difficult year that 2020 was. I was lucky enough to actually be unemployed for only two weeks before finding work again at Creative Access.

Although I wasn’t aware at the time, it was then – on securing a new role – that my Imposter Syndrome started. 2020 was a rough year for us all and many people lost jobs. I felt that others who were still unemployed had more skills than I did; had worked for longer than I had; were older than me. And yet it was me that bounced back quickest. It didn’t feel right to me. It felt strange. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be hired so quickly. I carried these feelings with me into my job at Creative Access.

The struggle
To be clear, I am fully qualified to do my job. I have a degree in English Literature and a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism, as well as lots of work experience. There isn’t a single reason why I can’t do this job. Yet Imposter Syndrome has held me back from achieving my full potential in this role so far. It stopped me from putting ideas forward that I know could and would work. It stopped me from questioning other suggestions. It also stopped me from recognising my own success and achievements in this role.

Instead, I questioned them. I questioned if my ideas were worth listening to and convinced myself that they weren’t. I questioned if I truly deserved the praise I was getting and if the work I’d produced was worthy of any commendation. Some may say I’m naturally hard on myself (and maybe I am) but every time I was praised, I truly felt like I didn’t deserve it. Instead, the praise and acknowledgments that were meant to boost my confidence ended up shattering it.

The realisation
The self-doubt can be crippling. It wasn’t until I opened up to a colleague about how I was feeling that I was first informed about Imposter Syndrome. I then decided to some research and found that it’s very common. According to a report by Medical News Today, up to 82% of employees are impacted by Imposter Syndrome. 6 in 10 women experience it. Although the figures are eye-opening, I admit I was a little relieved to see that I wasn’t on my own and what I was feeling was recognised.

I then decided to attend a training session that Creative Access ran about Imposter Syndrome. During this session, I was able to pinpoint when it first kicked in and what caused it. It allowed me to connect with others who also have similar experiences and realise once again that I’m not alone.

I know this is a journey and I’m gradually learning to let go of these feelings. My hope is that over time they’ll fade completely.

Top tips for anyone struggling with Imposter Syndrome

• If you feel able to, open up about it; Imposter Syndrome is shockingly common, and people will be more understanding than you think
• The more I read about it, the more I related to it and the more I was able to understand that I wasn’t alone.
• Don’t hide away. I thought hiding it and keeping it to myself was the best thing to do. It isn’t.
• Keep track of your success. Having a record will help you to recognise that your achievements are due to your talent and abilities and not just lucky flukes
• Embrace the praise because you deserve it
• Remember no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes
• Most importantly, remember your worth. We are not superhuman, but we do have the ability to be great at what we do. You deserve to be where you are.

I still have moments where I question myself and the praise I get, but I’m now able to quickly reassure myself that I do deserve the praise. That I do deserve to where I am today and that I am worthy of this job and what I do. I hope that by reading this, you are able to feel worthy too.

“Being a creative has its ups and downs, but, it can be a really exciting career. It allows you to really push, pull, and stretch your imagination as far as it can go.” Rohit’s dream was to work in advertising and with a bit of help from Creative Access, that dream became a reality…

I work in advertising as a ‘creative’.

My mum will tell you I’m a graphic designer.

My dad will tell you I’m not a doctor.

And my friends will tell you I’m the devil and the reason they all have Ad Blocker.

What the hell is a “creative”?

This rather pretentious sounding title is indeed a real career. The creative’s job is to solve the client’s business problems. Whether it’s creating a TV ad to increase sales or a social campaign for brand awareness, they use imaginative thinking to help the client.

Creatives typically come in a team of two; an Art Director and a Copywriter. Art Directors are responsible for the visuals and overall look and feel of a campaign, whereas the Copywriter concentrates on the written elements like writing the scripts, headlines, etc. From brainstorming ideas to working on shoots, Art Directors and Copywriters work insanely close together. We’re almost joined to the hip, like those twins from The Shining except with nose piercings and the occasional face tattoo.

Working at Ogilvy

I work for Ogilvy London as a Junior Copywriter.

It’s not a bad place to call your office. Situated by the River Thames, the view alone is absolutely gorgeous.

I mean, it’s easily better than my current office, working from home in a house share of six tenants and one working toilet.

But make no mistake, the office can be a very dangerous place. Like Ogilvy, most ad agencies are notorious for being dog friendly so make sure you’re ready for any of these fluffy hounds trying to maul you into a 15-minute belly rub.

Here’s a picture of me next to a dangerous beast I’ve managed to overpower with my bulging muscles and fearfully intimidating energy.

How I got into advertising

Ironically advertising is one of the least advertised careers out there, so it was only once I started my psychology degree at university where I finally stumbled upon it. And by that point, I was in so much student debt it made no sense to drop out.

My journey into advertising was long. Instead of spending more money to go to Ad school, I started a well-balanced diet of poorly paid internships and sleeping on as many friends’ floors and sofas as possible, whilst slowly assembling a portfolio. It was a friend who recommended Creative Access to me and Anoushka from the Creative Access team kindly prepared me for some of the internships I was applying for.

I was desperate to become a creative in advertising because, in all honesty, it’s a very fun career where you are literally daydreaming silly or thrilling ideas and thinking of new innovative ways to get people to listen to you. Here’s an example of some work we created for Argos. We made these Spotify ads that targeted what type of music you were listening to, which fortunately won us an award and got us featured in Campaign Magazine.

Diversity in advertising

Advertising is an amazing industry filled with the most talented people you’ll ever meet. However, when it comes to diversity, particularly within creative departments, we’re very much behind. Luckily the industry has recognised this and now there are more schemes trying to open the doors to people from different backgrounds. One of these is ‘The Pipe’ from Ogilvy, which is a brilliant way to fast track your career into the ad industry.

Getting into advertising

Being a creative has its ups and downs, but, it can be a really exciting career. It allows you to really push, pull, and stretch your imagination as far as it can go.

Your qualifications really don’t matter in this job, what matters is your passion to solve problems with innovative thinking. After all, it definitely beats staring at a spreadsheet all day (ew).

You can follow Rohit on Instagram: @rohittharakan.

Diversity and representation in publishing is something that has long been a topic of conversation. More recently, the representation in children’s books has been reflected on in the media. Creative Access caught up with author and founder, Jasmine Richards, who specialises in children’s publishing, to find out what more can be done to address the issue, as well as discussing Jasmine’s own projects…

Q: What is your current role / tell us a little more about Storymix?

I am an author and the founder of STORYMIX, which is a children’s fiction studio that focuses on inclusive representation and fabulous storytelling. We create young fiction series for publishers and work with authors and illustrators from BME backgrounds to create those books. It is one of the key ambitions of STORYMIX that our writers and illustrators will also go on to secure their own publishing deals and thus meaningfully change the makeup of the publishing landscape.

Q:What is a fiction studio, and how did you get into it?

So you might have heard of book packagers – companies that essentially put together books for publishers by pairing up the right talent with the right ideas. This is essentially what STORYMIX does, but I am not a fan of the word packager. It sounds too manufactured to my ear, when a lot of love and care goes into what is actually created. I really like ‘book incubator’ as a phrase. As the founder of Storymix I come up with a commercial and high-concept idea and then find a writer and/or an illustrator to bring the project to life. Packagers do a lot of younger fiction, so in that 5-7 or 7-9 space, but will also do middle grade and YA (Young Adult fiction).

I come from an IP (intellectual property) development background and my formative editorial years were at a packager called Working Partners, who developed Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic. I learned so much about the craft of editing and story structure there. I also worked for OUP Children’s and ran the in-house development team which was called the Creative Kitchen. For me, the packaging seems like an obvious strategy to bringing more and better representation into children’s books.

Q: Tell us your perceptions of the children’s publishing industry when it comes to diversity of representation in the books themselves?

I would love to see a move away from ‘issues’ books. They are important, but they are only one part of the story. Young people from all backgrounds have the right to see themselves in all kinds of stories!

Mystery stories, horror stories, sci-fi stories, and funny stories.

I think children’s publishing needs to feature books that reflect all parts of our society. A diversity of setting and characters are the fuel needed for really engaging storytelling. I’d love to see more stories in translation or really unusual re-imaginings of traditional tales from around the world.

Ultimately, it’s not just about doing the right thing in celebrating all children – it’s about doing the right thing for storytelling, giving readers the richest possible tapestry of characters, experiences, and places. It’s about encouraging curiosity about the world and the people that live in it.

Q: Do you think that is shifting?

I think children’s publishing has shifted in recent years and there’s been some brilliant, inclusive books that aren’t issues-based, but there’s still a long way to go. I want to see more fun, representative children’s stories at the younger age range, so for 5-7 or 7-9-year-olds, as there really seems to be an aching lack of representation there. We need to focus on giving all children the spotlight from the start, so that they can all see themselves and not feel excluded from reading.

Q: What more needs to be done?

Change needs to start with publishing itself – the staff, at all levels, need to be more representative of the society we live in. I hope Storymix might become an incubator of editorial talent from BME backgrounds as well as writers from these backgrounds as the business evolves and grows. I signed the open letter to the industry as part of the Black Writer’s Guild, where we outlined how publishing needs to give all backgrounds and viewpoints a seat at the table. As we’ve seen from the PRH ethnicity pay gap report, staffing within publishing still has a long way to go to be fully equal, but even the existence of an ethnicity pay gap report is a start.

You can view Jasmine’s STORYMIX website here.

You can also follow Jasmine on Twitter: @storymixstudio or @jrichardsauthor

Creative Access got the chance to speak to author Kalynn Bayron about her latest book, Cinderella is Dead – a young adult retelling of Cinderella with a Black, queer protagonist at its heart. We discuss favourite fairytales, representation, and advice for aspiring writers. 

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m Kalynn Bayron, author of Cinderella Is Dead. I live in San Antonio, Texas but I grew up between Anchorage, Alaska and Portland, Oregon. I am a classically trained vocalist. I love musical theatre, horror movies, and, of course, books!

Q: Your passions are broad, from sports to music. What was it that led you to writing?

I think I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller. That’s the common theme that runs through most of the things I’m passionate about. Literature, music, theatre, movies—they’re all mediums for expressing emotions, for telling stories. I knew I wanted to write because I was a reader, first. I read everything I could get my hands on from a pretty early age. And even though I was always reading, I didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me on the page. I started writing for that younger version of myself who wanted to see Black girls in ball gowns, saving the day, and being the heroines of their own stories.

Q: What is Cinderella is Dead about?

Cinderella Is Dead is the story of 16-year-old Sophia Grimmins, a young girl living in the kingdom of Mersailles—it is the place where Cinderella lived and died 200 years before. Cinderella’s story has become the backbone of this society and young women are expected to follow in her footsteps by attending the now mandatory annual ball, where they are chosen by prospective suitors. This kingdom has used Cinderella’s story to manipulate and control the women and girls who reside there. As Sophia is preparing to attend the ball she grapples with how this story doesn’t speak to who she is or what she wants. She’s in love with her best friend, Erin, she doesn’t want to be married, and she watches the people around her fail to help her at every possible opportunity. The ball is a turning point for Sophia. She makes some decisions there that put her on a collision course with Mersaille’s ruler, and in the process she uncovers some earth shattering truths about Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the fairy godmother. It’s a story about raising your voice, about telling the whole truth when it comes to our history, and about telling Black queer girls that they are enough just as they are.

Q: What made you want to tell Sophia’s story?

Cinderella is a pretty popular tale. I wanted to retell a story that was instantly recognizable and deconstruct it in a way that centered the kinds of people who are nowhere to be found in the story itself, mainly Black, queer people. I wrote this story that explores not only how fairy tales have the power to personally affect who we become, but also allows the reader to see this fairytale world through Sophia’s eyes—this young girl who is actively harmed by the societal norms the fairytale itself perpetuates. It’s a continuation of the Cinderella story and a kind of reworking of that already established framework that makes it accessible to people like me, while also being wrapped in this dangerous, magical mystery.

Q: What’s your favourite fairytale?

Probably not something that’s very well known, but there is a story called The Juniper Tree. It’s about a young boy whose mother dies and his new stepmother resents him so much that she kills him and then frames her younger daughter for his murder. Then he comes back as a bird to try and get the towns folk to solve his murder. Very dark, very creepy. But I’m kind of drawn to stories that have elements of horror and fantasy blended together.

Q: What inspired you to give this classic story a dystopian twist?

It was the question of what happened after Cinderella got her happily ever after. You get married and then…what? You’re guaranteed a long happy life? I imagined a world where maybe, Cinderella didn’t have that opportunity and I wanted to know what the people living in the kingdom she ruled over thought of her and her story. It felt like a good entry point into this narrative that is essentially about a fairytale being used as propaganda to manipulate and control the people living in the place where Cinderella lived and died.

Q: You’ve spoken about how important it is for readers to see themselves reflected in your work. What do you think the publishing industry can be doing to champion diverse stories?

There are so many things, but I wish publishing threw as much support behind our stories as they do for stories by and about white/straight/cis people. There is this myth that our stories don’t sell, so we don’t often get as much support. And then guess what? Our titles don’t do well because there wasn’t enough (or any) marketing and publicity. The title tanks and then we’re told, “See. It didn’t sell.” It’s a vicious cycle that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and it actively harms marginalized authors. Our stories are worth championing and our readers are waiting.

Q: What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Don’t wait to be inspired, sit down and write. Be persistent above all else because we all have days when the words don’t flow, the rejections get the better of us, or things just aren’t going to plan. You have to keep going.

Kalynn Bayron’s book Cinderella is Dead is available to order now.

We spoke to Hannah Bond, who works with our friends at Bookouture – a global digital publisher of all kinds of commercial fiction that is part of Hachette UK. She shares with us her top tips for getting into the publishing industry

1. Do your research

If you’re applying for a job at a publishing house, learn as much about them as you possibly can before you write your cover letter. You’ll find plenty on their website, but also look at the Twitter feeds (most people in publishing are on Twitter…) of key people from the organisation to see what books they are excited about and what authors they’ve been signing. You should know all the big hitters for the company you’re applying to work at.

2. Be specific

Armed with all that excellent research, use it in your application and, if you reach the interview stage, in person. After you’ve read as much as you can about the company, explain to them why you want to work for them – whether that’s because you like the kind of books they publish, or think your transferable skills would be a good fit. Don’t just say you’ve always loved books – talk about things that the company has published that you love, and why. Never, ever use the same cover letter for more than one job application: if your cover letters could work for more than one job, you’re not being specific enough when you write them.

3. Be yourself

Lots of the people applying for publishing jobs have the same sorts of skills and experience, so you need to think about what you can use to make your application stand out from the pack. You might be fresh out of college and feel like you don’t have any interesting experience to bring to the table, but even if you haven’t got very far in your career yet, you’ll still have passions and opinions – let those shine through. Think about transferable skills you might have, even if those are from a Saturday job at a supermarket or running a society at university. Highlight the things that are going to make you attractive to this role, rather than focussing on the usual buzzwords like ‘team player’ without evidence.

4. Be passionate – and let it show!

Hopefully, you’re applying for a job in publishing because you’re really keen to work in the industry. Make sure the people assessing your application know that! Don’t be afraid to be excited and enthusiastic: publishing is a fairly informal industry, and it’s definitely appropriate to let your personality shine through. The hiring manager will be looking for someone genuinely keen to work at their company.

5. Be open-minded

There are lots of fascinating areas of publishing and more great jobs available than people realise. Even if, ultimately, you’re sure you want to work in Publicity, for example, don’t let that stop you from considering entry-level roles in, say, Contracts, Sales, or Production. Those areas of the business are less visible, so fewer people know about them and apply for them, but they are excellent ways to get into the publishing industry and will give you lots of transferable skills and knowledge of how the company works that will put you in an advantageous position when that next job comes up. You might even find you love the area you start in and don’t want to leave! In the same vein, even if your goal is to work for a big trade publisher, look at smaller publishers, academic publishers, and agencies when you’re starting out too.

You could also consider working in a different industry and then moving sideways. If you want to work in Marketing, for example, you could always look to get an entry-level marketing role in another industry, then apply for Marketing jobs in publishing when you have more experience.

6. Make the most of every opportunity

People in publishing are, generally, really friendly and happy to answer questions and chat to people who want to get into the industry. If there’s someone you really admire on Twitter, drop them a message and ask if you can email them or have a chat on the phone about their role. If a publishing house is running a talk or an event, go along if you can and talk to the people running it about the place they work. If you manage to get an internship or work experience, talk to everyone around you and soak up as much knowledge as possible.

7. Don’t get disheartened

Getting into publishing can be tough: it’s a competitive industry and it’s not unusual for there to be hundreds of applications for every position. It might take you a while to get that first job, but don’t give up if it’s what you really want to do. If you’re not getting through to interview stage, it’s a sign your cover letters and CV need work. If you’re getting through to interview stage regularly but not getting the job in the end, make sure you ask your interviewers for specific feedback – they will be happy to give it. As you refine your applications, you might get to the stage when you hear that you’re a really strong applicant, but someone else pipped you to the post: that means it’s just a matter of time, and at some point, everything will click and you’ll be the right person for a position.

Here at Creative Access, we had the pleasure of speaking to British feminist queer illustrator Florence Given about her debut book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, as well as her activism and using your platform to incite change.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m 21 years old, I’m a white cis queer woman, I live in London, I’m an artist, author and illustrator and I dedicate my entire life and my work to unpacking societies long-held beliefs, particularly the ones that exist in my own mind about myself, my identity, and what I’ve been taught to believe about others! I want to poke holes in the heteronormative façade that has encouraged women to sacrifice themselves and abandon their desires for validation, particularly validation from men. This particular view on feminism was born from leaving an abusive relationship, one I didn’t recognise as abusive until much later. I aim to encourage women to spot these red flags so they’re able to hopefully avoid these situations before it’s too late and they’re in the fog of emotional manipulation.

Q: People know you for your vibrant illustrations and passionate activism. Did one inspire the other or had you always wanted to be an artist?

I have been making artwork since I was about 14 years old for my art GCSE, where I was creating illustrations and paintings of naked women with wonky tits! Although it wasn’t intentionally political at this time. I think my first ‘catalyst’ for introspection was when I separated from the clique I was in at school. I didn’t like the person I had to become just to ‘keep my place’ in the group and once I was out of it that’s when I started to tap into my own self – through isolation. A lot of realisations were born from making that decision that inform my art today. I stopped viewing women as people to tear down in order to make myself feel better, empathised with their pain, and learned how to navigate their projections to cope with the bullying. I journaled in my diary about my experiences and these uncomfortable truths for years. It wasn’t until I went to art college that I decided to do this with slogans, as I also then learned the terms ‘sexual assault’ and ‘sexual harassment’ and quickly became charged with rage at how normalised this behaviour was, and how I’d experienced it so many times before.

Q: What is Women Don’t Owe You Pretty about?

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is an exploration of interpersonal relationships through a feminist lens, and a book that I hope encourages accountability for our actions and our beliefs, as well as pointing the finger at patriarchy/racism/capitalism. Because those systems exist inside of ourselves, too.

It’s a book full of lessons I learned the hard way through making mistakes, through inflicting my unhealed wounds onto others, or having someone’s unhealed wounds projected and inflicted onto me. I research a lot of psychology articles and listen to podcasts of therapists to better understand my experiences, and the lessons I drew from my experiences are in this book! A lot of the time these wounds we have and take out on others are caused by systems of oppression, and in my case, I inflicted a lot of wounds and insecurities I had about myself from patriarchy onto other women, to make me feel better about myself and my supposed “flaws”. The feedback I’ve had about my book so far is that the chapter on internalised misogyny (“refuse to find comfort in other women’s flaws”) was the hardest and most uncomfortable to read – and I’m so glad. I cringe thinking about the person I used to be, and how still to this day I have intrusive thoughts about women that enter my brain! I talk a lot in my book about how to deal with this and how to cut these thoughts short.

Q: You warn your readers that the book is “full of uncomfortable truths”, were these what led you to writing your book?

Yes. I’m no longer a person who’s afraid to dive deep and face myself, and that’s part of why I’m able to spend so much time alone and as a result, protect my space! Because if I don’t mind being alone, it means I’m less likely to entertain people who seek to use, abuse or mistreat me just because being the comfort of being in a relationship makes me feel validated or ‘loved’. Because I already feel loved by someone – myself. I have spent years surrounding myself with people who weren’t healthy for me or my growth, purely because they helped to distract me from facing and healing my wounds. The thought of doing that and being alone was the most frightening thing on earth! I chased distractions, in order to avoid facing whatever insecurity inside me needed looking after and examining. I learn multiple uncomfortable truths about myself through my relationships with others. I fucking love human beings. I love working together to understand each other better. The people in my life support me and enhance my growth, and part of that involves calling each other in, on behaviours that are harmful.

Q: How important is it for you to use your platform to highlight social issues?

My platform was built on shouting about social issues and my experiences, so for me, it’s the most natural way to use my platform! I think it’s incredibly important that we use whatever voice we have to incite change. Platforms don’t have to be thousands of Instagram followers, it could be your family household. That’s your platform, open their minds!

Q: How politicised do you think art can be and what is your advice for aspiring artists?

Art can be as political as it wants and needs to be. Everything is political. Even shagging is political!
My advice to aspiring artists is to make work that draws from your personal experiences.

Q: How has life in lockdown been treating you?

I’ve been going on lots of bike rides and breaking down some internal confidence barriers I didn’t even know existed as a result of this. I’ve been searching deep into myself, facing all the ‘ugly’, working through old behaviour patterns, and allowing myself to be slow too.

Florence Given’s debut book Women Don’t Owe You Pretty published by Cassell, £12.99 hardback, is available to order now.

Sophia began her career as a Creative Access intern working as a Development Researcher for an independent TV production company in Manchester and is now on the Creative Access Advisory Board.

Over the last five years, Sophia has been developing her portfolio in the factual documentary space and currently works as an Assistant Producer for Nine Lives Media. She recently finished on the BBC series ‘I’ve Been There’ which explores a range of challenges young people are facing; inviting celebrities to talk candidly about their experiences and share coping mechanisms. Her credits include, I’m Coming Out, My Life: Hike to Happiness and Dispatches. Before getting into TV, Sophia largely tailored her undergraduate degree around black identity and post-modernism.

In the post below, she shares insight into navigating unconscious bias in the creative industry as a Mixed-Race woman. Her poem provides a snapshot of her experiences growing up in a predominantly white town and challenges the normalisation surrounding the need to ‘pick a side’ at a time when unity is paramount.

I feel like I’m talking on behalf of many of my mixed-race peers when I say that the question “do you feel more Black or more White?” has been inscribed on our eardrums for as long as we can remember. Oh, that old chestnut! Given that race is a rigid social construct, diminishing blackness and whiteness to interchangeable feelings implies that mixed-race individuals can’t be their whole self without racially classifying and evidencing where and how they feel most ethnically affiliated.

Under Jim Crow in America, the One-Drop rule did not allow for mixed-race children to ponder the prospect of white privilege. Anyone with black ancestry was considered black; meanwhile in the UK mixed-race babies were also deemed subordinate. For years people of colour have been governed by a state of racial hegemony, a system that manufactures a dominant cycle of societal norms and more to the point, systemic racism.

There’s some painful irony in being asked a question that is undoubtedly tied to a premeditated stereotype, as though the person asking the question is so fixed on their vision of how they see you, your answer is frankly invalid – the aim merely to affirm their belief as opposed to engaging with yours. Often many of the people who ask this question are those who say, ‘they see no colour’, colourblindness being yet another form of unconscious oppression in and of itself.

While on the surface the inquisition for you to ‘pick a side’ may not be malicious, for me it’s representative of many deeply rooted messages. Here are a few;

A. Our identity is fluid and we have the physical capacity to change or adapt to the state of becoming more black or white ‘should we decide’. It feeds the notion that each ‘side’ can be turned on and off despite our skin remaining the same.

B. Unbeknown to some, the expectation for us to pick a side, continues to perpetuate a state of self-conflict and a lack of belonging.

Then there’s C. the need for mixed-race people to prove or justify their identity repeatedly throughout their life has become a tool used to help others distinguish what conversations may or may not be socially acceptable around you and in some cases is used as a gauge for how racist they can be in your presence. This is a tool to protect their own fragility.

Daughter to a British-born, Black, Caribbean Mother and White, German-British Father, during my late teens I felt an overwhelming desire to begin studying Black History and Feminism. In doing so, I unlocked a part of me that was earlier denied. My own self-discovery continues to be led by stories and experiences the National Curriculum fails to teach and TV underrepresents:

At a time where education and accountability are vital, I urge creative industries to reframe the discourse they use around race and more specifically the black community. Companies and creatives need to play an active role in tone policing their discussions and reconditioning what is and isn’t acceptable under the guidance of diversity and inclusion experts and black and ethnic minority groups. Fundamentally this process starts with a willingness to review and reform a system that is clearly failing its workforce and its audience. For me, inclusivity is non-negotiable, especially if we want to start seeing BAME creatives in senior leadership positions that have the capacity to contribute towards real structural change.

In an open letter from the We Are Doc Women collective, they highlighted the urgent need for action.

“With 75% of ALL television in the UK being directed by men, and only 2.3% by BAME directors, we are failing our industry and we are failing our audiences who are denied access to a diversity of voices.”

The TV industry still oozes white privilege and has an undeniably disproportionate divide across, race, gender, class, and disability representation. It’s the conversation that goes on behind closed doors that we need to infiltrate, disrupt, and restructure. Starting to address unconscious bias is only the beginning.

‘Mixed Chick’

Black or White

pick a side

one without the other

why must I hide?

If I bled myself of colour

I wouldn’t be alive

I know my blackness is the reason that
I feel this pride.

They called Momma a coconut

mocked for her ‘nappy hair’.

Her father was an angry man…

she left high on lover’s air.

No privilege could protect her

against the cards life dealt

and the world’s given her reasons not to love herself.

Mixed race babies

‘the ultimate sin’

yet they say when two hearts unite as one

both sides can win.

A token in a broken system

advertising change

a child with just enough different

to be unique,

yet the same.

A crown so big

kids discreetly cut chunks out

locks tied to a history

teachers daren’t shout about.

What even are you?

Human, the last time I checked?

When you ask about my roots

say it with your chest.

How can you connect to oppression
when you weren’t present?

When you speak about entitlement
do you count your blessings?

Can this Mixed-Race woman make a few confessions:

I am not exotic because I’m lighter in shade.

The black in me wasn’t enough
excuse for you to question my grades.

My telephone voice isn’t an attempt
to sound white.

Just because I like hip-hop doesn’t mean
I’m down for a fight.

Whether you’re black or brown there’s an expectation
that you owe all your success
to someone with a higher status.

You can’t pet my hair,
my curls don’t want your attention.

If I quote black creatives then they a mention/

I won’t repackage influence
like some new invention.

My twerk skills are average
and so is my singing

When you say the ‘N’ word my ears start ringing.

You can’t slag off all immigrants
but say “I’m okay”
and think your outward discrimination is going to wash with me.

Just because I’m Jamaican
doesn’t mean I’m Anti-Africa.

Shoutout to the Motherland,
my sisters know that I stand with them.

Stop asking me questions about feeling
more Black or more White…

preaching anti-racism while encouraging DIVIDE.

By Sophia Slater.

You can follow Sophia on Twitter at @SophiaSlater_

We caught up with our former intern-turned Economics reporter at The Telegraph, Lizzy Burden, to learn about her journey into newspaper journalism and hear her top tips for getting started in the industry.

Filipina-English by birth, Lizzy has lived all over the world, having worked as a fashion model for eight years before becoming a journalist, including walking the fashion weeks of New York, London, Milan and Paris. She’s now economics reporter at The Telegraph, with a focus on international trade. She covers protectionism in the Covid-19 crisis, developments in the post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ project and trade wars between the world’s biggest economies.

Head to our YouTube channel to listen to Lizzy’s top tips or read them below…

Hello, I’m Lizzy Burden, Economics reporter at The Telegraph. I started my career as a Creative Access intern at The Times, so I wanted to share with you a few things that I’ve learned along the way.

When I did The Times internship on the home and foreign news desks, I had no experience in journalism except on my student paper, so it was during those six weeks that I learned to write a news story. I started off turning copy from wires like Reuters into Times-style stories, and then graduated onto writing my own stories that editors would ask me to write, maybe following up on something another paper had written to find a new angle, or turning a press release into a story. Then I was sent out to cover stories like the Salisbury poisoning and Notting Hill carnival, and finally I started pitching my own news to editors. I loved feeling like I was at the helm of what was happening in the world and being around all the savagely witty characters of the newsroom, and I decided that I didn’t want to leave.

I applied for funding from the journalism diversity fund to complete a fast-track NCTJ which is where I learned short-hand media law and more about writing journalistically. Not spending a whole year on a masters meant I could get back to the newsroom faster, which I found much more beneficial than sitting in a classroom, and during the course I was constantly keeping an eye on the next step. As soon as I finished, I did another two internships at Reuters and Bloomberg, then worked as a producer at the BBC on the daily politics programme, and at the same time I would do night shifts as a reporter with The Times. I was knackered. Then I joined The Times as a grad trainee, where I rotated through the Glasgow office on the Scottish edition of the paper, the business desk and the sub editing team.

I then moved to The Telegraph, where I am an economics reporter specialising in trade, which I love, because my beat sits at the intersection of business, foreign and politics. When I arrived, the biggest issues of the day were Brexit and the US-China trade war, and now I’m covering the biggest economic crisis in centuries, so I really do feel hugely privileged to do what I do.

Applying my experiences to you, here are my six tips on starting your career as a newspaper journalist:

1. Read widely. Even the papers you don’t agree with, even the sections you find boring, and even the news in brief.
2. Be open minded – because you don’t know what could suit you until you try it. I didn’t realise how much I’d love financial journalism at first, but what I discovered at Bloomberg was that I really like how it has a quantifiable impact.
3. Constantly push to level up. If you’re doing work experience, try to turn it into an internship. And if you’re doing an internship, try to turn it into shifts or a grad scheme. Never sit twiddling your thumbs. Come armed with ideas for stories, ask how to improve them if they get rejected, volunteer to help other reporters, ask them where they get stories, look at the news to see if you can follow up on anything. Just always find ways to add value so that you’re remembered. Then at the end, ask what other opportunities are available and ask specifically what you need to do to get onto that next step. Then when you leave, keep in touch.
4. Break news. Getting scoops seems like luck, but you need to make your own luck to be in the right place at the right time for a tip off. For instance, ring a source quoted by a rival paper and go for a coffee. Find out what’s going on with them and check in regularly. You might wonder where to start if you don’t have a beat yet. When I was on the business desk at The Times as part of the grad scheme, I wasn’t assigned a specific patch to cover, so I made myself one. The retail editor had just left, so I targeted retail stories until they found a replacement for her. And when the new retail editor arrived, the market reporter job was empty, so I volunteered to do that. And if all the beats are taken, look at a rival newspaper and pick a beat your paper doesn’t have covered yet. Make yourself indispensable.
5. Breaking news is about being first, which means being organised. For example, make twitter lists and subscribe to other people’s lists so you can keep abreast of the current debates in different areas. Put your calls in early as soon as you set a story, so people have time to get back to you well before your deadline. If you’re waiting to cover a speech, write a template with as much other detail as you can beforehand, and keep a diary. And finally, perhaps the hardest lesson of all…
6. Be okay with conflict. Newsrooms are full of strong characters who will respect you more if you stand up for yourself when you need to. Pick your battles, but never let anyone walk all over you, because people will push you as far as you’ll let them. Work hard, but learn to say no.

You can follow Lizzie on Twitter at @LizzzBurden

Isabella Silvers, Associate Editor at Hearst Magazines UK, and former Creative Access intern, shares her nine tips for being a good ally. In these traumatic times, many non-Black people are asking what can be done to support fight systemic racism so we are grateful to Isabella for sharing her thoughts:

1. Do not share videos of black people dying on social media. Black people know what’s happening and it’s traumatic to see it.
2. Do be vocal when an incident occurs. State loudly and proudly that this behaviour is unacceptable and that Black lives matter.
3. Do use your voice to call out systemic racism and murder whenever you can. Say that you stand with black people and that you do not accept the actions of anyone who shows racism or unconscious bias. Call out this behaviour whenever and wherever you see it (when it is safe to do so); this includes at work, in your friendship group, within your family and more.
4. Do write to your MP and politicians to put pressure on them to see consequences for those who exhibit racist behaviour. Ask them what they’ll be doing and demand justice for the victims of systemic racism.
5. Do challenge those you work with or your employer and ask what they will be doing to be an inclusive company and stand up for Black people.
6. Do Sign petitions from legitimate sources, such as Change.org or Petition.Parliament.co.uk
7. Do donate to legitimate fundraisers, funeral funds, bail funds for protesters and organisations fighting against systemic racism.
8. Do educate yourself. While Black people are grieving, it can be exhausting to be asked to educate non-Black people. There are lots of resources online and on social media on how you can be a better ally.
9. Do seek out perspectives other than your own in film, TV, literature and more. Seek out different stories, biographies and shows.

You can follow Isabella on Twitter and Instagram

We caught up with Mareyah Bhatti, our intern with Forum for the Future, who talked to us all about her food blog Carbon Foodprints and how sustainable cooking has been keeping her sane during lockdown.

Graduating with a Geography degree means I have a well-established passion for the environment, and it’s something I wanted to integrate into my everyday life. My love of cooking and being creative was something I aimed to combine with my knowledge of all things sustainable. So, I created my food blog, Carbon Foodprints. Alongside setting this up, I applied for an assistant role at Forum for the Future through Creative Access. They’re a charity who aim to tackle global challenges such as sourcing sustainable protein. As a Geographer, I really admired their focus on everyday issues and I’ve been able to feed these ideas into my blog.

Forum for the Future’s values include being adaptable, and I think that that’s something that resonates with the current situation. We have been pushed to rethink many aspects of our lives: how we work, how we exercise and even how we eat. Even more importantly, we’ve had to re-imagine how we relax and de-stress. Working from home has its ups and downs and finding a way to disconnect from the outside world is essential to our well-being. I’ve found cooking to be a great outlet to do just that.

Buyer stockpiling has reshaped our grocery habits, and the availability of certain items has sometimes meant that deciding what to cook may be a struggle for some. It’s important to view the current climate with a positive attitude though, and in this case re-imagining the dishes I prepare has motivated me to be flexible and even more creative – and that’s not such a bad thing. We still have the freedom to make whatever we like whether it ends up being tasty or not (no-one has to know…)

Being the founder of the cooking blog, Carbon Foodprints, has meant that I’ve also had to adapt to the recent shopping trends. Recipes I’ve posted during lockdown come with tips to help us all navigate this situation – this includes cooking meals with more dry cupboard ingredients, but also considering how to substitute elements of a meal and still end up with something pretty decent. After all, what’s the point of food if you don’t enjoy it? All this is done with a consideration of the environment in mind, as changing our kitchen habits to be kinder to the planet isn’t as hard as you might be thinking. As you may have guessed from the name of my blog, I cook with a focus on being sustainable and reducing our carbon footprint. This involves being reactive to our surroundings, whether this means only using produce in season or adapting recipes to what we’re able to find in our local supermarket.

My cooking is inspired by my south Asian heritage as I grew up surrounded by traditional dishes using recipes that have been passed down the generations. This includes everything from pakoras to a classic chickpea curry with roti. Each recipe is given a ‘carbon foodprint’ score so you can assess the impact of what you’re choosing to eat and compare which ingredients are better for the environment. Most of my recipes can be changed to be veggie or meaty, and as a result are highly adaptive to suit your needs. This is extremely helpful at the moment if you’re struggling to find all the ingredients you want.

Substituting ingredients isn’t as scary as it sounds, and here a few examples I’ve found to work really well:

• Couscous is a great alternative to rice and roti and can be used as a side dish to the curry dishes I’ve shared
• Plant based mince is high in protein and as easy to cook as beef or lamb, and it has a much lower carbon footprint
• Adding blended cashews to curries adds a depth to the flavour usually given by cream, it’s also a good source of healthy fats

I hope these tips have been helpful, and have shown how relaxing being creative with cooking can be. More ideas can be found on my website and Instagram page, ranging from further tips on how to successfully substitute ingredients to how to grow your own fruit and veg at home. Just a few simple changes can mean your meals are environmentally friendly and just as delicious. Please get in touch by messaging my Instagram page if you have any questions or meal requests!

This post is written by three people with disabilities who work in academic publishing – Simon Holt (Senior Acquisitions Editor, Elsevier) is visually impaired, Katy Alexander (Global Director for Marketing and Communications, Digital Science) has dyslexia, and Becky Degler (Digital Product Manager, Wiley) has chronic migraine.

Diversity is finally at the forefront of the agenda for many creative organisations. This post explores the importance of making the publishing industry accessible to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. In a recent survey by the UK Publishers Association, just 5.4% of respondents indicated that they have a disability, compared with 15% of the global population. We also know that people with disabilities of working age are 30% less likely to have a job than the rest of the population, both in the US and UK. The UN suggests that the picture is similar (or worse) in other parts of the world.

Why is this the case? The answer lies somewhere between culture and awareness:

Simon: There are barriers to entry within the publishing industry that disproportionally affect people with disabilities. For example, as a visually impaired person, I was once asked to do a proofreading test at an interview for a Development Editor job with no proofreading responsibilities (I was told it was needed to demonstrate ‘basic publishing skills’). There are certainly challenges that arise as a result of having a disability, but there are also lots of skills I have gained, too. The thing that I want to make clear is that I haven’t been successful *despite* my disability; I’m successful *because* of my disability, and the adaptability, resourcefulness and efficiency that has given me. These are all things that help me at work.

Becky:  People with disabilities often face double discrimination: there are barriers to gaining and staying within employment, but also to earning potential and career progression. For example, as a person with chronic migraine, I’ve encountered prosaic versions of ‘someone who is frequently sick cannot be as productive as a healthy ‘normal’ employee’; ‘if stress is a migraine trigger, then you’ll never be able to cope with the increased responsibilities’; and ‘if you can’t put in overtime then there’s a limit to your progression.’ Managing stress effectively is what I do to survive. Progressive roles shouldn’t be off-limits because of my disability. In fact, the skills I’ve acquired through it can be differentiators that help me — and the company — thrive.

Katy: From my own experience and what I’ve observed of friends and colleagues with disabilities who have established themselves within the industry, I think there are several key traits that can support success. Skill Number 1) Grit: growing up with dyslexia teaches perseverance; constant effort is required to overcome obstacles or challenges that are part of my everyday life. Skill Number 2) Creativity: being dyslexic means thinking outside the box — we dyslexics just have to. For small and large organisations alike the ability to come at problems from a different perspective can support innovation. Skill Number 3) Relationships and Professional Development: I care very deeply about what motivates the people I work with and how I can help them succeed. In part, I’m sure this is because I didn’t experience this type of support myself.

So how do we change perceptions and grow representation in the industry? Simon, Becky and Katy emphasise that the answer is in changing our attitude and policies. We need to stop focusing on the ‘dis’ in disability and focus more on the ‘ability’. The message is that disability inclusion is about engaging with a sector of society who are currently underrepresented in our workforce, recognising the skills that we can offer– skills that we have because of, not despite, the fact that we have a disability. Most of all, it’s about solving problems together to find creative solutions that benefit everybody – as people with disabilities, that is simply what we do.

Check out the original post on Scholarly Kitchen here.