The social enterprise Creative Access has welcomed three new non-executive directors. Joining the board are CEO of Fabric Social, Laura Tannenbaum, managing director at DK, Penguin Random House, Mark Searle and ITV’s DEI and Talent Lead, Nahrein Kemp, Arts Professional reports here.

Creative Access, a social enterprise that facilitates access to the creative industries for those from under-represented communities, has today announced the appointment of three new Non-Executive Directors to its Board of Directors. These are: 

• Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of leading social creative agency, Fabric Social  

• Mark Searle, Managing Director at DK, Penguin Random House 

• Nahrein Kemp, DEI and Talent Lead, ITV  

In addition, Anamik Saha, Professor of Race and Media at the University of Leeds will be joining the Creative Access Advisory Board; and Stephanie Hall, will be joining the team as Director of Talent and Outreach. Stephanie brings a wealth of inclusive recruitment experience from companies including leading PR firm, Ketchum, publisher HarperCollins and in the charity sector at Save the Children UK. 

Josie Dobrin, Executive Chair, Creative Access said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our three new non-executive directors to the Board of Creative Access. Between them, they bring us an invaluable combination of insight, passion and experience, which will be crucial to Creative Access as we grow. Along with our existing trustees, their perspectives will challenge and inspire us, helping ensure our work remains bold, relevant, and rooted in the communities we serve.”  

Speaking of her involvement, Laura Tannenbaum, CEO of Fabric Social, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Creative Access as a Non-Executive Director. Their mission to create a more equitable and representative creative industry couldn’t be more urgent, or more aligned with my own values. I’ve long admired their work in opening doors for talent that’s too often overlooked, and I’m excited to support the team as they continue to drive meaningful, systemic change across the industry.” 

Commenting on his appointment to the Board, Mark Searle, Managing Director of DK, said: “I’m delighted to be joining the board at Creative Access. It is an inspiring organisation that has already helped so many people here at DK, at many other publishers as well as across all the creative industries to progress their careers. I’m thrilled to be joining the team at this exciting stage of their development.” 

Nahrein Kemp, DEI and Talent Lead at ITV said: ” Creative Access has an impressive history of shifting the dial on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and continues to create real impact on the UK’s creative and cultural sectors. As someone who is passionate about talent thriving and shining in our industry, I am incredibly excited to join the Creative Access Board and to help them on their mission to do the same.” 

Birmingham Publisher, The Emma Press, awarded internship grant to open doors for under-represented talent in publishing 

The Emma Press, an independent publisher based in Birmingham, has been named the first recipient of the David Tebbutt Internship Fund – a new initiative from Creative Access and the David Tebbutt Trust to open doors for under-represented talent in publishing.  

The internship fund honours the memory of David Tebbutt, former Finance Director at Faber, who passed away in 2011. The Fund is jointly administered by Faber and the Tebbutt family. 

The Fund will provide 100% of the cost of an intern’s training bursary or salary based on the Real Living Wage for a 6-month, full-time traineeship once a year for three years. It will also cover all costs relating to the recruitment and training of successful candidates. 

The initiative is aimed at small, regional publishers who might not otherwise have the resources to host a trainee. It is specifically designed to support people from backgrounds historically under-represented in publishing – this includes, but is not limited to, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent people, and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 

On receiving the funding, Emma Dai’an Wright, founder of The Emma Press, said:

“We feel incredibly honoured to have been awarded this opportunity, and we are so looking forward to working with Creative Access and the David Tebbutt Trust on giving a trainee the best possible start in publishing. We are proud to be hosting this role in the West Midlands, as a small press, and are so pleased that the role will go to someone from an under-represented group in publishing.” 

Judith Tebbutt, wife of the late David Tebbutt, and Oliver Tebbutt, his son, as trustees of the David Tebbutt Trust said: 

“We are absolutely delighted that the Emma Press has been chosen as the recipient of the first Creative Access/David Tebbutt Trust award. This will give the chosen trainee an exceptional opportunity for what is hoped will be, a successful future career in publishing. David would have been extremely happy.” 

Josie Dobrin, founder and executive chair of Creative Access, commented: 

“We were absolutely thrilled with the calibre and breadth of applications for the first ever round of the David Tebbutt internship. It was genuinely tough to reach a decision as there are so many excellent small regional publishers who would provide a great training ground for an intern. We are, however, delighted to have awarded the grant to The Emma Press in Birmingham. We are confident they will offer an outstanding learning opportunity for someone from a disadvantaged or marginalised community to enter the publishing industry and help to continue and honour David’s legacy.”  

Recruitment for The Emma Press’ publishing intern will be led by Creative Access. The intern will be paid the National Living Wage and join Creative Access’ Springboard programme, receiving training, mentoring and peer support to help them build a sustainable career in publishing. 

Applications for the next round of the Fund will be open from the start of January – mid February 2026. For more information and to apply, contact recruit@creativeaccess.org.uk.  

Apply to become The Emma Press’ next publishing intern. Applications close: 30/06/25 at 11.59pm

Body-doubling, regular breaks and reciprocal mentoring: How publishers can support neurodivergent staff to thrive. By Melina Spanoudi

Clinical psychologist and Creative Access trainer Victoria Mattison shares further insights on how employers can create supportive environments for autistic staff, as well as individuals with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. 

You can read the article here.

At Creative Access, we’ve been thinking about all the ways that AI will impact inclusion, skills and recruitment in the creative economy.  

Technological change is nothing new for creatives – we’re always seeking new tools to do innovative and imaginative things. The mass adoption of creative tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Runway or Midjourney presents a huge creative opportunity, but it also opens the door to a host of complex cultural, ethical and editorial challenges for anyone using these tools in their daily workflows. 

With this challenge in mind, the Creative Access team has spent the last few months getting curious about the inclusivity and accessibility of AI. Our AI task force meets regularly to review case studies, concerns and to ask ourselves the question: ‘How can we use AI as a force of good in the creative and cultural sectors?’ 

We’ve boiled it down to three main areas of focus for creatives and their employers: 

Access & inclusion: How can the industry ensure that creatives from under-represented backgrounds – who may have less access to this technology – gain the training and digital fluency needed to future-proof their careers? 

Knowledge & skills: What must employers consider when integrating AI into workflows, and how can biases and errors be mitigated? 

Leadership & good governance: What best practices are emerging, and how can leaders navigate legal and editorial frameworks to adopt AI responsibly and inclusively? 

Read on for our insights and find out how our new Inclusive AI training can support you…  

We’ve been talking to creatives about how they use Generative AI (GenAI) to understand where they’re at on their skills journey, and what support they need from both their employers and Creative Access. 

In a recent snap survey with our community, we asked… 

What do you most commonly use GenAI for? 

• Idea generation – 38% 

• Copywriting – 23% 

• Research – 38%  

• Picture & video generation – 0% 

Are you having open discussions about GenAI at work? 

• Informal chats between peers – 33%  

• Managers and senior team members are leading the GenAI conversation – 29% 

• Not at all – 38% 

Have you had any GenAI training in your workplace? 

• Yes – 15% 

• No – 80% 

• It’s in the works – 5% 

Even though our findings show that the majority of workplaces aren’t yet having formal discussions or delivering training on GenAI, insights from our jobs board tell us that employers are increasingly asking for AI skills:  

• We’ve seen spike in the demand for ‘creative AI skills’ between 2022 to 2024 on job adverts – with 13 adverts asking for AI skills in the first 2 months of 2025 alone 

• The most common theme is the ability to use AI to innovate workflows such as in data analysis or creative productions 

• Mentions of AI in job postings vary across industries – with music, theatre, dance and visual arts ranking significantly lower than the likes of publishing, TV and marketing 

As AI reshapes job roles, it also raises critical questions about ownership and fair compensation for creative work. 

A major concern is how AI uses copyrighted material. In February, UK newspapers and creative organisations united for the Make It Fair campaign, pushing for stronger protections. In response, the government pledged to review AI legislation, though concerns remain. 

Just last week, ChatGPT announced a new AI model that is ‘good at creative writing’ fuelling further tensions between tech firms and creatives over the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. 

For creatives from under-represented backgrounds – who already face barriers to fair pay and career progression – AI’s unchecked expansion could deepen inequalities. The industry must act now to safeguard fair creative opportunities through training and ethical AI adoption, rather than waiting for government intervention.  

As ‘off the shelf’ AI tools become more valuable, a lack of workplace training on utilising the technology could widen inequalities. The accessibility of these tools delivers the potential to break down previous barriers to inclusion, but without investment and planning, access could remain limited to a privileged few. 

The risk of biases and propensity for hallucinations in AI tools are also well documented, and its use in recruitment could pose risks to diversity. In 2024, 7 in 10 companies said they planned to use AI in the hiring process, despite most acknowledging its bias. With figures like this bound to grow, it’s vital that employers manage these biases, or risk further marginalising high potential talent from under-represented groups.  

The inclusion of everyone needs to be a priority when designing and adopting AI tools. Therefore, the creative industries must enact proactive measures so that AI’s benefits are shared equitably across the industry. That’s why Creative Access has designed a bespoke AI training workshop to help you harness these new technologies and upskill employees from all backgrounds, disciplines and career stages. 

At Creative Access, we have over a decade’s worth of expertise in breaking down barriers and championing inclusive workplaces. Our training will equip employers, team leaders, and hiring managers with the tools they need to integrate AI fairly, responsibly and effectively. 

Whether in recruitment or creative workflows, AI should elevate rather than exclude talent. From image creation to CV scanning, AI is becoming an essential professional tool. Let’s make sure it’s used ethically, effectively, and inclusively. 

Future-proof your workforce and ensure AI works for everyone. Find out more and sign up for Creative Access’s Inclusive AI training today.

Mary Stone, Arts Professional, reports on, ‘Privately educated hold top jobs at third of highest-funded NPOs’ and quotes Creative Access CEO, Mel Rodrigues.

‘In response to Sutton Trust’s report, Melanie Rodrigues, CEO of Creative Access, previously said: “Addressing socio-economic barriers is a complex task, but it is business critical to nurture and progress talent from all backgrounds.

“There is a huge risk that the creative industries will lose what makes us great if we don’t embrace the myriad of stories and experiences that make up the society we live in – and that can only be achieved via a diverse and representative workforce.”’

Read the full article.

Join us at Tate Britain on Saturday 12th April for a day filled with career talks, hands-on workshops, and one-to-one mentoring with industry pros across the art world, TV & film, journalism, publishing, PR & marketing, theatre and beyond.

Get top tips from creative professionals, have your CV or portfolio looked at by experts and level up your networking game. Expect live DJs, art installations and much more.

The whole day is free to attend but some sessions will be ticketed. Click the Apply button to read the full programme and book your place at ticketed sessions.

Talks

• Making Waves in the Art World
• Money Talks: How to pay the bills as a creative
• Youth Collectives 101

Mentoring

• Creative Industries Speed Mentoring
• Tate Staff Speed Mentoring

CV Surgeries

• CV Clinic Live
• CV Refresher 

Workshops

• The Networking Lab
• Cosy Comfy Creative: Bedroom Studios

Find out more about the programme and how to sign up for a slot on our opportunities board. Otherwise, clear your diary and get down to Tate Britain on 12th April from 11am – 6pm! We can’t wait to see you there 👋

Georgia Luckhurt of The Stage has covered the news that Creative Access’ Career Development Bursary will allow 49 creatives will receive vital funding to cover equipment, training, travel, and other career-critical costs. 

The coverage featured a testimonial from Welsh theatremaker Mehdi Razi, who is using the funding to attend director courses to support an upcoming project: “This bursary comes at a pivoting point in my career. I only recently stepped into my first executive role as co-artistic director of Papergang theatre company where I will need investing in gaining new vision and skills. This bursary funds such crucial elements of mentoring and training and impact this stage of my career’s development.”

Read: Creative Access hands out 49 bursaries to address ‘critical’ career costs

Advanced Television has covered Creative Access’ announcement of its most recent Career Development Bursary recipients: 49 creatives will receive vital funding to cover equipment, training, travel, and other career-critical costs. The highest number of applications came from creatives working in TV & film.

The coverage featured a testimonial from recipient Noor Kabbanian, an aspiring Film & TV freelancer based in Scotland who will be using the funding to attend the National Film and Television ‘Under-represented Voices Writing Lab’. On receiving the Bursary, Noor said: “As a Global Majority creative, this amazing bursary has allowed me to participate in a course aimed at teaching under-represented screenwriters how to navigate the industry and empower their artistic visions”.

Read: Funding demand hits record high for under-represented creatives

Mid-level talent face deep financial challenges to career progression as Creative Access announce recipients of Career Development Bursary, supported by WME & McLaren Racing  

Creative Access, the UK’s leading diversity, equity & inclusion social enterprise has announced that 49 creatives will receive vital funding to cover equipment, training, travel, and other career-critical costs. A record-breaking surge in demand for financial support has exposed the growing crisis facing talent from under-represented groups in the UK’s creative industries. 

Now in its fourth year, the Creative Access Career Development Bursary – generously supported this year by WME and McLaren Racing’s Engage Programme – received over 1,000 applications, a three-fold increase from last year. McLaren Racing has worked with Creative Access since 2021 as part of its McLaren Racing Engage Alliance to open up pathways in motorsports careers.  

The spike in demand reveals that financial barriers are preventing aspiring, junior and mid-level creatives from breaking into and progressing in the industry. Recent data from Creative Access showed that 81% of respondents cite financial constraints, including commuting and living costs, as obstacles to applying for new roles.  

Recipients of the Bursary span the UK and represent a broad range of creative sectors, from publishing to TV & film, theatre, visual arts, music and fashion. The majority (35%) of Bursary recipients are at mid-level in their careers, revealing the struggles that experienced and skilled talent – who have successfully carved out careers over the past decade – are now facing in progressing their careers and staying in the creative sector. 

The steep rise in Bursary applications demonstrates the intersectionality of the challenge for creatives. Those from lower socio-economic backgrounds (71%) and/or those from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds (70%) made up the majority of applications, and disabled talent equated for nearly half of all applicants (47%). This increase in demand for funding is the result of longstanding inequalities in the sector: 90% of the arts workforce are white (PEC), whilst the number of working-class creatives has halved since the 1970s (ONS). The disability employment gap also remains large; in 2024, only 53% of disabled people were employed compared to 81.6% of non-disabled people (ONS). 

Geography also plays a part. While London remains the UK’s largest creative hub, its high living costs continue to squeeze out talent from under-represented groups. Over half (52%) of all applicants were based in the capital, reflecting both the concentration of creative jobs and the financial barriers involved with sustaining a career there. Across the UK’s creative hubs, getting access to funding, support and networks to grow a creative career is a barrier for talent at all stages. The Bursary has been awarded to recipients across the UK, including Scotland, South East, South West, North East, North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales, and Yorkshire and the Humber.  

The highest number of applications came from creatives working in: 

1. Film & TV 

2. Music  

3. Art  

4. Theatre  

5. Publishing  

Each successful applicant will receive a grant between £250 and £1,000, enabling them to advance their careers. Uses for the bursary include: 

• Essential equipment such as laptops, software and cameras  

• Driving lessons to access opportunities 

• Travel and commuting costs 

• Training courses 

• Rent and living expenses 

Leon Clowes, is a mid-level musician studying a PhD, using the funding towards travel and accommodation to attend a music workshop leadership course. They said: “As an older artist in addiction recovery, this chance to join New Note Orchestra’s first community music leadership scheme is game-changing. Being with peers who share my experiences is unparalleled. Huge thanks to Creative Access for making my participation possible through the bursary – this opportunity means everything.” 

Louisa Agyei is a student aspiring to work in fashion, using the Bursary for an iPad to develop her collection. On receiving the funding, she said: “Opportunities like the Creative Access Bursary are essential, especially for under-represented communities like mine. Due to financial limitations, many of us are forced to abandon our artistic pursuits in favour of other jobs just to survive, which also restricts our creative growth. Support like this is crucial, it not only provides the necessary resources but also empowers and encourages people of colour to pursue careers in the arts without feeling limited by a lack of resources.”  

Mel Rodrigues, CEO at Creative Access: 

“This upsurge in demand for financial support is our strongest wake-up call yet. We are at serious risk of losing a critical mass of excellent creatives who help make our sector world-class – as well as failing to create a robust future pipeline – if financial barriers to entry and progression are not addressed. Creativity should not be a privilege and financial interventions like the Bursary are a vital step to ensuring that talented people – from all backgrounds and parts of the UK – are able to access the resources they need to progress and thrive in our industry. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a sector to deliver more consistent and scalable solutions to the financial lock-out”. 

Sagina Shabaya, Senior Director, Impact, Inclusion & Advocacy, EMEA at WME: 

“We believe in the importance of championing the next generation of artists and continue to support organisations that help to democratise access and break down barriers so that all creatives have the ability to be discovered. We’re proud to support Creative Access Career Development Bursary recipients and the work they continue to do to create a diverse and thriving industry.”  

Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability at McLaren Racing: 

“We are thrilled to announce another year collaborating with Creative Access, which has been a key partner in our Engage Alliance since 2021 as part of the team’s flagship DE&I programme. Through the launch of these initiatives, we can open pathways and break down some of the barriers to working in industries like motorsport, supporting talented individuals through their journey. We want to pioneer equal access and set the benchmark for diversity and inclusion in sport and programmes like this are helping us to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to start up in the industry.” 

About the Bursary

• The Creative Access Career Development Bursary launched in 2021 and has supported 172 creatives to date 

• McLaren Racing has worked with Creative Access since 2021 as part of the team’s flagship DE&I programme, McLaren Racing Engage, which was launched to open pathways into motorsport careers and support talent from under-represented communities. 

Creative Access’ CEO, Mel Rodrigues, has been featured in HR Magazine’s ‘Lessons from the C-Suite’ discussing her career path, inspirations, and what HR professionals need to enter the C-suite.

Read ‘Lessons from the C-suite: Mel Rodrigues, Creative Access‘.

Creative Access and David Tebbutt Trust honour former Faber director with new internship, reports Heloise Wood in The Bookseller.

The David Tebbutt Trust and Creative Access have announced a new internship fund in memory of the late David Tebbutt, finance director at Faber, who was killed in Kenya in 2011.

It will support smaller regional publishers who might otherwise not be able to host a trainee. The internship will be funded by the David Tebbutt Trust, which is jointly administered by Faber and the Tebbutt family.

The fund will provide 100% of the cost of an intern’s training bursary or salary based on the Real Living Wage for a six-month full-time traineeship once a year for three years. It will also cover all costs relating to the recruitment and training of successful candidates.

Read the full article here.