Generation Now by Paris Ayers

2015

Generation Now

2015

Paris Ayers

An exploration into the future of our creatives as they embark onto their life journeys

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THE ART WORLD IS A UNIQUELY UNREGULATED ENVIRONMENT AND IT CAN LEAVE PEOPLE COMPLETELY HIGH AND DRY -STEVEN CLAYDON, 2015

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BEING CREATIVE IN TODAYS BRITAIN IS BECOMMING INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING. AS THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO GROW, YET JOBS FAIL TO RISE TO ITS DEMAND, STUDENTS ARE BEING FACED WITH THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO DATE. GENERATION NOW ALLOWS YOU TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THESE YOUNG MINDS, CREATING AN UNDERSTANDING TOWARDS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN THEIR SHOES.

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FOCUSING ON THEIR OPINIONS TOWARDS THE CURRENT JOB CLIMATE, THE END OF THEIR STUDIES AND THE START OF THEIR INCREDIBLE JOURNEYS. PARIS AYERS

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INTRODUCING:

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Laura Bennetts

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Laura Bennetts

21 Fashion Communication and Promotion

about to gaduate

About to Graduate

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How do you feel being a young creative in todays britain? I think it’s difficult because the whole world seems to revolve around London. If you want to be successful you have to go to London. If you want an internship it’ll probably be in London; and almost definitely unpaid. If HERES SOME QUOTES you want to be noticed, you haveABOUT to go to HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE London. The thing is, is that it’s expensive INDUSTRY, and asCREATIVE a student I don’t have theFEELS kind of money needed to keepINTO myselfTHE downREAL there SCARY GOING and feed myselfWITH withoutNO being paid. So I WORLD SECURITY. don’tHERES get internships, I don’t get ABOUT opportunities SOME QUOTES becauseHOW I haven’t had internships and I get I FEEL ABOUT THE further and further behind. It’s a vicious CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS circle. I’m good at what I do but fashion SCARY GOING THE REAL internships favor thoseINTO with money. That’s WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. how I see it anyway. It’s not like I don’t want the opportunities. How do you feel about life after uni? I’m feeling positive. I’m just gonna do what I can, say yes to opportunities and try to get my name out there. I want to make something of myself and I want to be happy.

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Alex Esden

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Multimedia Studies

Alex Esden

About to Graduate

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How do you feel being a young creative in todays britain? I’m excited. Design will never go away, there will just be a new way to do it. I suppose that means everyone will start doing everything and I think that’s far more exciting as people will learn how to combine SOME ABOUT new HERES media and createQUOTES new things.

HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE

How do you feel about life after FEELS uni? CREATIVE INDUSTRY,

SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL

Worried. I thinkWITH it will NO take SECURITY. a while to get a WORLD studio job but I enjoy working HERES SOME QUOTESfreelance. ABOUTIt would help to have that mate of a mate and HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE in London paid work isn’t everywhere. I’d CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS like to stay out of it until I have something SCARY GOING REAL other than “graduate” INTO on my THE CV, especially WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. with the job market as competitive as it is. Is it difficult being a creative student? Sort of. You get a lot of people assuming it’s not real “uni work,” especially as its not necessarily academic. I think any creative student would agree that the hours are the hardest bit, but the outcome is always worth it.

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MADELEINE DOGGETT

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Fashion Communication and promotion

about to gaduate

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Madeleine Doggett

About to Graduate

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How do you feel being a young creative in todays Britain? I feel like a small fish in a big pond. How do you feel about life after University?

HERES QUOTES It scares me, ISOME don’t know who I ABOUT am without HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE university. I don’t want to ever grow up, I am CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS an urban peter pan. SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL

WhatWORLD problems WITH do you face regarding the NO SECURITY. future? HERES SOME QUOTES ABOUT

HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS INTO THE REAL Is it SCARY difficult GOING being a creative student? WORLD WITH NO SECURITY.

Probably financial, being edgy is expensive.

Sometimes, its hard to be unique when everyone is trying to do the same thing.

What changes would you make to our job climate? Unpaid internships! - I could not exaggerate this enough.

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Charlotte Pratt

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Fashion Communication and Promotion

about to gaduate

Charlotte Pratt

In her second Year of University

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I feel the creative industry is becoming more open and related politically not just based on trends. I feel we are in a movement of fashion, of where relatable subjects are not being just discussed but are actually translating into the catwalks and throughout our high street fashions. With that said, the creative industry still QUOTES isn’t whereABOUT it needs HERES SOME to be, regarding the job climate. With HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE the amount of creative students increasing, yet CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS the job climate decreasing, it worries me for SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL the future. It’s incredibly competitive WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. Now-a-days which means having a degree SOME QUOTES ABOUT isn’t HERES enough now, you’ve got to go beyond HOWHence I FEEL your studies. whyABOUT I keep soTHE many side projects. CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS

SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL

SomeWORLD being getting involved with internships. WITH NO SECURITY. I honestly couldn’t recommend anything more. My internships have helped me hugely. Such as developing myself as a person, experiencing what I’m going to and has also given me confidence in my university work. It has shown me what I need to aim for and has given me an into get to where I want to be.

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Farrah watts

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Photography

Farrah Watts

About to Graduate

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How do you feel being a young creative in todays How do you feel being a young creative in Britain? todays Britain? I feel that there is much more room for I feel that there is much more room for individuality and experimentation, especially individuality and experimentation, especially with the internet where you are able to express with the internet where able to yourself freely through artyou andare photography. express yourself freely through art and photography. What is your opinion on the creative industry at

HERES SOME QUOTES ABOUT

the moment? I FEELonABOUT THE What isHOW your opinion the creative CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS industry at the moment? It’s a very competitive market, and all about

SCARY GOING THE REAL personal opinion. What INTO some may like, others It’s not. a WORLD very competitive and all about WITH market, NO SECURITY. may personal opinion. What some may like, others HERES SOME QUOTES ABOUT may not. Is it difficult being a creative student? HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS

Is and it difficult being creative student? Yes no. YesGOING in thea sense it isREAL a very SCARY INTOthat THE competitive industry, so could be difficult getting WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. Yesthat and no. Yes in the sense that you. it is aNovery jobs could financially support in the competitive difficult sense that youindustry, are able so to could create,bemake anything could financially support togetting expressjobs yourthat personality and individuality. you. No in the sense that you are able to create, make would anything express yourjob What changes youtomake to our personality and individuality. climate? would you make our more job job I’dWhat makechanges it less competitive and totohave climate? opportunities for aspiring young creatives..

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Alexandra Taylor

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Alexandra Taylor 22 Textiles and Knitwear Design

About to Graduate

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With creative students, I don’t think we get a good wrap in the media, apparently we’re all drug taking, cord wearing hippies (It’s only a half truth). Art subjects are like any other, we have lectures, presentations, we do course work and essays. We have the same stresses as students taking academic subjects. I think many people believe art subjects are pointless and it’s just another few years to SOME QUOTES doss HERES about, these people couldn’tABOUT be further from the truth.I But do IABOUT feel less respected HOW FEEL THE beingCREATIVE one? Well with art department funds INDUSTRY, FEELS constantly being cut, it’s so hard not to feel SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL less respected. Even the way some individuals WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. talk to me about my course is disrespectful, HERES SOME QUOTES ABOUT for example I often get told that my course HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE is just sewing and colouring which is slightly CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS annoying.

SCARY GOING INTO THE REAL

WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. It’s coming to the end of another academic year and you feel the panic set in. I always worry that the 4 years I’ll have been at uni might have been a complete waste of time and money. What is worse is once you leave, you have to start again from zero. I’ll be leaving my job, my friends and my home to fight for jobs which I’m not guaranteed to get- even with a degree. I think fear is in every art student

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Jack Carter

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Illustration

Founder of Pocket Typewriter

Jack Carter

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I never got the chance to say that I went to University. Of course, when I was 20 this is what I wanted and honestly, I thought it was for me. However since being rejected from the University of my choice, finishing my foundation course and moving forward in my life. I now feel that it was the best thing HERES SOME ABOUT to ever happen. The QUOTES creative industry is so HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE challenging and extremely hard to get into CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS and despite my lack of degree status, I have beenSCARY able to GOING start my INTO own greeting card THE REAL and stationary Showing that for WORLD company. WITH NO SECURITY. everyone whoSOME is worried about the future, a HERES QUOTES ABOUT degree HOW is not the end all. I FEEL ABOUT THE

CREATIVE INDUSTRY, FEELS

It makes me extremely happy to know that SCARYare GOING THE REAL my designs being INTO well received through WORLD WITH NO SECURITY. out stores and industry - not having a degree hasn’t held me back. It’s for this reason I was more than happy to be included within ‘Generation Now’ as I want to let worried young creatives know that they can do anything if they set their minds to it and no matter how disheartened they feel right now, stay positive.

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Lauren Mustoe

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Lauren Mustoe

Photography

About to Graduate

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My thoughts on the future? Well... I think it will be very difficult after uni being a creative student because to use the facilities I need to produce my work will cost money, money which I do not have. I understand that I will need to have two jobs to help my financial situation until I find the perfect photography job, or am able to buy the equipment I need. Knowing that one week I could have a photography job and the next, nothing, is extremely daunting. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it any easier knowing that in order to get these jobs, you need to have experience from internships and to get these internships is so difficult. Especially ones within creative companies and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky enough to get them, they will probably be unpaid. This is something I feel needs to change. If I was in charge, I would make available paid internships where you are a valued member of the team - not just a tea maker. It would also be helpful if companies in London could do schemes where they pay for your accommodation whilst you are working a short internship if they cannot pay you.

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Joel Rowe

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Photography

About to Graduate

Joel Rowe

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How do you feel being a young creative in todays Britain? I feel like nobody takes the creative arts seriously even though they all heavily rely on them. Everyone seems to think creative courses are a waste of time yet they all rely on creatives without even knowing it. Is it difficult being a creative student? It’s definitely difficult, but I wouldn’t say any more so than any other type of course. I see my flat mates doing business and marketing civil engineering etc and I know that I would find that too hard and couldn’t do it. Then at the same time they don’t understand the things I do within my course. I suppose it’s just what you’re good at doing. What is your opinion on the creative industry at the moment? I can’t really comment on the industry really as I haven’t been a part of it professionally yet

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Jessica Frank

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Jessica Frank

22 Photography

About to Graduate

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What is your opinion on the creative industry at the moment? It really targets a younger audience with the use of apps and social media, meaning creative practices are widely explored by teenagers, and this is encouraging for the future prospects for the creative industry. Is it difficult being a creative student? No, I find it enjoyable and exciting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be apart of a continually and fast changing degree that keeps you mentally stimulated. What changes would you make to our job climate? Accessibility for fresh graduates, most job prospects are in London, which is unreachable for many of us due to high rent prices, however any job worth doing will have hard competition and a lot of sacrifices.

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WHAT’S MY OPINION?

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How would I change the job industry? Well firstly, I would make creative jobs receive the recognition they deserve. There is a lot of negative stigmas towards creatives. We’re often looked down upon and people often forget how needed we are. It’s a common misconception that we do nothing, we just ‘make things look pretty’. Not only this, I would make sure creative students were guaranteed an internship when they finished their studies and if this isn’t possible, than there is a lot of other changes I would make in order to make it easier for students to get and do internships when they leave full time education. This has effected me first hand. I adore being creative and since I can remember, all I could see myself doing was something in the arts. However your confidence takes a knock when you find yourself competing against hundreds of other talented students, for the same unpaid internship at a small business that would cost you more than your car to even get to. It’s all so backwards, it’s disheartening.

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This project was extremely personal to me, as I too am in the same position as these creatives. The position of being nervous, excited, scared and worried about the future. By creating Generation Now, it has allowed me to understand that we are all in the same position. How we are feeling is normal and should be celebrated, this book embraces this. Thank you

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