44 minute read
Creative Arts & Media
If you have a flair for design and creativity, or you are attracted by a career in the performing arts, then this could be the career sector for you.
With the digital boom, the global push towards innovation, and a growing cultural economy, creativity is capital and design is at the forefront.
Advertisement
Creative thinking is a highly prized attribute in almost every industry, and there are a multitude of opportunities available to those who study art, design and architecture. From developing a diverse skillset to designing your own career, there’s many reasons why you should value your creativity and passion and ignore the naysayers.
While artistic talent can provide a strong foundation for a career in design, perhaps more important is a willingness to develop technical skills and an ability to solve problems creatively. The creative industries cover much more than just TV and theatre; they encompass everything from film to fashion and music to gaming. The sector is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK. There are over 2 million jobs in creative industries, contributing an estimated 5.5% towards the UK’s GDP.
Apart from actors, dancers and musicians, there are many more technically skilled jobs in production, lighting and sound engineering, not forgetting marketing, advertising and communications.
Research shows that the creative industries are on average at low or no risk of automation compared to other sectors. The skills used in innovation aren’t easily replaceable by a machine and, in fact, computers complement most creative processes, making creative skills more productive.
Engineering
If you have a mechanical aptitude, love solving problems and you want to earn an above average salary, you should consider a career in engineering. The application of engineering is all around us, using knowledge of science and mathematics to help improve our lives. Engineers design, create, research and find alternative and better solutions.
There are many different types of engineering, including civil engineering, computer software, electronic, chemical, medical and mechanical engineering. The skills you learn through study and experience are highly sought after by employers, especially analytical thinking, attention to detail, numeracy, communication and computer technology, all of which are highly transferable skills. University graduates with a degree in engineering tend to earn around 20% more than the average graduate earns over their career. The industry is actively looking for over 200,000 new skilled recruits every year and is especially seeking to attract more women and students from BAME backgrounds.
INVESTING IN SKILLS, DRIVING SUCCESS
Do you want to work in film and television but don’t know where to start? Whether you are practical or creative, an organiser or good with figures, there could be a role for you in the UK’s screen industries and we can help you find it. Seetha Kumar, CEO of ScreenSkills, takes you through the options available and the routes you can take.
Seetha Kumar, CEO, ScreenSkills
Hair and make-up are among the many craft and technical jobs in the screen industries. @Erroll Jones/ScreenSkills
ScreenSkills is the industry-led charity responsible for skills and training at every stage of a career in screen, which also includes visual effects (VFX), animation and video games. We don’t train actors but cover the wide array of jobs behind the camera – and there are lots of them.
Television shows and movies need directors, producers and writers as well as electricians, carpenters and hair and make-up artists, not forgetting the visual effects artists and animators, accountants and publicists. Britain’s screen industries are world-famous. And, while some production was stopped, temporarily, by the Covid-19 pandemic, these industries are growing. very keen to recruit. Many roles are freelance, where you go from project to project and are not employed by a single employer. This may mean some positions are not ideal work for anyone who wants the certainty of a “regular” nine-to-five job. The work is often demanding and may mean long and irregular hours at busy times. But it is also exciting and rewarding and offers many opportunities. The diligent and talented can earn a good living.
How do you decide whether a career in screen might be for you?
One way is through initiatives such as the BBC’s Digital Cities, which offers a programme of free events. ScreenSkills careers team also attend careers events such as skills shows as well as providing information, for example through online sessions offering people the chance to explore the options available in the UK screen industries and as a taster of what to expect. Other support can include advice on writing CVs and how to make contacts and network. For people who have already acquired some experience in the industry, there is the ScreenSkills Trainee Finder scheme, where successful applicants receive basic training on issues such as health and safety and set etiquette – the dos and don’ts of how to behave during filming – before undergoing paid placements on films and prestigious television dramas from Wonder Woman and James Bond – No Time to Die to Derry Girls and Black Mirror or children’s shows such as Hetty Feather or Molly and Mack.
We have careers information on our website including approximately 200 job profiles for screen roles. There are also downloadable resources for teachers and parents so that anyone can learn more about jobs in screen. One of the things ScreenSkills is trying very hard to do is to create a more level playing field. Film, television, animation, VFX and games should not be restricted to those already in the know so we are developing clearer routes into the screen industries such as ways for potential recruits to find courses that should help them get in, even if they have no connections in the industry.
For example, if you are thinking of pursuing your ambitions at a university or further education (FE) college, we have ScreenSkills Select which is a signpost to courses relevant to a career in the screen industries. We work with industry experts to identify courses that deliver the practical skills and knowledge employers want. We list all the courses that are awarded the ScreenSkills Select endorsement in a searchable directory on the ScreenSkills website.
Until now, ScreenSkills Select – an enhanced version of ScreenSkills’ old accreditation system known as the Tick – was largely adopted by universities, but we are collaborating with colleagues in education to make it work for further education, too. We are developing more apprenticeship standards and arguing for amendments to make the system work better, because being paid to learn opens up the industry to people who might not otherwise be able to join. Although there is a need for more apprenticeships and for the system to work better for the screen industries, they do already exist, and major broadcasters are a good place to start if you are interested in this route. There are screenrelated apprenticeships such as broadcast engineer, carpentry and joinery, junior animator or as an assistant accountant.
Once you’re in the industry, we encourage you to stay in touch, as we have courses to keep the workforce up-to-date. Anyone aged 18 or over can register to become part of our community and you can choose to showcase your latest work history and details of any skills and training you have. Once you have registered, you can apply for a range of workshops, seminars, masterclasses or other training, much of it free. For example, special online learning was developed to apply health and safety rules for the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 to the reality of working on set or location. ScreenSkills also offers a mentoring programme, the ScreenSkills Mentoring Network.
There are more jobs than many people realise in the UK’s screen industries and they cover a wide mix of skills. The rapid growth of recent years means that there are skills gaps and skills shortages in many areas from accounts to locations and script supervisors to production coordinators. Many TV dramas and films were forced to stop production when the coronavirus pandemic hit hard, but the industry worked closely with the UK government to enable the safe return to work and all the evidence of lockdown was that the content the industry produces remains in high demand.
A career for life
Research by the innovation foundation Nesta before the pandemic suggests that workers in the creative industries are much less likely than most to be replaced by robots in future. There is widespread confidence that this remains the case.
It is also a sector that is trying hard to become more inclusive as it knows that it is important to have a workforce that reflects the society in which we live – workers who can help television, film and animation to tell a greater variety of stories about different people’s experiences.
Mim Shaikh, the actor, writer and broadcaster on television and radio including the BBC Asian Network and Radio 1, is a ScreenSkills ambassador because he is keen to encourage others to consider a career in the industry. “Nobody in my family had done anything like this before. Everybody in our family had done the same thing – to go and work as an accountant, lawyer, in finance or medicine,” he says. “Nobody did anything out of the norm. I’m so glad I did. My younger cousins have been able to see what my life is like, work-wise. They never knew something like that was possible before. I’m a living example that you can build your own network. It can be easier if you come from a middle-class family who can help you. But it can be done, even from humble beginnings and if your family are working-class.”
Nainita Desai, the composer of music for film and TV including David Attenborough’s Wildlife on One, says: “We need more diverse storytelling and the only way we can achieve that is by having more diverse storytellers, be they on screen talent or off screen talent to embrace a more comfortable, inclusive, eclectic environment.” She adds: “Nurturing up-and-coming composers and making people aware of what writing music for the media involves is something I strongly believe in. There are of course many degree level courses in music and there are a handful of postgraduate courses… However, there are many ways to climb a mountain, whether you choose to go down the formal education route or not.”
Amma Asante, the screenwriter and director of films such as Belle and TV series like The Handmaid’s Tale, is a ScreenSkills patron because: “I’m passionate about how the industry can find ways to open up training, employment and retention of crew from diverse backgrounds and under-represented groups, creating viable opportunities for success. What progress we will have made when it becomes normal to step on a set and see not only black women directors but, for example, black women grips and sparks [electricians], directors of photography and location managers.”
Get in touch if you want to know more. Visit www.screenskills.com or email careers@screenskills.com
Creative Access’ TOP TIPS for undertaking a VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP
Working from home has become the new norm. Who would have thought? Creative organisations are having to find other ways of delivering valuable pathways to employment for industry entrants – and virtual internships have proven to be a big hit.
So, if you’re still searching for one, keep sending targeted applications and stay positive. Creative Access helps talented individuals from groups that are under-represented in the sector in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background, or disability to enter the creative industries. We’ve placed dozens of new interns during the Pandemic in creative organisations such as ITV, Apple, The National Theatre, The Economist, and Pan Macmillan and we have many more on our website being advertised each day.
Leyla Mohammed interned at Creative Access for four weeks and, despite the initial nerves around starting a full-time internship from the very same home she’d already spent four months locked down in, she found the experience positive:
For many people, internships are the first step of their professional career. A virtual internship may not allow you to do things typically associated with starting at a new employer, but they are also proving great ways – especially for those not based in main cities where many employers are based – to get valuable experience. In order to make the best out of this remote experience, we’ve put together our top ten tips:
1Separate your workspace from your leisure space:
Everyone’s living circumstances are different. Your colleagues will have children, pets, flatmates, partners, and parents that they might have to interact with during the working day. People will understand if there are disruptions due to working at home for you too. That said, try to create an environment that comes across as professional and that is conducive to work, where distractions are kept to a minimum. At the end of the day, you’ll want to change your scenery and switch off from work mode, so ideally you’ll be able to separate work from pleasure.
2Establish a routine: As tempting as it might be to roll out of bed five minutes before your first meeting starts, waking up early and getting ready as if you were going into an office will mentally prepare you to be the most productive you can.
3Embrace learning in all its forms:
An internship is a learning experience, so if you’re given feedback on your performance and work, consider yourself lucky and make note of it! Use the feedback to learn and grow, so that your contributions to the team become more and more valuable. Embrace other opportunities that will help you better understand your role, the work your colleagues do, and how everything comes together within the organisation.
4Be confident and curious: Confidence goes a long way, especially when joining an established team as an intern. Have confidence in your thoughts and ideas – employers always want to hear fresh and new perspectives; Remember in order to have secured this opportunity in the first place, you must be a very strong candidate. 5 Ensure clear and frequent communication:
Understand the culture of communication in your organisation:
• Understand what is expected of you and when • Know who to speak to or run drafts by, and how • Know when lunchtime is and when your work day is expected to end • Check in frequently with your manager during the day (don’t forget to pick up the phone as well as email) • Send an update at the end of each day what you’ve completed today and what you’re tackling tomorrow • Your manager should be there if you need any help, or if your work needs re prioritising
6Network: Use this internship to make as many connections as you can with anyone you come into contact with during your internship. Attend as many virtual professional and social events as you can. Ask your line manager who else you should e-meet in the organisation. Use this opportunity to set up a LinkedIn profile – if you don’t already have one – so you can stay in touch with all the people you meet during the internship.
7Ask questions: Ask questions, not just about your role, but in an attempt to understand the ‘why’ – the bigger organisational picture. Remember you are an intern so can legitimately ask as many questions as you like!
8Own up! We all make mistakes; it’s part of normal life. Don’t be afraid to take responsibility for errors and use that as an opportunity to learn for another occasion. 9 Be kind to yourself: We know you’ll want to make a good impression, but remember not to overwork yourself. You don’t need to work outside of contracted hours (except of course for extenuating situations). Rest is an important part of work – it allows you to recharge, stay sharp and focused, and a fresh mind often helps breed fresh ideas.
“It’s a common guilt complex where people working from home feel the need to work outside of hours, or even around the clock. I can attest to this – there were days where I felt like I had to start early or finish late (on my own accord, of course). Recognise that this is a common guilt complex that comes with the process of getting used to working from home. Going out of your way to do extra work is great to an extent, but don’t overdo it!”
– Leyla Mohammed
10 Stay in touch: If you want more advice about entering the creative industries, we have always got dozens of great roles the length and breadth of the UK on our Opportunities page. We’ve also got lots of great resources, events – including regular CV clinics – and competitions. stay in touch with Creative Access. You can reach us on any of the following ways:
@_creativeaccess @_creativeaccess Creative Access Creative Access Register with us at: www.creativeaccess.org.uk
Yvette Ashby is the Founder and CEO of PCIAW® and has been an influential player in the professional clothing industry for over 20 years. Yvette was directly approached to lead PCIAW® because there was no association dedicated to representing the professional clothing industry and it was her experience which sought to fill the void.
Throughout Yvette’s career running the Professional Clothing directore magazine, her passion for textiles and innovation knew no bounds and it was this desire for progression, which saw the creation of PCA Vision Awards, which provided opportunity to a diverse pool of student talent to compete for a globally-esteemed prize for the best designs for professional clothing. Yvette and the rest of the PCIAW® team were closely involved when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March and April 2020 and were instrumental in solving some of the issues involved with trying to satisfy the huge global spike in demand for safe and appropriate quality PPE equipment, all while dealing with a lockdown and a media near-frenzy on the topic. The UK workwear and PPE markets are valued at £8.66 billion and employ over 44,000 local workers.
BAME Magazine interviewed Yvette and asked her what a career in professional clothing has to offer young people.
Hi, Yvette, can you tell us a little about the PCIAW® and what your organisation does?
The Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW®) is a non-profit association. We are the voice of the professional clothing industry and comprise a network of thousands of global businesses across the entire international supply chain for workwear, corporatewear and PPE. The core objective of PCIAW® is to connect the entire supply chain and to create opportunities to help businesses develop by putting buyers in touch with suppliers.
Our purpose is to create a platform for businesses in the professional clothing industry to share their voice and message, regardless of size. We build relationships with businesses from around the world to help connect the industry, in order to learn from each other – no matter how long you have been in the professional clothing industry, there’s always more to learn. The PCIAW® has a great responsibility to represent the industry and offer opportunities to businesses in the professional clothing industry with a passion for quality and innovation.
As a non-profit industry association, the PCIAW® works in the interest of our Trusted Members. We ensure our members have a voice and are represented by our organisation’s structure which includes a nonexecutive Board of Directors, composed by a selection of PCIAW® members to reflect different international perspectives.
What motivated you to develop a career in the professional clothing industry?
Throughout my childhood, back in Jamaica, my mother and father encouraged me to make all my own clothes – hats, coats and everything and so when I think back, I can pinpoint my passion for textiles back to these memories.
What motivated me? I have to laugh at this one – I was told once that it was a man who invented the padded bra and I just couldn’t believe it. Why would a man be developing something as sensitive as my bra? It really upset me, how would a man know if a bra was comfortably designed? So I thought, you know what, we need to encourage young girls and young women to come into our industry and work, bringing out the best of who we are as females, and who we are as people and just keep on pushing forward. Without diversity, we would continue having people designing garments who in no way represent the individual who wears them.
How important is diversity and inclusion within the textile industry?
Professional clothing is a global industry which clothes diverse people across the world. Corporate–wear contributes to a business’ brand image, for example in the airline and travel sectors; banking, hospitality and event industries, plus supermarkets and more, whilst workwear and PPE offers protection to end users when working in potentially hazardous environments. It is imperative that the product design in the professional clothing industry considers variations in size and fit for diverse populations, as it is clear that women and BAME individuals are not sufficiently catered for.
PCIAW® Board Director, Natalie Wilson wrote an article in the latest edition of PCIAW®VOICE magazine, which reported on the fit rates of PPE during the pandemic – 90% of Caucasian wearers could fit properly on the first attempt compared to 85% of people from an Asian background. Females with an Asian background had a 65% fit rate on first attempt, which highlights the need for greater consideration of diversity in end users.
The bulk of our clothing is made by people with diverse backgrounds and we have to celebrate and include them. Do you have any diversity networks at the PCIAW®?
Not enough. When I look back upon my own experiences, I can remember when I started hosting the Professional Clothing Awards over 12 years ago at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham. I had over 500 people attend and when I looked around the room and I could count on one hand how many people were from a black or ethnic minority group.
Realising this said something to me – that I have to make sure that on this international platform, everybody is recognised, no matter who they are or where they are from – again, I say that it’s about those who innovate who count. It is important to see newcomers enter the industry and give the industry leaders a run for their money.
In 2016, I recognised the need for young designers to take an interest in the professional clothing industry so I started PCA Vision and travelled around the country visiting universities and their tutors and students to create a competition to design functional workwear, corporatewear and PPE. The first competition had almost 200 students taking part from all the universities which was a huge challenge to judge them – PCA Vision is about inclusivity and equal opportunities purely based on talent.
What advice would you give for young BAME students wanting to work in textiles?
The professional clothing industry has an ageing workforce and it is important that we encourage the reinvigoration of skills and talent by supporting the younger generation from all walks of life. The Black Lives Matter has brought the disparities of opportunities to the forefront and I would love to see more BAME individuals training to enter the textile industry.
When most people think of studying textiles, they think of the fashion industry. I want young people to know that the professional clothing industry is growing. It is continuously innovating and there are opportunities available.
What I want to say to everyone is, don’t be afraid. If you have a talent and passion for textiles, then come
on, let’s see your light shine and let us see what you’re worth. Don’t sit back and think it will never be your chance because I recognise everyone, no matter who they are, no matter where they are in the world, they will have something of value to contribute.
The PCIAW® works closely with the UKFT, who run a Skills Council, which offers training courses, apprenticeships and job opportunities, which is open to all. https://www.ukft.org/skills-andtraining/
What obstacles may BAME candidates face when joining the fashion industry?
I think people are now beginning to open their eyes. We’re here in the UK, and we’ve been pushing the government to encourage manufacturing closer to home, which offers environmental benefits as well social and economic opportunities.
The PCIAW® has hosted several webinars on nearshoring manufacturing of professional clothing and I’m working tirelessly to offer greater opportunities for people and businesses and the response has been phenomenal, people are finally starting to get it.
The PCIAW® has a voice that goes into government. We worked with the UKFT to lobby for opportunities for UK businesses to benefit from government procurement contracts and worked hard to educate the National Audit Office and the UK Cabinet Office on the complexities of manufacturing and procuring PPE. I have just joined the UK Home Office Employers’ Consultation Group to ensure fair working practices and immigration policies. We expect more opportunities for the industry to arrive based on this hard work.
I think what is lacking at the moment is knowledge, pure and simple – I and the PCIAW® hopes to fix this going forward. From my point of view, PCIAW® should aim to achieve more. I want to invest more money into making sure that anybody who knocked on my door could be pointed in the right direction for advice or we could help them directly ourselves. That’s something that I and the PCIAW® will be working on. “I think it has to be a state of mind. BAME candidates may need to work twice as hard to get ahead, so I say, work three times as hard and don’t let anyone get in your way. Persistence and perseverance is key.”
Why are BAME candidates not drawn to the clothing industry and what are the remedies?
They’ve just got to believe in themselves. I’m going to take away the myths. I arrived in this country from the Caribbean, Jamaica, when I was just nine years old and my parents were here to help rebuild the country. My mother was a nurse, and I thought to myself, what is this strange place? The UK was a foreign land to me. There was nothing that the UK at the time was offering me that I wasn’t getting in my own country.
Personally, I can’t sit here today and tell you that I have been bullied or pushed aside. I’ve always respected myself and tried to be brave – I think it has to be a state of mind. If somebody knocks you down, you get up, brush yourself off and go with it. BAME candidates may need to work twice as hard to get ahead, so I say, work three times as hard and don’t let anyone get in your way. Persistence and perseverance is key. I like to say, ‘you never come anywhere, you always arrive’.
I think society needs to ensure opportunities reach all people, from all backgrounds as the BAME community have talent and they need the chance to prove it. I think confidence is the biggest obstacle and the remedy is what I referred to before, don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t succeed.
What strategies have you put in place to ensure a pathway from entry level to senior management?
My passion is taking on young people because I love to see them bring creativity to the business and to inspire me. When I look for new people, I set them a task – if they impress me, I listen – I’m not looking at their skin colour, age or gender. I give my team free rein to come to me and say, I like this or I don’t like that. I’ve been around for over 25 years and I want to leave a legacy. The industry is growing, the association is going to grow. You have to invest in young people and people who have passion and believe in what you’re doing. That will drive them up the ladder quicker than anything else. But I encourage everybody to know your worth and speak your truth.
What would be the main attraction for young people in the industry?
When I visit the universities for the young designers awards, I ask them about their ambitions and they tell me they want to be like Vivienne Westwood. With respect, not everyone can be Vivenne Westwood but there are plentiful opportunities to rise to the top in a way that is secure and stable, with a path for real growth and development. One day, you may even take over from Vivienne Westwood with your own skills and innovations because like me, she’s not going to live forever.
You have to start somewhere and I think about how many people have left university only with degrees in fashion and textiles or garment technology, only to go on and work in McDonalds. That breaks my heart.
I want to see the passion and talent to be put to good use. People and businesses want their brand image to look good. You wouldn’t board an airline without seeing the flight attendants dressed in beautiful uniforms. You wouldn’t see a firefighter running into a burning building without being fully kitted-out. You wouldn’t go into a stylish hotel and not see the staff looking glamorous. You ask what the attraction is for young people wanting to work in the professional clothing industry – it’s that there is so much style and functionality to innovate with, the only limit is your imagination.
This is what we want to instil in young people. Look, open your eyes and carve your pathway until you reach the heights of being a star like Vivienne Westwood.
To find out more about us and about working in the professional clothing industry visit https://pciaw.org
CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY, CHANGE
we speak to Sanaz Amidi about Rosetta Arts, a community based hub for art and creative learning in the heart of east London
Photography courtesy Sylvie Belbouab
You’ve been CEO and Trustee at Rosetta Arts since 2007. What’s the purpose of the charity and how do you see your role there?
Rosetta Arts changes communities through creativity.
From our visual arts learning centre and gallery in West Ham we offer creative courses, projects, events and exhibitions to the diverse people of Newham who otherwise have little access to the transformative benefits of the arts.
What we offer is so much more than simply access to the arts. We offer every person we encounter a chance to live the life they choose – whether that’s pursuing a career or education in the arts, having a personal passion, feeling emotionally and socially confident, or feeling connected to the people and communities around them. My ambition is to make sure that the work that we do, the work in opening people’s imaginations, in making the arts accessible, in making it possible for people who may not want to work in the arts but who want to have their voices heard, who want to say things that directly affect them – voices that you would not hear under normal circumstances – ensuring that those voices are heard. Essentially, my role focuses on shaping, empowering and leading excellent people and teams to do this.
I believe that our success stems from setting a clear vision and sharing a set of goals to which people can aspire and commit. I have learned that my values of passion, drive, integrity, courage and empathy are the tools with which I work with people to collectively implement and achieve transformational change.
What was it about the ethos of the organisation that first attracted you to become involved?
Our start 28 years ago was in a school called Rosetta in Canning Town and was because of an amazing woman with an extraordinary vision for art education called Yvonne Humble. She’s the one who really set our goal of opening up the arts to people in Newham. She’s the one who, in Rosetta, took under her wing a young local boy called Lee, tutored and mentored him to develop his skills and portfolio and then wrote his reference supporting his application to CSM. Lee went on to become known worldwide as Alexander McQueen! In 2021 we are very proud that those nurturing values are still rooted in everything we do, underpinning the development of a talent pipeline that has nothing to do with class, gender or ethnicity, but everything to do with local talent.
What would you say you offer to the young people who get involved in your opportunities?
Lots of things! We’re a specialist provider of programmes addressing barriers to entering work faced by young people in London and we have a whole bunch of opportunities for young people from our Saturday School to evening creative workshops to accredited courses. All of our programmes are delivered by local professional artists who have their own practices so are inspiring to learn from and help young people grow their own professional networks.
At the moment we are recruiting for young people to join our I Design My Future programme which is all about proving creative opportunities to help young people take charge of their lives and their careers, and we’re also looking forward to holding a free online creative day for teenagers on 8 April.
And what skills can the young people develop?
Young people on our programmes can develop their skills across a range of artistic techniques, from drawing and painting to printing, muraling and pottery, as well as dance, film-making and acting .
But really there’s much more to it than learning a particular kind of artistic practice: we offer resilience projects to help young people weather these difficult times and improve their wellbeing; teamworking projects developing co-design skills; mentoring to build enterprise skills and realworld opportunities to open up entry routes to careers in the fast-growing creative industries. Understanding creative careers couldn’t be more important right now as the sector starts growing again – and there are more creative jobs in London than in law and accounting, but they often fly under the radar. And regardless of whether you want to enter the creative industries, creative skills are needed more than ever by employers.
You also appear to have very close ties with the local residents in east London.
We’re deeply embedded in the local communities of east London and that means building long-term and trusting relationships with residents from a range of backgrounds. Our borough is one of the most diverse in the country, so a lot of what we do is around tackling inequalities in participation for BAME residents.
As a grassroots charity, most of our work is delivered in partnership out in places and spaces that residents use every day, and and our partners range from schools, libraries, and local businesses, charities to faith leaders and sport organisations.
Since April 2020, our programmes have especially focused on upskilling and improving the wellbeing of communities disproportionately affected by COVID, which has been especially the case for BAME people in Newham. Are there any specific outstanding projects or exhibitions that you think our readers would like to hear about?
We would love your readers to know about our Artist Accelerator programme. Every year we scheme kickstarts the careers of local emerging artists from diverse backgrounds with access to networks, know-how, opportunities and bursaries, as well as studio digitally or run restricted COVIDsafe programmes in external venues or even outside in parks! We have had to invest in IT, marketing and digital infrastructure and train staff and artists in online and COVIDsafe delivery. We are providing a lot more online activities that are totally free, such as our art workshops for people who are shielding, bereaved or unemployed due to COVID, and our Humble Happiness Hub online cookery and art courses for people who are low waged, isolated and live in the most deprived wards in Newham. We have found innovative ways of maintaining engagement, such as sending free materials/ ingredients to people’s houses so that everyone can participate regardless of income. Its definitely helped us enter 2021 with greater resilience and expertise, but it’s not an easy time for charities like ours and so we’re more than ever reliant on different sources of income including private giving.
space and mentoring sessions with experienced professionals, all to help develop their socially engaged practices in the community. We’re really proud of the opportunities we’ve been able to to provide them with, not least leading community engagement workshops for the new public garden of blossom trees to be created to commemorate Londoners who have lost their lives to COVID-19 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which opens later this year.
How has COVID changed the way you work?
COVID has of course had an enormous impact. We have worked tirelessly to continue to provide activities for our communities that improve their wellbeing, upskill and empower them and it has required drastic adaption. With our building inaccessible, we have had to work from home and deliver
Tell us about the Young Creative Newham Board.
The Creative Newham Youth Board is made up of a group of young people who are passionate about their local area, and we are currently recruiting for more members to join. It provides opportunities for the members to get involved in real cultural projects that happen in the borough, from commissioning and producing events to managing budgets and having their say on creative developments. Last year they got involved in Newham Heritage Month, a local creative wellbeing space and a covid memorial project in the Olympic Park, and learned skills around production and evaluation. The board is supported by the Mayor of London and aims to give positive life choices to young people in the borough who are at risk of social exclusion. Some quotes from our young people on being involved:
‘Having the position of power to make a difference in people’s lives through the heritage projects and events we have selected, and giving people in Newham an opportunity to express themselves while creating diversity, is very rewarding.’
‘I have acquired an understanding of the things that go on in our community, how to award money to a project and invest carefully to make the most out of what you put in’
What advice would you give young people, particularly those from BAME backgrounds, who are interested in a career in the creative arts?
For many young people choosing a career can be daunting. Choosing one in the creative arts, often without clear career structures or the support of parents and peers, access to relevant information and where there is an under representation of people who look or sound like us, can be even more challenging.
Growing up in East London from a first generation migrant family who had ‘traditional’ careers, I had to rely on the guidance of others to understand where to take the next steps or to even know that I could take them. Mentors have played a big role in my development, and my advice would be to build a support structure around you and seek role models you aspire to, even if those people are not in your immediate circle – it is essential to your success!
Take every opportunity that you can. Don’t let fear stand in your way. You might not know if you are going to enjoy the experience or not but challenges can teach you that you are better than you think are.
Your motto is ‘Creativity, Community, Change’. What changes do you think Rosetta Arts helps bring in the local community?
Our goal is for Rosetta Arts to transform communities through creativity. As a community hub (normally in West Ham and currently online at https://rosettaarts.org) we offer creative courses, projects, events, exhibitions and a platform to the diverse residents of Newham, so many of who otherwise have little access to the transformative benefits of the arts. We really take the time to get to know people and nurture their creativity and that has a huge ripple effect, putting more artists on the map locally and really just allowing more people to connect with each other and feel good about themselves through art.
CASE STUDIES
ALANNAH FRANCIS Rosetta Arts Marketing Officer
For the majority of my working life, I’ve worked in media as a journalist. I’ve worked at national newspapers in the UK (The Times and The Guardian) and smaller, independent publications.
I started my role as Marketing Officer at Rosetta Arts in 2020. Joining the charity during a pandemic where face-to-face activities have shifted online, I’ve witnessed first-hand how important the arts are to people during such confusing times. In my role I’ve been able to build on my social media and digital skills, which have been in more demand than ever at a time when everyone is online. It’s been great to have the freedom to get creative about how we can reach people, be accessible and stand out in the digital sphere.
The advice I would give to young people, especially those from BAME backgrounds, who are interested in a career in the creative arts is to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you. There are so many free and affordable activities, courses and clubs that you can get involved in as a young person. These are great ways to explore your passions, experiment and develop skills. All you need to do is look in the right places – and if you can’t find something that caters to you, create it! I would also say, don’t give up. Pursuing a career in the arts can be challenging but I really believe that if you’re passionate, creative and persistent, you can carve out a space for yourself. AMBER PERRIER Rosetta Arts Young Trustee
I came across Rosetta Arts Centre at the age of 15 joining in their ‘Young Newham Artists’ programme. I learnt so much on the History of Art, planning my art business, drafting a budget plan and communicating with clients on commissions.
I returned to Rosetta Arts after finishing my Fine Art degree at UEL and supported in delivering community art courses, preparing materials and demonstrating to pupils for Saturday School. Writing application proposals for funding and promoting upcoming creative courses to students. These skills led me to a traineeship in Culture and working in Culture and Heritage and becoming a Community Engagement Officer at The British Library.
I am part of the Rosetta Arts Board as a Young Trustee which consist of making decisions in the board meetings, reading through proposals and plans, alongside going through strategies with the board members and CEO.
The advice I would give to young people who are keen in a career in the creative arts is to create a portfolio of varied styles of work. Join in career workshops, many offer advice on how to get started and update your CV. Research into apprenticeships, traineeships, or take up work experience to learn what skills are needed for a specific role. Participate in networking sessions, you will never know who you’ll meet! Do not be afraid to ask questions, you won’t know if you don’t ask!
Will ethnicity pay reporting be mandatory by 2023?
CIPD calls for reporting to be made compulsory to boost workplace equality
While the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 prompted organisations to recognise the importance of equality and inclusion, just 13 FTSE 100 companies currently report their ethnicity pay gap. CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, is supporting the introduction of Mandatory Ethnicity Pay Reporting and calling for this to apply to all large employers from April 2023, to accelerate equality and create consistency of disclosure.
To support this, the CIPD have launched a guide to help HR professionals navigate ethnicity pay issues, from data collection through to analysis and reporting the results.
Few organisations have voluntarily reported their ethnicity pay gaps, despite increasing expectation from the public, investors and other stakeholders. Of the 13 FTSE 100 companies that did so in their most recent annual report, ten organisations published for the first time, suggesting that greater public scrutiny of race inequalities prompted them to act.
Tthe Government launched its first consultation three years ago. Movement has been too slow for some, leading to calls for a clear narrative and action plan.
To support employers on their complex ethnicity pay reporting journey the CIPD is suggesting using the same frameworks are currently in place for gender pay gap reporting.
Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said:
“Ethnicity pay reporting is an important lever for businesses and their stakeholders to assess if and where inequality based on ethnicity exists in their workforce. That’s why we believe it is so important that businesses both capture and learn from this data. While it’s positive to see some organisations voluntarily report their ethnicity pay, it’s clear that progress is slow and reporting is very inconsistent. Some companies just report their data while others report a commitment without sharing the data behind it.
“We know that gender pay gap reporting has driven greater transparency and accelerated progress, and we believe the same is needed for ethnicity pay reporting. Mandatory reporting of data, and the associated narrative that shows understanding of the data and the actions being taken to improve, for both ethnicity and gender pay, will help create fairer workplaces and societies and kickstart real change.”
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, author of the 2017 McGregor-Smith review on race in the workplace said:
“It must be a collective goal that our organisations reflect the communities we live in and mandatory ethnicity pay data gives businesses, investors, and regulators the tools they need to see the current reality and where changes need to happen. It’s only once we see organisations publicly start to report the diversity of their workforce that we will see real change start to happen.”
Research has found that while most employers (77%) believe that ensuring diversity is a priority, only 36% collect and analyse data to identify differences in pay and progression for employees from different ethnic groups.
The type of data collected is also an issue if it is to be useful. Uniform, commonly defined statistics, in line with six data points organisations are already collecting for gender pay gap reporting: median ethnicity pay gap; mean ethnicity pay gap; median bonus gap; mean bonus gap; bonus proportions and quartile pay bands. The CIPD is recommending two additional data points;
• The proportion of the total UK workforce from ethnic minorities, ideally in the context of external and regional demographics (i.e. the local communities where companies are based).
• The proportion of employees who have disclosed their ethnicity, as low disclosure rates have been a challenge for many employers and can also indicate concern about how that could be used.
Good data is a vital tool to profile each organisation or industry sector and create meaningful action plans, and may help explain the nature and causation of any pay differentials and gaps by ethnic group evident in the statistics.
RECRUITMENT IN A POST COVID LANDSCAPE
As COVID restrictions begin to lift in the UK, we have to hope that the end is in sight and the creative sector, which was so badly hit during the pandemic, can start to rebuild and recruit once again. At Creative & Cultural Skills, we are committed to ensuring that this rebuilding will be led by initiatives such as Creative Kickstart and apprenticeships, which can give young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to pursue their creative career path, learning and earning at the same time.
Apprenticeships have the potential to attract a broad and diverse range of talent into our workforce. This not only ensures we can address our sector’s skills needs but can also go some way to helping ensure the creative workforce is representative of the communities it seeks to engage. Our own research shows that employers believe apprenticeships will become increasingly more important in helping to address skills shortages in the future. The creative sector has already demonstrated its ability to bounce back stronger from major economic challenges. Following the recession in 2008, the creative industries grew exponentially in the years thereafter, making it the fastest growing and second largest sector in the UK economy. An even greater challenge faces the sector now, so we want to help it build back stronger and fairer. Apprenticeships must be part of how we do this.
To those who believe the creative industries might be a second-rate option for a career, please think again. The UK’s creative industries are world leading, from our awardwinning television and film, our cutting-edge music, our factual and fictional story-telling, our design that aids everyday living, our architecture, our clothes, the objects we house that help us learn about what has gone before to inform our thinking about the future, our artists who make us question the world around us, and our performers who entertain and challenge us. To maintain our status, we must remember to be a sector that is for everyone, by everyone, and with everyone. This means we must open our doors even more widely and remove the barriers that we have placed in the way of diverse talent. We must become inclusive in our thinking and in our actions, which includes recruiting via a range of routes that support individuals to learn and develop in ways that help them flourish. This means ending unpaid work, embracing difference in all its guises, and removing pointless pre-requisites for entry.
While we don’t think apprenticeships are a singular fix for our sector’s workforce issues, evidence shows apprenticeships increase productivity, generating on average £26-£28 for the economy for every pound invested in them. Higher level apprentices will earn £150,000 more on average over the course of their career than their academic counterparts, and more than 90% of apprentices will stay in paid employment at the end of their
apprenticeship. No student debt, a salary throughout, a job at the end, and a skilled and diverse workforce to boot. What’s not to like?
And for those that think apprenticeships are only for plumbers and electricians, how about training to be a Venue Technician, a Curator, a Jewellery Maker, or an Animator? These are just a tiny sample of the occupations that can be trained for via an apprenticeship in the creative industries.
Without diverse voices and experiences to influence thinking, bring out a wider range of ideas, challenge norms and drive change, organisations risk becoming irrelevant. To shine a light on this, we have recently launched a podcast series on the theme of ‘Build Back Fairer’. We talk to professionals from across the creative and cultural sector and hear from young people at the start of their careers, to explore the impacts and opportunities that may have been heightened by, or arisen, during the pandemic.
Let’s work together to make apprenticeships and fair access an everyday part of how we operate.
At Creative & Cultural Skills, we work to create fair and skilled cultural sector for the next generation of talent by raising awareness and shaping skills, education and employment best practice. For further information, to learn about our current programmes or to contact us, please visit www.ccskills.org.uk
