The next stop on many Creative Access community members’ career journey last week was Coronation Street, as we hosted our creative industries showcase event at ITV Studios in Salford, just above the television set experience! 

We partnered up with ITV Academy to tap into Greater Manchester’s thriving creative community and heard from a panel of professionals living and working in the area spanning TV, marketing, social, creative communications and publishing. The panellists shared insight into their career journeys as well as advice on how to find your own creative industry pathway and move up the career ladder. Luckily for you, we’ve collated some of the highlights here in case you missed out… 

Panellists: 

• Yasmin Hemmings (Chair), Acting Head of Programmes, Creative Access 
• Abdul Tahir, Support engineer, Coronation Street, ITV 
• Malyun Mohamud, Marketing officer, University of Salford (CA alumni) 
• Tierney Witty, Editor, Seven Dials & Trapeze, (CA alumni) 
• Tom Moss, Senior account manager, Citypress 
• Jahmal Williams-Thomas, Reporter & camera operator, ITV News Granada Reports 

The room was full of individuals looking to step into a career in the creative industries, and the appetite for hearing just how these panellists made it happen was high. The team at Creative Access know that the first jump into sectors such as publishing, journalism and TV can be daunting, and creatives based in the North as these are historically London-centric indsutries. But, we know that creative opportunities are opening up around the country and we heard an inspiring range of ways you can make it happen.  

 How our panel got their career breaks 

“I spoke to absolutely everyone…If I walked past someone in the hallway, I asked “What is it you do?”” – Jahmal 

Our publishing representative was editor Tierney, a former Creative Access intern and mentee. Tierney had been training to become a teacher in the pandemic, but his passion was in books. After over 150 job rejection letters,   Tierney came across the CA x Penguin Random House mentoring scheme and was connected with a publishing mentor: “I went from having nothing to having a job in six months.” His mentor helped with applications, networking, and he progressed from intern to editor in just three years.  

Tierney wasn’t the only panellist that had other careers in sight, with Tom, senior account manager in PR, having spent years as a competitive swimmer for Great Britain. Tom, a history and politics graduate at University of Manchester, wanted a career that was rooted in his love of writing, reading and storytelling. After lots of rejections and a job as a bookkeeper, he eventually rose up the PR ranks at Manchester-based Citypress, working on campaigns with Coca-Cola, British Gas and Primark. 

Marketing officer, Malyun, had dreamed of a creative career “for as long as I can remember”, but the dream of journalism quickly unfolded when she didn’t enjoy completing a diploma in the sector.  The skills Malyun acquired studying journalism transferred well into communications. She now loves her career in marketing and comms, which started with a CA internship as marketing trainee.  

Camera operator and reporter, Jahmal, told the audience: “It used to be a totally different landscape to how you get in the industry, it’s much better now with mentoring and other opportunities. I started working when I was 15, in a community group I honed craft in video, then got into the BBC and I spoke to absolutely everyone…If I walked past someone in the hallway, I asked “What is it you do?””  

Coronation Street’s support engineer, Abdul, studied media technology at University of Salford. There were pathways from that course into audio, camera work, directing, and after experiencing a variety of roles in Leeds and within the sports industry, he eventually found a role at ITV. Abdul advised “marketing yourself on LinkedIn – even things you’ve learned that you haven’t necessarily experienced yet. Connect with professionals and send them a message introducing yourself.” 

How to creative opportunities in the North-East 

“This wasn’t the plan, it wasn’t my dream…there aren’t many people from Merseyside that I know in this industry.” – Tierney 

A hot topic of the night were the opportunities, or historically lack of, outside of London. The panellists all have experience in building successful careers in Greater Manchester, and noted that the industry is diversifying, so to pay attention to companies with offices based in the North or which are expanding. The panellists also emphasised how important virtual networking is. For publishing enthusiasts, Tierney said: “Publishing is on Twitter, not LinkedIn. Every publishing house will have a Twitter so follow them and send a message.” 

Attendees were also advised to be pragmatic, and explore the possibility of breaking into an industry through alternative pathways to the most popular, so if you want to become an editor, look at roles in areas of that sector like design, sales or art. Jahmal advised an aspiring director in the audience to look at the many brilliant independent production companies in the North.  

Six brilliant career top tips for creative industry roles 

Straight from the professionals’ mouths: 

“Have your work ready at a moment’s notice, so that if one day you’re in a lift and you hear someone in a say, “I really need more crew on my production” you’ve got a business card, a website, a portfolio, ready and can say “Hi, here’s my information!”” 

“I will respond better to a DM saying ‘Alright mate? How’s it going’ than an email with loads of unnecessary words. You just need to be casual and say ‘Here’s what I do, I would love if you could look’. Be specific about what you’re asking of them and spell names correctly!” 

“Speak up. Ask to get involved in big projects. If you don’t see progression opportunities with your current company, look for one that does.” 

“Experience is the buzz word isn’t it. How can I get experience? Blogging, podcasting, anything that showcases your skillset…If I went to a gig, I’d review it. It shows passion.”  

“Be a sponge. Be ready to do everything and learn something from every person you interact with. You’ll build yourself up made from skills you’ve learnt from a million people around you.” 

“Imposter syndrome doesn’t just happen to people early in their careers, it happens to my colleagues that have been here 20 years. Look back at your career and what you’ve achieved. You’re here for a reason, so back yourself.” 

Finally, ITV Academy’s Sonny Hanley spoke to announce a very exciting ITV cohort of traineeships across Manchester and Leeds, that will be going live on the Creative Access website soon. Make sure you’re signed up with us to be the first to hear about it! 

The evening continued with lots of networking, LinkedIn connects and spring rolls. We want to say thank you so much to our panellists, our host at ITV Salford and everyone in our community that came. Until next time! 

After a summer hiatus, the Creative Access masterclass series came back with a bang this week. We saw new and old members of our community flood to South Kensington’s V&A museum for a night of networking and a private viewing of the V&A’s latest exhibition, Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto, which explores the woman behind the brand and how her radical designs shaped the modern woman’s style. A special highlight included the wonderful introduction we were given by co-curator Connie Karol Burks, who shared what a day in the life of a curator looks like and a behind the scenes look at the journey to launching the exhibition. 

V&A’s Connie Karol Burks on becoming a curator 

Burks’ avenue into museums started with dropping out of her first course at university. Her ‘squiggly career’ demonstrates fierce passion and dedication, a familiar feeling to our room of both aspiring and seasoned pros from the creative industries. Burks realised that she wanted to attend art college, and after a string of internships at small galleries and years in retail, she co-founded a weaving company. With an interest in the history of fabric, she underwent an MA and volunteered at the V&A often. After lots of unsuccessful applications, she said: “They finally took a chance on me with a 6-week placement, and I’ve been here for 7 years.” 

Burks emphasised that her experience in retail and in small galleries helped prepare her for what is such a varied role with lots of different responsibilities. She spends much of her time on objects in the permanent collection in the museum – researching and cataloguing them – as well as administration, “quite a lot of bureaucracy”, and checking for clothing bugs. She added: “I can tell my carpet beetle from my clothes moth”. There’s also a “horrifying amount of excel spreadsheets” and lots of writing text – both for objects and publications.  

Introducing the exhibition  

If you have tickets, enjoy this preface. If you haven’t, we’re sharing our takeaways (and sign up to hear about the next masterclass so you never miss out!). The immersive exhibition is across ten spaces that follow a loose chronology, mapping out the unique elements of Chanel’s vision that still influences how we dress today. We learn so much about the designer who introduced a chic, stripped-back silhouette approach to women’s wear, the V&A team made a conscious decision to catalogue her biography alongside her work – from fashion to beauty. 

Burks told us that her team started with looking at the objects and conducted research trips to Gabrielle’s apartment to get to know the woman behind the designs. Eventually, Burks had immersed herself in Chanel’s world, and the exhibition took around two years’ worth of work ahead of the launch. They have, in part, contextualised Chanel’s work with her upbringing and life experiences, as her work took her from poverty to the life of the elite with aristocratic company. Born in 1883 to an impoverished family, she spent a lot of her childhood in an orphanage after the death of her mother. Her entry into fashion wasn’t until 1909 when she opened her salon in Paris as a hatmaker.  

The emergence of style – Chanel’s template for fashion 

Burks discussed that Chanel’s influences likely stretch as far as fishermen in Dover, when she established a boutique there in 1912. One blouse dates back to 1916 and replicates the style of a fisherman’s pullover, and it’s men’s tailoring that inspires a sequin suit of silk taffeta – unusual for women’s couture at the time. This is the first garment you see in the exhibition, and in everything that follows you see small remnants of two major influences – the time she spent in Britain, and her adaptations of designs traditionally made for men that allow a comfortable life.  

“[Chanel’s] focus on comfort was quite radical for her time” Burks said, and her lifelong ethos was to make clothes for herself, first and foremost. She worked with the best textiles, and her choice of fabrics were so important, only enriched by her connections to British and French manufacturers. Burks delved deeper into Chanel’s achievements, which include the popularisation of the little black dress, the No.5 perfume, and the innovative design of the dress that could be appropriate for all day. 

What story does the exhibition tell? 

“With this show, it was a treat to focus on Gabrielle Chanel, to unpick the myths and the broader explanation of what she was doing. To undo the caricature and fill in the gaps.” Burks said.  

We learnt that Gabrielle Chanel was in some ways, remarkably modern and ahead of her time. She designed open back asymmetric dresses, women’s suits that rejected the padding of traditional tailoring, and her perfume’s minimalist packaging and simple typography still stands today. Chanel’s eveningwear produced in the second half of her career when she was well into her seventies, was still attuned to the fashion world’s barometer whilst staying true to her fashion manifesto. However, she also had an “interesting” life as Burks describes it, which refers to her dark past of antisemitism and ties to a German general during the war. We were told the insertion of the timeline of her life seeks to face this head on, with an acknowledgement of the artist behind the art. Burks emphasised that museums are exactly the right place to have this topical discussion.  

The exhibition certainly gives you a taste of her eccentric character, told creatively through dimensions such as the evening gowns positioned along a mirrored staircase. It’s the staircase that emulates that of her original salon in Paris, that she would sit at the top of to hide and watch the reaction of her guests as they entered (see top image). It was a brilliant opportunity to see the show, which is sold out until May 2024. After networking took place and the crisps had been eaten, the event finished. We eagerly await the next. 

A big special thank you to the V&A, Connie Karol Burks and the Creative Access community. Don’t miss out on the next Creative Access masterclass. Sign up now. 

Last night the Creative Access community got to visit the prestigious BAFTA offices. We were able to get behind the scenes and gain exclusive insights into the inner workings of this renowned entertainment icon including TV, film and gaming.  

The panel discussion featured directors, gaming professionals, programmers, and diversity advocates, and touched on the many issues within the creative industries such as routes in, networking, key skills and, perhaps most importantly, the power of self-belief.  

Chaired by Tim Hunter, executive director of learning and inclusion, the discussion kicked off with our panel sharing how they fell into their roles, or in some cases how their roles found them. Ashley Francis-Roy, director and CA alum, revealed he found a way in through a Creative Access internship with BBC Art and Music. After studying a degree in music, he worked his way up through a number of runner, assistant producer, and director roles. “My degree made me smarter” he says, before touching on the fact that although always knowing he wanted to direct, his degree taught how important it is to be able to “make it happen yourself”. 

Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programmes at BAFTA echoed this when speaking on her own university experience: “You have to engineer what you want”, saying that her course helped her explore her interests, even if they weren’t always directly aligned, by taking lots of film and cinema modules. She then interned at the BFI and has now been at BAFTA for 20 years.   

Our final panel panelist Sara Machado, works in recruitment as senior talent acquisition partner at game developer, Sumo Digital, is no stranger to also making it happen yourself. After studying international defense with the dream of being a spy, Sara moved from Brazil to the UK seven years ago and has been making it happen ever since. “When I got my first job, I started thinking about how I’d get my second” she explained, “there are just so many pathways”, our panel shared a number that you can start trying now. 

“Develop a sense of who you are, what you want and tell people!” Mariayah  

There are often loads of roles in your favorite organizations that you might even not think of. For example, community management, or operations, or legal – it’s helpful to think of these companies like a machine, with many parts that all help it work. With this mindset, it’s easier to see lots of fantastic opportunities where you can learn more about the industry. Mariayah spoke about festivals and open submission roles where you can be paid a day rate to watch films! Tim shared the brilliant free-to-access BAFTA toolkit, which may be more relevant for those who have already made their short film, but still worth taking a look at.  

When asked about networking, the panel had lots of top tips to share and encouraged our audience to put these into practice with the networking session that followed the discussion. Ashley commented that networking “doesn’t always have to pay off next week” but rather should be just about making that connection so that when an opportunity does arise, your name is first in their minds. For those who don’t enjoy the dreaded task of networking, Mariayah says “cut the small talk”, instead begin with what you do know, who you are and what you’re passionate about. However, walking into these rooms can still feel really daunting for some; if that sounds like you Sara speaks on the relevance of building an online community through attending webinars, workshops and even literally creating a map of the influential people you’d like to get in front of and beginning there. After her autism diagnosis in January, Sara makes sure to tell our audiences to “understand your limits”. Networking can sometimes be quite socially exhausting, so it’s important to find a way to make it work for you. 

“It’s so important to be able to talk to lots of different types of people…” Tim  

A lot of our audience wanted to know about skills to succeed in film, gaming and tv industries that you might not expect, and the panel again shared some gems. Ashley told us the power of positive thinking, “you can’t accept defeat” he says, “you need to find a way around it”. Sara and Mariayah agreed, adding critical thinking, diplomacy, time management and a good portfolio –which can sometimes be even more important than a good CV. Sara said it’s good to be someone who naturally enjoys solving problems “there are two types of people” she continues “those who panic when there’s a fire, and those who relish starting from scratch”. Being able to talk about yourself is also a must, Sara uses the formula of qualitative and quantitative statements to show impact. It’s important to remember there may always be obstacles and unexpected events, but being able to bounce back and redirect is a key skill for success. 

“As long as I am adding value, I don’t allow myself to feel bad!” Sara  

We also touched on imposter syndrome and how best to deal with the creeping feeling that you might not be good enough to enjoy what you have achieved. Imposter syndrome casts a shadow of doubt and self-deprecation over the talented individuals who really don’t need to be as hard on themselves as they are. “It’s not a helpful term” Ashley says, “there will always be moments like that in your career, but you have to encourage yourself to take up space”. Ashley makes a point to say he rejects impostor syndrome and Sara agreed. “What’s being good enough? Who decided that?” she asks. Imposter syndrome does nothing but hinder confidence and prevent you from embracing your uniqueness. It is a silent battle that many creatives face, but by recognizing and confronting imposter syndrome head-on, Mariayah says “you can hold onto your story, and hold onto who you are”. 

In the vast landscape of creative industries, finding your tribe is a crucial step towards success and personal growth. These connections will not only inspire and support you but also serve as invaluable resources for collaboration, mentorship, and professional opportunities. The panel spoke about how useful it was to have a champion, or someone who could speak to your experience and passion in rooms you hadn’t been able to reach yet. Ashley’s Creative Access mentor, for example, helped him with placements and job applications. 

“Every time I stepped up in my career, someone’s championed me…those people are so important” Ashley 

Your network becomes a lifeline, providing guidance, feedback, and a sense of belonging in an industry that can often feel overwhelming. Together, you and your network can navigate the creative landscape, celebrating achievements, sharing knowledge, and propelling each other towards greater heights. 

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our panel and BAFTA for hosting our masterclass and to each and every one of you who attended the event.  

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

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

Career lessons learnt 

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

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

Setbacks 

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

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

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

Being a neurodivergent radio producer 

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

One piece of advice for their younger selves 

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

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

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

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

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

Getting into radio – “just do it” 

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

Best and worst days: the radio version 

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

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

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

Listen to the recording:

This week’s masterclass saw our community welcomed into Smarts’ Agency offices in Covent Garden to hear from an expert panel about the various different roles that make up the PR & communications industry. Our community got to put their questions to PR leaders, influencer specialists and marketing professionals and network with said experts and their peers!  

Award-winning PR agency Smarts is shines in traditional PR, as well as modern practices from influencer management to content marketing, helping brands such as Diageo, Zalando and Booking.com to be culturally relevant. Smarts is one of PR Week’s fastest growing agencies and were named PR Week’s One to Watch for 2023.  

Chaired by European CEO, Greg Jones – who has 26 years’ experience in the industry – the panel included Yen Bui, part-time influencer manager at Smarts and part-time freelancer; Vicky Janway, chief client officer at The Gate London (part of Smarts); Nneoma Ulu, a communications director at Smarts with over 12 years’ experience in brand communications; and Rachel Watt, a communications director at Smarts who works exclusively on the Johnnie Walker whisky global account. 

One thing our panel were keen to emphasise was the fast-paced nature of PR, talking of everyday campaign and project multitasking. Vicky said: “The fast-paced nature of it is so energising when you’re in the thick of it. If you enjoy flitting between projects, then this is your industry”. This can be ideal for anyone who has lots of different interests, Nneoma added the main reason she loves working in comms is because “no two days are the same and there’s not many industries where you can be constantly curious, learning and excited about what you do”.  

While the excitement of working in a fast-paced environment and meeting all kinds of people may sell the industry to you, all of our panellists kept coming back to the one core skill: creativity! When explaining why she is so energised by the industry she works in, Vicky said, “When you get a brief from a client to do something, you’re essentially starting with a blank piece of paper, and you get to manifest what that turns into, for example, when it gets put in the news. The product we sell clients is creativity.” While Rachel wanted to let the audience know that “there’s a tendency to worry when you’re starting out that your ideas are silly, but you should expand your ideas as much as possible by looking at industry news and going to exhibitions.” 

Nneoma implored the audience to make the most of their transferable skills – creativity and inspiration being one of them. “Being proactive, being open to experiences, how you view the world: everything is transferable. Probably more than any other industry, people want to know what you’re interested in more than anything.” She reassured the audience that while it’s good to have communication skills – they can also be taught; what’s really important is having a passion and letting it shine through.  

Vicky built on this and advised the Creative Access community that as passion can be an overused word, think about it through the framework of curiosity. “What do you gravitate towards that gives you creative inspiration?”, she continued that it’s important in interviews to frame the word passion with an explanation of what it is about PR and comms that makes you passionate. Ultimately, use your interests and sell them as part of your value. Nneoma added: “If you have a real interest and have done a bit of work experience, or have started a blog, or started your own TikTok channel, all those things show your value!” 

Yen and Rachel both agreed that confidence helps. However, Rachel emphasised that confidence doesn’t mean you “have to be the loudest person in the room” telling the audience that “some of the best people I’ve worked with in PR are the hidden gems”. But one thing our panellists did vouch for was that when working in PR you have to be a ‘doer’. Yen explained: “It might sound obvious but need a good work ethic when you work in influencer marketing, you have to be proactive”.  

Because comms is a fast-paced and deadline-driven industry, our panel emphasised the importance of having open communication with your line managers and teams to ensure you receive the support you need. “You’re ultimately all part of a team”, said Greg. While Nneoma explained that no one you work with wants to see you struggle. “Ask your manager to help you with your to do list, ask them to help you to prioritise and what can be pushed back. Be open and solutions-focused,” she told the audience. All of our panellists explained that as an industry, PR and communications is full of supportive and enthusiastic people who want to see you thrive and develop.  

Yen reminded the audience to set boundaries and when you are feeling stressed, and that you have to remember, “this is just your job”. She explained her unique position as a freelancer allows her the privilege to turn down projects that she doesn’t stand behind. However, speaking from a permanent employee’s point of view, Greg stated that in 26 years he’s never worked on a project which was completely at odds with his morals – because he has always worked at agencies which share his values. He advised anyone searching for a comms role to do online research and drill in to questions about how the business selects which clients it works with in interviews.  

Finally, Rachel left the audience with some parting advice for what she’d tell her younger self: “develop your skills in the workplace, you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do when you’re first starting out”. She explained: “I now have more to bring to the table than I did when I first started out, so if I wanted to go into a different space or a career, I have more to offer. Get your foot in the door, start out where you can, and later down the line you’ll work out what you’re good at.” 

This masterclass was extra special as we also announced two brand new internships with Smarts! Check them out here and don’t miss the chance to join one of the most exciting agencies in London.  

There was a huge turnout from the Creative Access community last night who ventured through the hard rain to Shoreditch’s Oliver’s Yard to hear their questions answered by a panel of publishing industry professionals. And who better to shed light on the sector for our budding individuals than a panel of experts from across Sage Publications in part made up of Creative Access alumni? As an independent academic publisher that Creative Access has worked with to widen diversity for many years, their mission to ‘build bridges to knowledge’ is an inspiring one.  

The panellists held a variety of roles; CA alumni Machoechoe Oteng – associate editor (journals editorial), Sehar Nizami – marketing communications manager, David Lin – associate product manager, and the chair of the evening, Kiren Shoman – senior vice president. The audience deserve a nod too, for having brought with them questions that covered decolonisation, career daydreaming and the rise of de-emphasising academia. Read on for the evening’s highlights and wisdom… 

Why publishing? 

Around 29,000 people are currently employed in publishing and 70,000 people within the (growing) sector. Research shows that TV and films that have been adapted from books are significantly more successful and popular than original screenplays. When senior vice president Kiren Shoman reads out these statistics, it reinforces that publishing in all its forms is important! 

The humble beginning of Sage is worth a read and explains its specific commitment to social science research. ‘Most people see trade publishing as the sexy place to go to, we want to change your mind about that!’ said Shoman who detailed the specifics of what academic publishing covers: books, journals, and library resources. She also emphasised the different jobs in publishing that one can have at Sage; agenting, audio, digital development, marketing, sales, the list goes on. Panellist and associate product manager, David Lin, proved to be great insight into the modern roles within publishing as he discussed his work in developing the vision of the company, product strategy and how they’re using augmented reality -in-training.  

The major takeaway? Set your sights wide in the sector and keep an eye out for a number of (TBA) internships launching at Sage via Creative Access in various departments this summer. Sign up to our opportunities board if you haven’t already! 

Breaking barriers and big breaks 

‘I broke the door down’ said marketing communications manager Sehar Nizami, referencing her fierce determination to get into publishing – which is sometimes thought to be a competitive and exclusive club. Conversation surrounding access dominated a big portion of the evening and the panellists had great insight. Nizami prefaced her story with ‘please don’t do this’ but told the audience she had called every publishing house and pleaded for any kind of experience, until eventually ‘someone got so tired of my voice they put me through to HR’. She graciously said how thankful she was to CA for the internship that followed later in her career, as was fellow alumni Machoechoe Oteng, associate editor at Sage. For Oteng, her career journey ‘was not a narrow path’ and as a history and philosophy graduate, she had no background in publishing, but applied for a role in the production technology development straight out of university and via a CA internship has worked her way to associate editor.  

How to sell your experience 

How can I fit half a lifetime of work onto a one-page CV? How can I show that raising children is invaluable experience? Is my role as a bookseller for a large retailer enough for an entry-level role? Do I have to be ‘young’ to be an intern?  

These were all excellent questions from the audience and we learnt that according to Shoman and those at Sage: ‘it’s what you can be, not what you’ve proven to be’, so you don’t need all the experience when applying, instead focus on your potential. A lot of publishers don’t require a degree for an entry-level role, they want your appetite and passion. In response to the question of retail experience in bookselling, Shoman advised highlighting the transferrable skills that a role gives an individual and how it would translate to a sales position at a publisher, ‘there’s no reason you shouldn’t apply if you can demonstrate an interest and how that interest translates to skills.’ 

In response to the question of raising children, the answer was helpful for everyone in the room. Shoman answered that when you have a variety of professional experiences, which includes raising children, you don’t want to list them all on a CV. You’ve lost your reader if your CV is four pages long. You need to tailor it for the role you’re applying for, so pick specific experiences that demonstrate that the relevant value and skills you bring. Nizami suggested keeping it brief with bullet points and bringing in the ‘human’ element to your application in the cover letter i.e. ‘I would also bring being a parent into this role in X ways’. 

As for being a certain age and applying for internships, Shoman said that if you’re comfortable applying for an entry-level role then do so, and fight back ageism wherever you see it. 

Top tips 

Hot off a promotion, Lin was passionate about the ‘growth mindset’ and how a student-like curiosity and pursuit of continual growth can project your career further and help avoid staying stagnant. He suggested weekly meetings with your manager to discuss your strengths and areas for development. Nizami echoed this with the advice to get involved in as many activities and projects as possible: ‘Be empowered to submit your interests and if something isn’t already set up, set it up yourself’. Oteng advised shadowing people in other departments and emphasising your passion. She herself didn’t meet all the requirements for her role but she showed her passion and why they needed her. Shoman stressed the importance of researching the company you’ve applied to and that in your cover letter it will matter if you’ve clearly spent time getting to know them.  

There were many more questions and interesting discussions, which you can catch up on by watching the footage of the evening which we’ll release soon! 

A big thank you to our panellists, our community and to Sage Publications for opening up your offices, wisdom and SMEG fridge of drinks and snacks to us all. See you at the next one! 

Watch the masterclass here:

What are creative organisations doing to respond to the climate crisis and what jobs exist in this sector? Our latest masterclass focused not only on the roles available in this growing space, but our panellists also advised what our audience can do in their own workplaces, communities and careers to push forward climate solutions.  

Our panellists occupied very different roles across the sustainability space. Zoe Constantinou feeds into a more corporate environment as a sustainability manager at ITV in its social purpose team, whilst Creative Access alumni Anthony Shehan Lewis works as a digital campaigner at established campaigning organisation Greenpeace. Destiny Boka Batesa is the co-founder of Choked Up – a grassroots campaign founded by herself and two friends at the age of 16, focusing on the disproportionate impact of air pollution on marginalised communities. Our chair for the evening, former Creative Access intern, Sunita Ramani is a climate justice campaigner and account manager at Greenhouse Communications, a PR and digital communications agency specialising in driving positive environmental change.  

“We’re all fighting for the same cause but we’re speaking different languages” – Destiny 

Our panellists told us that while they’re all fighting the same battle, they sometimes have to speak different professional languages within each space they work in. Zoe ensures that ITV plans and organises strategies which make the business and its productions more sustainable. She explained that a huge part of her job is people management and says this is a skill you’ll need in any social purpose career: “You’ve got to translate your purpose into business and finance terms”. Continuing, Zoe says she recommends putting a positive spin such as explaining how caring about the planet will help the business model: “The business doesn’t know how to respond, so we are the translator saying this is what you need to do.”    

Shifting dialogue depending on who’s listening is something Destiny can relate to. Choked Up’s overall goal is for the UK to create an up-to-date version of the Clean Air Act (which was last updated in the 1990s). The campaign aims to tackle disempowerment around climate justice in Black, Brown and working-class communities. Whilst “it’s been really great to speak up for our peers and our families”, Destiny says that she often has to code-switch in political spheres explaining, “we have to find some sort of rhetoric to resonate with an audience who might not ordinarily listen to us”. Despite dealing with imposter syndrome, Destiny says it’s imperative to empathise and use that empathy to make people listen. 

Meanwhile, Anthony says he’s privileged because at Greenpeace he gets to make “outrageous memes” about the climate crisis to engage the public through digital campaigns. He says that online engagement is a vital part of his role – alongside everything from encouraging people to write letters to their MP to making TikToks – it’s all about galvanising people to take action. This is ultimately what wins campaigns and ties into Greenpeace’s mantra of ‘people power’. Anthony stated that Destiny and Choked Up are a great example of this. However, he also added, the movement needs people like Zoe in businesses to lobby the people above them.  

“One thing everyone I’ve met in the sustainability space has in common is the thirst for knowledge” – Zoe 

All our panellists stated that they had no idea that jobs in this sector even existed when they first entered the world of work. Both Anthony and Sunita were involved in climate action before finding their internships at Greenpeace and Greenhouse Communications via Creative Access respectively. Anthony worked as a street fundraiser for Greenpeace in Brighton after graduating without having much interest in politics or climate justice. However, despite not being the best street fundraiser – “I think I lasted about two months” – the experience inspired him to get involved with local grassroots activism back in London. He applied for an internship at Greenpeace, and has stayed for 6 years, working on campaigns ranging from plastic to palm oil and ocean protection, with a new campaign on deep-sea mining dropping next week (keep your eyes peeled!). 

Meanwhile, Sunita was involved in activism at university and knew she wanted to do something creative that also helped to tackle the climate crisis, but just didn’t know what was out there. Sunita found the internship at Greenhouse via Creative Access and, like Anthony, has stayed and progressed there since. Sunita works with businesses, NGOs and activists to get the message out there, and her role sometimes requires lobbying the government or businesses. Last year, she was even able to attend COP27 in Egypt to support a coalition of organisations in food and agriculture. 

Zoe has worked in sustainability for a couple of years but admitted she had a bit of an ‘odd journey’ into the sector. After graduating into the pandemic, she worked for a TV catering company and realised that she loved the TV industry. However, through this role she realised how much food waste there was in the TV and film industry and decided to address it in her career. She pitched to a company on reducing their food waste to improve their image, made contacts in the industry and became the first food waste professional in TV and film. Zoe recommended that the audience learn as much as they can about their niche or passion within the sustainability space to propel their career forward in the ever-changing landscape. She spent her evenings attending free courses to upgrade her knowledge and recommends CPD as a great source! 

“You have strength in numbers, which is the people power element of campaigning” – Anthony 

One thing that really came through in last night’s masterclass was that no one can fight climate change on their own, with each panellist reflecting on how each of the other speakers’ roles contribute to saving the planet. They talked so inspiringly about drawing on your communities, be that in your local area or your colleagues, to find ways of addressing the issues affecting you.  

Our panel ended the session with their recommendations to anyone looking to change things in their day-to-day lives. Destiny – who had been mentored by The Advocacy Academy who helped Choked Up develop their road sign campaign – emphasised the need to draw on your networks when implementing campaigns and ideas. She stated, “Start that conversation. There will always be something you share in common with someone that you can work on.” Zoe echoed this and said, “you have no idea what influence you have on the people around you”, with Anthony adding that “you have strength in numbers, which is the people power element in campaigning”. Sunita left us with a final piece of advice for anyone looking to make a career out of their passion: 

“Find what you’re passionate about in this space and what speaks to you. Whether that’s social media, art, or TV. There’s no one climate career, there’s no one way to be in this space. Use your passion as the guiding light.” 

Huge thanks to our panellists for an inspiring evening and sharing their journeys with us and of course thank you to our audience for attending and asking great questions. Watch the session in full here!  

Want to learn more about the roles available in the sustainability space that you never knew existed? Read our blog with Creative Access intern Salomé Revault d’Allonnes who is an activist engagement intern at Greenpeace!  

Much like the industry of politics itself, the House of Commons is hard to gain entrance to. The airport-like security is intimidating, you need a friend on the inside and you’re a little nervous that you might not fit in. But, fittingly for Creative Access, breaking those barriers and taking over committee room nine last night in the heart of Westminster is exactly what we did. Joined by a mixture of undergrads, interns, alumni and curious individuals from our community, we gained exclusive access to a panel of cross-party MPs, a member of the House of Lords, a political correspondent, and a mayoral advisor to hear how they built their careers and challenges they have overcome to get here.  

‘This is your parliament.’ 

It was a strong opening statement from 2022’s MP of the Year and the panel’s chair, Catherine West MP. Previously a social worker in Australia, she went on to work for David Lammy MP and became leader of Islington Council, yet it was only on her third attempt to gain selection as Labour MP for Hornsey & Wood Green that she was successful. This was the start of a theme of the evening; perfect the skill of picking yourself up and trying again after rejection, and you’re likely to succeed. 

Her main tip for succeeding in politics? ‘Don’t think that anyone is better than you, because they’re not.’ 

This was echoed by Ugandan-born, Cambridge graduate and House of Lords member, Lord Verjee’s inspiring take that young people are a force for politics and deserve to be here. Being told that this is ‘the most incredible time to be young…you have so much power’ by the founder of Domino’s pizza in the UK was just one of those experiences that we didn’t realise we needed – but we did! He shared some more serious advice for young people interested in politics: ‘In British culture, we put ourselves down, so make sure you work on your self-esteem and your mental health.’ 

His biggest tip for succeeding in your career? ‘Dare, care and share’. Dare to be innovative and think big, care about what you do and let that passion drive you forward, and share with those around you, because there are benefits of generosity and it’s also an important part of being human.  

What we have in common 

Alan Mak, Conservative MP for Havant, was quick to get the awkward bit out of the way: ‘We may not agree on everything’. And he was right, but seeing this cross-party collective on the panel was inspiring, and allowed space to discuss what they had in common: adversity and overcoming it to get into this difficult industry. Mak’s parents moved to the UK from China before he was born, and he grew up in York. He chose not to continue running the family business and became the first person in his family to go to university, where he pursued a law career. It felt particularly exciting for us to hear this story, as his is an inspiring one to all those who seek more representation in this industry. Mak was the first-ever MP from any political party with British-Chinese heritage and the first ever MP of British-Chinese heritage to be appointed as a government minister.  

His top tip was that if you’re an aspiring politician, making sure you do some living first. He said his experience in different industries makes him the MP he is today.  

There was an intimate moment when Rajdeep Sandhu, Political Correspondent at BBC Scotland, spoke about the imposter syndrome she’s faced because of the lack of representation in the industry: ‘I’m often the only brown person in the room…but I remind myself that this is my job and I’m here as a journalist. I’m here to seek out the story’. Sandhu shared insight into her world as a journalist in Westminster and gained the admiration of the room with her story of the non-linear journey she took to get to Westminster.  

Sandhu’s top tip: ideas are your currency so make sure to make suggestions and share ideas in meetings.  

Nothing is linear – stories from CA alumni 

Sandhu spent years in different jobs before she landed her role at BBC Scotland age 25, including a year as a publishing intern through Creative Access. In a moment of admittance, she said a friend had encouraged her to apply for the role even though she ‘knew nothing about Scottish politics’ and spent ‘three weeks with basically no life’ while she prepared for the interview. Like the end of a great film, this hero got the part and she’s been a fixture around Westminster in the evenings interviewing politicians ever since.  

In response to a question from a Creative Access intern currently placed at a TV news programme, Sandhu also said that having a journalism degree is not essential for this career. You can learn the skills on the job and having a beat or specialist knowledge in another subject such as history or politics can help advance your reporting.  

Inspiring fellow panellist Njoki Mahiaini, advisor to the London mayor and another proud Creative Access alumna. Born to a Kenyan family in Harrow, she was extremely passionate about politics from an early age and aspired to be an MP – she emphasises that this is not the case anymore! A rejection from Cambridge university led her to Scotland, which opened the doors to Brussels, then NATO, then a thinktank and now the press office of the London mayor. It felt like a special, full circle moment when she spoke about how attending a Creative Access masterclass in parliament years ago led her to where she is in her career now.  

Her top tip? Don’t over-promise. Meet the responsibility of your role and just do it very well.  

Bells and networking  

Alas, the bells rang, and the MPs had to leave for a three-party whip vote, and after more questions and a lot of networking, the night ended. We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone that joined us and to our wonderful panel.  

See you at the next one! 

On Tuesday evening, the Creative Access community was given exclusive, out of hours access to the Africa Fashion exhibit. Not only this, but the curator, Christine Checinska, held an honest, thoughtful talk on the how she successfully navigates being a creative of colour and the responsibility she undertook to tell the story of a continent.

Christine, who not only curates, but is an artist, designs and writes, spoke briefly on her three-decade background within the arts industry, which began with a 6-month internship at the Institute of International Visual Arts. The exhibition is a true testament to her and her team’s ability to invite gallery goers through a journey of all 54 countries in Africa; each medium, be it garment, photography or film, writing Africa back into history as being a pioneer at the forefront of techniques such as print, tailoring and pattern.

The exhibit is carefully crafted, beginning with a striking hot-pink two piece, working to “trouble expectations” and “shake stereotypes” of what we believe African fashion should be. As you walk through, you’re met with kente cloth, and fabrics which, with political figures printed on, which allowed individuals to literally wear their stances on their sleeve. The whole display, which covers two floors, is cyclical in structure, a nod to the unifying nature of fashion in Africa, and its constant resurgence in pop culture. Even the mannequins – the design headed by Rachael Lee, senior conservator – were specially made and took two years. They were based on model Adhel Bol, and made into several skin tones and hairstyles adding something unique to each look, representing the beauty and diversity of African people.

This V&A exhibition is surprisingly also the first of its kind, as no other exhibit has retraced African fashion, and endeavoured to tell the story from the perspective of not only designers, but the ordinary people, unaware that their fashion choices would be documented this way. A large bulk of the pieces are donated from people’s wardrobes, and Christine comments on the collectiveness this creates: “a coming together of difference” that makes up a conscious celebration of the scene. There is even one piece included by an unknown designer, a choice that honours the individuals lost to time, but still able to leave their mark.

When asked about making her own mark, and the pressure that comes with representing a mass as a curator in an industry that isn’t very diverse, Christine said “there are more curators of colour than you’d expect, they’re hidden in plain sight”.  She continued by saying she doesn’t think of herself as being part of the “decolonization camp” but rather works to discover what happens in between, understanding the importance of things such as creolisation and unity despite difference. Her nature is one of maturity, and willingness to “pass the mic to others”, understanding that your weaknesses are not always bad, but can often be complimented by others’ strengths to facilitate beautiful examples of creativity.

If you can, we’d really recommend you see the exhibit before it’s closing in April. Following this, it will tour the world until 2026 with opportunities for pop-up shows with local curators. Please do look at the V&A website also, as they offer amazing sessions for young people, as well as many other interesting exhibits to go and see. A huge thank you to Christine, Rachael and the V&A team for hosting our first masterclass of the year!

See you soon!

The global title read by presidents and entrepreneurs, the Financial Times hosted the last Creative Access masterclass of the year at its London offices yesterday. Likeminded individuals, hungry to learn about the world of journalism, gathered to hear from our esteemed panel spanning editorial, diversity and inclusion, photography, and technology.  

John Kundert, chief product and technology officer, welcomed our audience, speaking of the Financial Times’ mission to “hold power to account” and his appreciation of working for a company where he can bring his real, authentic self to work every day. This was a theme that reoccurred many times during our masterclass, leaving us with the takeaway that our unique experiences can often be the key to being noticed.  

When asked for their top tips on making the often-difficult step into journalism, our panel had lots to share. Nikou Asgari, who joined the Financial Times as an intern in 2018 via Creative Access after studying economics, advised getting as much experience as possible for portfolios. This might involve volunteering for smaller local newspapers or joining your university club but “if you want to be a journalist, do the journalism”.  

Murad Ahmed, technology news editor, spoke of post-graduate degrees and training, especially legal training, as saying the wrong thing can land you in hot water in journalism. He added that these qualifications often add a degree of seriousness, rather than writing just being an interest. If this isn’t feasible, smaller, more accessible steps might be taking a closer look at your Linkedin and making improvements there. Yasir Mirza, head of diversity and inclusion at the FT, said “connect with those in places you’d like to be in”. If you’re not sure where to begin with making your LinkedIn profile stand out, we’ve written a blog post on the best way to get ahead. 

And what if you have experience, as well as a strong LinkedIn profile, but you’re still dealing with lots of rejections? Our panel sympathised. Esan Swan, Creative Access alum and now picture editor at the FT, admitted to taking a hiatus from applications, before returning with a clearer head and renewed energy. “Sometimes you need a break” he said. It can be gruelling to hear no’s, but it’s part of the process, and it’s important to make sure you don’t take it personally. Abbie Scott, our chair and deputy managing editor at FT, revealed that after being involved in Nikou’s interview process, she was one of 1400 applicants for the role. Competition is tough – but if you are often not getting to the interview stage, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances.  

Murad and Abbie spoke of countless times where candidates had clearly not done their research on the newspaper, or even worse – mistakenly referred competitor newspapers in applications instead. Vital advice would be to triple check your cover letter and CV, as well as making sure each one is personalised to the role you are applying for, as sometimes it can be obvious when someone has used one for several roles. The message here is that although rejection is difficult, it’s important to recognise that with each no, you’re closer to cracking the formula.  

Part of that formula, is the word that many fear and even one that CEOs often admit they don’t enjoy… Networking. As someone who utilised going for a coffee with experienced peers and reaching out to those he admired on LinkedIn, Murad believes in the significance in paying it forward. “Use the people who believe in you”, Abbie continued. Think not just about connecting with those above you, but with your peers, who might also be struggling with networking.  

For those who find it particularly difficult, Yasir shared his personal experience. As an introvert, he found himself dreading having to go to events and introduce himself. “Go with a specific ask” he advised our audience, “have 1-2 people you need to speak to, and once you’ve done that, feel free to get out!”. Esan added that it doesn’t always have to be a serious big thing; it can be as simple as asking someone for a quick coffee, or a virtual call. Creating these simple targets for yourself can make a nerve-wracking task a lot easier to get through, and can also give you a sense of achievement for completing them. With practise, networking does get easier. 

Our audience was eager to know about any mistakes our panel made, and how they learnt from them, and this question provoked lots of interesting responses. Esan warned us to make sure we do our research, brush up on your knowledge of the details used by a newspaper, how they edit, and “take risks, do things you’re not always sure about”. The panel all agreed on the benefit of proactivity. You are the best person to prioritise your career, and you must be striving to know more, on a journey to satisfy a curious mind, Yasir added.  

Murad told us not to “tell yourself you’re lucky to be anywhere” tell yourself, “I got here on merit and worked hard”. Often, coming from an underrepresented background can provoke feelings of imposter syndrome, and a lack of confidence in your abilities, but Murad is a testament to the power we hold when we simply believe in ourselves.    

You are in charge of your career. To make your first steps, think about not only what you want, but how you want to get there, and who can help. Being your authentic self is just one component of this formula, but after last night, we’ve learnt that it’s in fact, the most important one.  

We’d like to extend a special thanks to the team at the Financial Times, and our varied and experienced panel for their time. Please keep an eye out for our next masterclass in January 2023, and if you missed this one, the recordings are available to watch here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Marketing – pitching for billboards and campaigns  

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

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

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

What challenges have you faced in your career? 

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

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

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

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

On Thursday 30th September, we were joined at MullenLowe’s offices by four brilliant Creative Access alumni who are storytellers across publishing, TV and film, content strategy, and news reportage.

To quickly introduce the panel: our chair, Raveena Ghattaura, is an experienced broadcast journalist currently working as a reporter and presenter at ITV News Anglia. She is highly skilled in covering breaking news stories, self-shooting/editing and creating news content for online platforms.

Esther Akinola is an enthusiastic advocate for diversity in influencer marketing, storytelling and creative marketing. She’s worked with Twitter, Facebook, PMI and Netflix. Esther completed her Creative Access internship as a multimedia journalist at The Sun Newspaper in 2016.

Serena Arthur is fiction editor at Trapeze Books, Orion (a division of Hachette UK), where she is editing and publishing books. She joined Orion in June 2022 after just under three years at another Hachette division – Headline – where she started as an editorial intern through Creative Access.

Callum Akass joined House Productions as Development Executive in March 2021 to work across their TV and film slates. He was a Creative Access trainee in 2016 at Blacklisted Films and Leopard Pictures (Argonon group) and gained his first TV credit as script editor on Mackenzie Crook’s Worzel Gummidge for Leopard, before joining Urban Myth Films to script edit the 8-part series The Lazarus Project for Sky.

How does storytelling come into your job?

An editor at Hachette, Serena makes a clear distinction between enabling storytelling and being a direct creator or writer. The former is what she does as an editor; she shapes stories and the way that they enter the world in those final steps before they’re in the hands of readers. On the other end of the creative spectrum, she writes her own poetry, and has found that the two things have a symbiotic relationship when it comes to her understanding of stories and the relationships she has formed with writers through publishing. It’s a huge bonus to approach stories from these two different directions.

Adding to this idea of being an ‘enabler’ for stories, Callum thinks that as someone who develops scripts he thrives on working in the shadows rather than the limelight, and explains how cathartic and satisfying it can be to bring about the final state of something like series Sherwood (BBC) or Lazarus Project (Sky) from that more supportive role.

Raveena has a very direct relationship with storytelling as a news reporter, as it’s her job to pull the concise narrative from events and present this to a wide audience. The approach needs to be accessible and easy to grasp because she wants people of all demographics to be able to connect and take something meaningful from the story in question.

How did you reach where you are today?

Esther says: I don’t know where my degree is. The biggest lesson she has learned as she progresses in her career is to successfully pitch herself to interviewers and prospective clients, something that’s critical as a self-employed content strategist.

She describes how important it is to stand out from your contemporaries, especially in an area like branded social media where people are often talking about very similar things, and to present your ideas through something like a pitch deck. Even if interviewers aren’t explicitly asking for a portfolio – bring something along! The insight that this gives people shouldn’t be underestimated.

Callum, on the other hand, focuses on how important it has been for him to build relationships with those in the industry. This doesn’t need to mean talking to people with decades of experience. At the beginning, Callum says he participated in a monthly writing group with peers that was helpful when it came to comparing experiences and understanding what other people were up to. In this way they began to form a collective knowledge and wider perspective on how the industry operates that you might not have by yourself. In his words, ‘not much writing got done.’ It’s always worth reaching out to people for a tea or coffee with this in mind.

But… what’s the job really like?

Serena talks about her transition from editorial assistant to editor and what these two roles entailed. Being an editorial assistant can often feel like being a project manager, and is heavy on administration and maintaining crystal clear internal communications between teams so that projects progress as they should – all while learning the publishing process from the work happening around you. Now an editor, she says that anyone expecting to hide behind a pile of manuscripts might be disappointed. The role is highly social! This includes being in close contact with agents, authors, and other departments.

For Esther, this one is difficult to answer because her role title has been something different at each stage of her career. She thrives on this because it means constantly challenging herself and developing more knowledge through this. Esther adds that you can be excited by the chance to grow the skills you already acquired aren’t currently being used, rather than feeling frustrated.

Working in TV and film, Callum that sometimes having early starts and longer hours means that he tries to follow advice from his old boss – make the most of the quiet moments. Find time to switch off from your area of expertise completely, even if you’re itching to catch up with the latest drama or comedy film.

A huge thanks to Raveena, Callum, Esther, and Serena for their thoughts and sage words!