Last month, in the Gather Round main event space at Brunswick Square we hosted an evening showcase event for the TRACKING course students ran by Noods Levels CIC and Fiasco.
The students had the chance to showcase their work alongside talks and panel discussions on navigating the early stages of a design career in Bristol. For students, the event was an opportunity to network, gain insights, and raise a glass to all the hard work they poured into their time on TRACKING. For others, it was a great moment to come together to celebrate and support Bristol’s buzzing design community.
We heard wise words from the panel James Ratcliffe, Founder and Creative Director of Rhombus Studio and Alex Holmes, Graphic Designer at Noods Levels CIC and Kendra Futcher, Chair of West of England Design Forum; plus gems of advice from our hosts Izzy Cross, Director at Noods Levels and Ben Steers, Co Founder and Director of Fiasco.
Nathalie Crease Head of Marketing at Fiasco commented:
‘As a certified B Corp company, we’re determined to use our influence to help make the design industry more accessible for the next generation. Whether this is through internships, talks, or partnerships like this one with Noods Levels—it’s really important to us as a studio that we’re encouraging creatives from all backgrounds to pursue a career in design.’
Over a period of eight weeks, the six young designers on the TRACKING course tackled a challenging brief set by Fiasco. Their task was to create a brand for a fictional new design industry event series, ON TRACK, aimed at breaking down professional and social barriers for young people entering the field. Guided by Fiasco mentors, Exec Creative Director Ben and Design Director Julia, the budding designers worked to create an event poster, including a logo and supporting graphics.
The final artworks were all showcased in a ‘gallery’ here at Gather Round for all attendees to view and celebrate. The guest list for the evening featured founders of small creative businesses, established freelancers in the design industry and members of the co-working space as well as the students and their mentors.
Izzy Cross, Noods Levels mentioned that…
“It was such a great atmosphere and the perfect way to top off our third term of TRACKING. Our mission is to boost the Portfolios, Networks and confidence and this event really encapsulated that. We are very grateful for Fiasco Design who ran this project and for gathering round who hosted the amazing evening.”
Noods Levels are now fully in planning mode for 2025 so keep an eye on their website and follow their socials to be the first to hear about their next initiative.
And if you’re looking for a spot to host an event, our main event space at Brunswick Square is perfect for panel talks, networking events and gigs. Get in contact with our events team for more info: [email protected]. To keep up to date with the latest news and events, give us a follow on Instagram.
We were delighted to take part in this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week, an industry-led initiative designed to provide young people aged 11-18, from England, with encounters and experiences of the creative industries through in-school, workplace and online opportunities.
In partnership with Speakers for Schools, these brilliant Bristol Creative Industries members provided virtual work experience sessions covering PR, marketing, advertising, film, TV and more:
Stuff Advertising | Modular Digital | Carnsight Communications | Fable & Verse | McCann | AMBITIOUS | Team Eleven | Hybrid | Sunhouse Creative | Taxi Studio | Stratton Craig | Shaped By | Enviral | Conscious Solutions | Fiasco Design | The Bottle Yard Studios | Beeston Media | JonesMillbank | Studio Giggle | Distortion Studios
The sessions, managed by Bristol Creative Industries membership and operations manager Alli Nicholas and internship programme manager Clare Leczycki, featured talks about life in the creative sector, myth busting, the huge variety of different roles, and career pathways.
In between the talks, the young people were split into groups to research roles in the industry and consider their own values. They also worked on an example marketing campaign, including the problem they were they trying to solve and the marketing strategy. At the end of the final day, they presented their ideas.
We were really impressed by the young people who took part. Big thanks to attendee Imani Joseph-Obiorah for sharing this great post about the first day. Click on the image to read a larger version on LinkedIn.
Here are great posts from some of the agencies about why they took part and their experiences during the events:
Nina Whittaker, Stratton Craig:
“Having discovered copywriting through a careers event myself, I know that events like Discover Creative Careers Week can genuinely change lives.
“A platform like this helps demystify the often lesser-known world of creative careers, opening minds to possibility and hopefully inspiring a new generation of talent. The whole process was imaginative, incredibly well-organised, and a privilege to be a part of. And it was easy to see that the students found it beneficial – they were engaged, curious and enthusiastic, and I was really impressed by their insightful questions, comments and feedback.”
Sally Knapton, Sunhouse Creative:
“It’s never felt more important to be supporting the creative industry and inspiring future talent is absolutely key to this. It was impressive to hear the students’ pitches off the back of three days of agency interactions – encouraging for the future of the creative industries!
“On a personal note, it took me a fair amount of trial and error to discover the brand design side of the industry even existed! So making ourselves visible and talking more about our part of the industry is something I feel really passionately about.”
Katharine Eriksson, McCann:
“McCann Bristol’s involvement with DCCW gave me the opportunity to show and say what I’d love to say to my younger schoolgirl self.
“I truly hope we managed to make an impact on the young people, show them their voices absolutely matter, and that they are welcome with open arms to the advertising industry and McCann!”
Daisy Martin, McCann:
“It was a great opportunity to bring attention to the variety of roles we have here at McCann. Hopefully, we were able to provide some insights on how advertising agency’s work and what we all get up to in our day-to-day.
“The questions at the end were really well thought out and insightful and makes me think many of the listeners would thrive in the advertising industry.”
Patrick Mbele, McCann:
“Speaking was an incredibly enjoyable experience. It was refreshing to see their genuine curiosity and enthusiasm as we talked about my role and the path I took to get here.
“Their questions were thoughtful and engaging, making the conversation lively and meaningful. I hope the session sparked some ideas and confidence in them to explore their own unique paths.”
Nick Farrar, Shaped By:
“We have a number of work experience students here each year and we’re always really enthused at how genuine and enthusiastic young people are about what our sector can offer.
“Inviting people into your studio is always good fun, it’s an investment of time that we never regret, but it was great to have a chance to reach a much wider audience for a short amount of time. Giving them access to a wide range of agencies over a two-day period is a top opportunity.”
Richard Spruce, Stuff Advertising:
“It was great to be involved in DCCW and I was really impressed with the students.
“To see how far they had come in a matter of days was quite incredible and speaks volumes to their attitude and all of the great help and advice Bristol Creative Industries had been able to offer them.”
A key focus at Bristol Creative Industries is boosting workforce diversity in creative businesses and helping to grow the talent pipeline for our members.
As well as our groundbreaking Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme with Bristol-based agencies, we provide other opportunities for members such as participating in Discover Creative Careers Week.
We have also committed to an annual programme of round tables with key post 16 education providers in the region including colleges, academies and universities.
Our aim is to promote creative careers to staff and career advisers, drive applications to our internship programme and explore how we can promote the creative industries to students already studying.
By joining the Bristol Creative Industries Talent Programme as a partner, you’ll help to fund all of our activities that support underrepresented groups entering the creative industries. Your support is vital to ensure we have a healthy and diverse talent pipeline.
For more details, contact Alli Nicholas, BCI membership and operations manager, at [email protected], or Lis Anderson, BCI co-chair, at [email protected]
Bristol’s globally respected Encounters film festival will make a comeback in September next year following a change of management which sees Dave Taylor-Matthews take over as Executive Director.
The festival – widely praised for its knack of discovering new talent – cancelled its 2024 edition and cast doubts about the future after it was hit by a series of challenges triggered by Brexit’s impact on access to European funding and the pandemic.
But now Dave Taylor-Matthews, a veteran producer of festivals and live cinema events in the UK and beyond, is working on a re-launch – fixing 24 to 28 September 2025 as the dates of the landmark 30th Encounters and opening the call for entries.
He says:
“There is no way that Bristol, a UNESCO City of Film, nor the sector was prepared to let go of a festival which has a 30 year track record of showcasing brilliant short film, nurturing emerging film-makers and identifying talent and whose alumni include such stand-out figures as Andrea Arnold, Rungano Nyoni, Ruben Östlund, Martin McDonagh, Lynne Ramsay, and Denis Villeneuve.
“We are determined to lead the fight against ‘enshittification’ and are powering ahead with a 2025 programme which will screen bold and inventive new works, feature headline events of wide appeal, provide a space where new creative projects and partnerships are born and where all film fans feel welcome. 30 years of Encounters deserves an epic celebration!”
Entries are being invited now via www.filmfreeway.com/encountersfilmfestival for live action, animated, documentary or experimental films of under 40 mins in length and (to make up for the 2024 festival’s cancellation), completed on or after 1 January 2023.
There will be cash prizes for the top performing films in competition for the international and national grand prix plus the chance to qualify for entry to the British Independent Film Awards or BAFTAs &/or get nominated for a European Film Award.
Among those welcoming the return of Encounters to Bristol’s events calendar are Aardman co-founder David Sproxton; Mark Cosgrove, Cinema Curator at Watershed, and Natalie Moore, manager of Bristol Film Office and of the Bristol UNESCO City of Film programme.
Natalie Moore says:
“For thirty years, Encounters has played a pivotal role for Bristol; nurturing and springboarding film talent, leading industry conversations, and elevating our international profile. The festival’s return in 2025 is fantastic news for both filmmakers and audiences, and the 30th edition promises to be a celebration of everything Encounters does best – gathering film lovers, filmmakers and industry figureheads to enjoy the best shorts around and create film experiences to remember.”
To stay up to date with Encounters’ news, sign-up for the free e-bulletin via the festival’s website at www.encounters.film or find/follow the festival’s accounts on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo or YouTube.
Over the years, Gather Round has been a home to many creatives but two industries have always been prevalent: music and design. With the likes of Crack, Pirate Studios,Fiasco Design and The Discourse being proud members of our community — it was high time we hosted a hangout to ask our network to discuss the indisputable overlap.
Last week we gathered in our cosy meeting room to listen to some of Bristol’s creative moguls discuss the profound parallels of music and design. With Pizzarova supplying slices of the good stuff, we took to our seats and immediately the vibe felt like old friends getting together.
Amy is the Managing Director, Co-Founder and driving force at Hey! What? studio, a design agency specialising in music, festivals, food, drink and attractions. With a background steeped in the free party scene, Amy draws inspiration from underground culture and has worked alongside some big names in the music industry including Glastonbury Festival, Eats Everything and Massive Attack.
While studying design at university, Todd spent his nights out pitching his skills to DJs, promoters, and venues, turning casual conversations into creative opportunities. He quickly built up an impressive repertoire and founded Electric Mustard 12 years ago, a design agency catering to music, events and culture. More recently, he’s started his own record label, People Like Music. He’s been a key player in The Official Charts rebrand, the making of Drumcode’s website and Ben Howard’s tour artwork.
Music and design have always been a theme in Nat’s life. While studying design at university, you’d spot her on street corners, handing out flyers that she’d created for the events she was busy organising. Her career has taken her through the music world, working with DHP, Rock City Promoters, and the Colombo Group, where she managed iconic venues like XOYO and Jazz Café. And now she’s Head of Marketing at Fiasco, a Bristol design agency.
Ed is the MD and founder of The Discourse, a design agency that helps businesses and charities shift the narrative. His creative journey started at just 15, working in a record shop in the 90s in Stokes Croft and being a big part of Bristol’s underground scene. Ed simultaneously runs his own record label and a design studio right in the heart of Bristol.
Our first question was one poised on many of the audience’s lips. Todd jumped in and explained that when the cost of design is too high – “collaboration is key”. Amy emphasised that being accessible is crucial and that she has no desire to “gatekeep” information from emerging brands. “DIY is part of the culture, it’s how most events and sound systems started” and she intended to honour that philosophy. Working with smaller artists and brands always comes “full circle”, Ed pointed out. When you work with a grassroots organisation you get to grow alongside them and share their success. Nat made a point that “there is money in the industry, it’s just distributed unevenly” at which there was a collective nod of agreement throughout the room.
With culture so deeply ingrained in design and music, it’s impossible to ignore. Kendra raised an important question when it comes to appropriation. Nat stressed the importance of teams understanding music and design and hiring correctly for those roles. The panellists all agreed that working to what you know is important and one attendee, Blaise, expressed that, “Bristol is a melting pot of culture and backgrounds – creatives should tap into this”.
Ed talked about the intrinsic link of album artwork and his early days as a DJ, he explained that when he was doing a set, back in the 90s, the record covers were so important for him to transition his tunes. “When you’re mixing records, the artwork becomes a part of the experience,” he said. “We’re not just talking design – we’re talking art.”
The discussion then progressed to talk about the designer’s physical process when creating and how music influences that. Todd said that listening to a lineup when designing posters is “key to getting in the right headspace”. He spoke about music having so much “emotion and intangibility” that it can be a great creative source. Amy agreed and shared an anecdote about the speaker in Hey, What?’s studio is often causing rifts amongst the team due to the eclectic mix of music tastes.
The event’s conversation highlighted the intersection of two creative realms that are central to Gather Round’s community. From the role of grassroots collaboration to the emotional energy music brings to design, the panellists left us inspired and buzzing with ideas.
This event was one of five others that we put on to celebrate Gather Round’s fifth birthday. Previously, we’ve talked Breaking Boundaries, Community: A Force for Good and Building Creative Resilience. Got FOMO? Don’t worry, the ‘Gather Round Presents’ series of free events for the creative community was so popular we’ve decided to keep it going next year. Our next free event will be hosted in our brand new space early 2025. Keep your eyes peeled.
Thinking of hosting your own event? Our production spaces are up for hire and we’ve got a whole host of options to suit your needs. Whether it’s a team workshop, a community event or an intimate panel talk – we’ve got you covered. Tucked just a stone’s throw away from the city centre (although you’d never know the hustle and bustle is right outside), our production spaces have soft lighting, colourful decor and a cosy energy. The cosy meeting room is our newest room available for hire; to celebrate the launch of this space, we’re offering 50% OFF your first booking with us. Get in touch with our events team to explore the options. Just drop Hannah an email: [email protected]
Halo has launched it’s event series – Halo Revelations.
Hosted by Nick Clarkson, the first Halo Revelations event, “Putting AI to Work,” was eye-opening to the many possibilities Artificial Intelligence brings to branding and marketing. The event promised to reshape approaches to these crucial aspects of business, and it did not disappoint.
Kicking off the talks, Kerry Harrison, shared insights into the groundbreaking tools shaping the future. From creating the world’s first AI gin to utilising tools like ChatGPT Bard, Bing, and Claude Co-Pilot for writing, Kerry emphasised the role of AI in saving time on research and planning. AI, according to Kerry, is a powerful ally that generates ideas and information quickly, allowing for the creation of first drafts and structures.
One key takeaway was the importance of understanding what AI can and cannot do. Kerry stressed that while AI is a valuable tool, human intelligence is essential for strategy, creative thinking, and research. The message was clear:
“AI is a Collaborator, not a Successor.” – Kerry Harrison
Neil Collard delved into the adoption of AI, citing Moore’s Law and Martec’s Law as foundations for understanding the rapid evolution of technology. His presentation centered on the AI Maturity Model, emphasising the importance of alignment, commitment, and ambition.
Neil urged businesses to be ahead of the curve, stating that delays in adopting AI could result in being left behind. He presented a thought-provoking idea: the alignment-adoption-ambition framework, encouraging businesses to sacrifice the sacrosanct and be open to change for success.
During her talk, Tanya Sharma focused on the transformation of customer experience through AI. She emphasised the importance of the client and customer relationship:
“Customer is King.” – Tanya Sharma
AI, when used, introduces new opportunities in customer experience, offering personalised interactions at scale, enhancing customer support through chatbots, and optimising marketing strategies through data analysis and predictive modelling.
Stepping in for Nick Ellis, Hannah Strickland, and Paul Bailey demystified the hype around AI integration. They revealed that Halo has seamlessly integrated AI into their workflow. During the talk, they gave a case study on a recent branding project they completed for a client, in which they used AI-generated images for the brand. The pair emphasised how AI can provide longevity and quick delivery for a client when on-brand images are created, through the use of AI and specific image prompts
AI can be used in agencies for numerous areas from social content to strategy planning. In practice image prompts can be used as a distinctive asset for a brand. ChatGPT was praised as a valuable collaborator, a partner in ideation that provides a fresh perspective.
“Think of AI as the other person in the room you are bouncing ideas off.” – Paul Bailey
Both Hannah and Paul encouraged a simplified approach, suggesting that AI is like having a parent with infinite patience, allowing strategists to think freely.
From content creation to customer experience, the event showcased AI as a catalyst for unlocking success. The key takeaway was clear: AI is not here to replace but to empower, and adopting it responsibly is the key to staying ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of business and creativity. Don’t be left behind – It is time to Integrate and experiment with AI.
Article was written by Kayjay McDonald-Ferguson (ex-intern at Halo)
Find original article here
City of Bristol College has been accredited with the matrix Standard, a recognised quality benchmark. This achievement highlights the college’s success in delivering high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) services, further enhancing its reputation as a leader in education and student support.
Achieving the matrix Standard accreditation confirms that City of Bristol College has successfully demonstrated its ability to provide high-quality IAG services to its students and stakeholders.
Roger Chapman, Head of the matrix Service for The Growth Company, applauded the college’s accomplishment, saying: “This is a fantastic achievement for City of Bristol College and I would like to congratulate the team on their success. We believe that at the heart of high-quality advice and support services are strong leadership, excellent service and a focus on continuous improvement, all underpinned by effective use of resources.
“The matrix Standard is designed to benchmark organisations against best practices in these areas. With this accreditation, City of Bristol College demonstrates its commitment to delivering outstanding guidance and support to its students and clients, ensuring they have the tools to succeed both academically and personally.”
Head of Student Experience, Jenna Cains, expressed pride in the accomplishment: “We are incredibly proud to have achieved Matrix accreditation, a testament to our unwavering commitment to supporting the personal development and careers-related learning of our students. This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our outstanding student experience team and student support services, whose tireless efforts in preparing for the Matrix assessment have truly set us apart.
“Achieving Matrix accreditation is a huge milestone for us and a reflection of the exceptional work of our team. Their dedication to enriching students’ personal and professional growth has been fundamental in meeting the rigorous standards of the assessment. This recognition underscores the importance we place on delivering high-quality career support and personal development, ensuring every student is empowered for success.”
By meeting the matrix Standard’s rigorous criteria, the college demonstrates its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of students and the community while maintaining a focus on excellence.
My name is Michael James, I am a driven postgraduate part of the Bristol UWE Alumni. I am known for:
Thriving in social environments and building strong professional relationships.
Demonstrating an unwavering work ethic and relentless pursuit of goals.
Embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
Balancing academic rigor with a love for sports and active lifestyle.
My current area of work is UX/UI design and digital marketing, with a passion for enhancing brand images in the digital space. Currently exploring opportunities to collaborate on projects that push the boundaries of digital design and marketing. Keen to contribute my skills to forward-thinking teams and exciting initiatives in this dynamic field.
If you would like to learn more about myself and have any positions open..
Please contact me!
07873168911
https://mikeyj100.github.io/portfoliopage/
Becoming a member of Bristol Creative Industries brings many benefits. We regularly add new opportunities so here is a guide to the latest benefits you can enjoy by signing up. This post is regularly updated.
Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month.
Showcase your best work and attract new clients with a company profile in the Bristol Creative Industries member directory. The directory receives lots of visits every month from people looking for services from creative businesses.
Got some business advice or news to share? As a Bristol Creative Industries member you can self-publish content on our website and it will automatically appear on your member profile. We upgrade great content to the newsfeed and homepage, while four posts by members are included in our monthly email newsletter.
To get an idea of the content topics that do well, here are the top 20 most popular posts by members in 2023.
Bristol Creative Industries member Jessica Morgan from Carnsight Communications discussed the benefits of posting content in this interview.
The Bristol Creative Industries jobs board attracts thousands of job hunters every month. As part of your membership, you can post unlimited free job adverts, saving you on average £3,500 per candidate.
Piers Tincknell, co-founder of Atomic Smash, is one of BCI’s longest serving members and he told us in a member profile interview how he regularly uses the jobs board to recruit new employees.
BCI’s monthly members’ lunches are a perfect opportunity for members to catch up with fellow members and the BCI team.
Everyone has a slot of up to three minutes to tell the others a little about who they are and what they do and share any news and/or challenges. You don’t need to fill the full three minutes. We usually find some common themes emerge to discuss over the course of the session. It’s all very informal with no need to stand up and present slides.
The events are free to attend for members. They are a mix of in person and virtual events. The in person sessions are at The Square Club in Bristol and include a free buffet lunch.
Check the events section of details of the next lunches.
Our flagship keynote events and workshops feature world class speakers sharing their expertise. It’s a unique opportunity to access valuable insights for growing your business. Bristol Creative Industries members receive a ticket discount.
An example of a keynote event is the brilliant presentation on social media trends delivered in March 2024 by Drew Benvie, founder of global social media consultancy Battenhall.
He returns for the 2025 edition on 25 February. Early bird BCI member tickets are £25 +VAT until Tuesday 31st December, and £35 +VAT after that.
Our first keynote event in 2025 is an amazing one! Join us at Bristol’s Amazement Park on 28 January to hear the amazing story behind Wake The Tiger. Early bird BCI member tickets are £30 +VAT until 30th November, and £40 +VAT after that. Register here.
Our regular freelancer networking drinks are free with a free drink for members. In 2025, they take place at 5.30 – 8pm on 4 February, 1 April, 10 June, 9 September and 11 November. Register via our events section.
Keen an eye on the events section for the latest events. You can also sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin to be notified of events.
Big thanks to everyone who joined us at @SquareClifton last night for the Bristol Creative Industries freelancer networking drinks ☀️ 🍷
Sign up to the BCI Bulletin to be notified of new events: https://t.co/5WgBWPoN1C#BristolCreativeIndustries #Bristol #freelancers pic.twitter.com/1BvT60KZFp
— Bristol Creative Industries (@Bristol_CI) June 21, 2023
Wake Up Call is a member exclusive live webinar that takes place every other Friday at 8.30-9am. The content is delivered by members for members.
Attending the free event gives you access to valuable insights from your fellow members and if you host a Wake Up Call, you can share your expertise and attract potential new clients.
See details for upcoming Wake Up Call events in our events section.
If you’re a BCI member and you’d liked to deliver a presentation on a topic of your choice during Wake Up Call, email Dan Martin.
Research shows that diverse teams are more creative problem solvers, bringing fresh perspectives to solutions, against the echo-chamber effect that results when people in a business come from too-similar backgrounds. With a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, employees feel valued and that they belong.
To help Bristol Creative Industries members achieve this, we have partnered with The Hobbs Consultancy to provide on demand equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) e-learning.
The CPD certified online course consists of modules to help you bring about positive change in your business, understand the key challenges in the way for different groups, and explore your own biases and how to overcome them.
The training modules take an in-depth look at different diversity and inclusion topics: race, disability, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, gender (split into female leadership, masculinity, gender identity), age and social mobility in the workplace.
The price of the training for BCI members is £120+VAT. All profits will be ploughed back into our youth engagement activity.
To access this brilliant training opportunity, log into your Bristol Creative Industries account and click on the ‘members’ training’ section.
The regular BCI Walk & Talk networking sessions are for a group of 12 BCI members who don their walking boots and explore the stunning countryside around Bristol and Bath.
It’s a great opportunity for members to make some new connections whilst getting some much needed fresh air!
Keen an eye on the events section for details of the next outdoor networking event. You can also sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin to be notified of events.
We host regular roundtables for agency leaders to discuss strategic challenges. These events are vital for us to hear from the member community about the key issues you are facing and how we can help. A roundtable on funding led to us creating this popular and regularly updated guide to the latest finance on offer to creative businesses.
If you are interested in getting involved with future roundtables, email Sian Pitman.
Reductions on co-working spaces, meeting rooms, hotel accommodation, a recruitment strategy review and a coffee subscription are just some of the many discounts and offers we’ve negotiated for members.
We regularly deliver other member benefits, such as a free people strategy surgery in January, March and May 2025.
To stay updated on the latest benefits, sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin.
Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month.
If you have any questions about membership, email Alli Nicholas
Launched with a successful pilot in 2023, the Bristol Creative Industries programme, in partnership with Babbasa, is aimed at young people aged 18-30 from under-represented backgrounds who want to gain more insight and real experience in the creative industries.
Brilliant agencies from the Bristol Creative Industries member community provide paid placements for the interns over six months.
The structure of the internship programme means that our interns spend Monday to Thursday working within the agencies and come together as a cohort on a Friday for a skills and training day.
The Friday sessions allow them to reflect on their internship experiences and pick up a range of other skills such as CV writing, building brilliant LinkedIn profiles, networking, how to navigate the workplace, and developing healthy work habits.
Other sessions were focused on technical skills and included managing a creative brief, digital accessibility, data analytics and SEO. As part of the programme, the group also attended the Building Brands Conference and worked on social media for Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Alongside the practical skills sessions, this year’s cohort was tasked with working on a live brief to develop a suite of material that could be used to educate, inform and inspire other young people considering a career in the creative industries.
Often, opportunities in the creative sector pass young people by, simply because they don’t know enough about the sector and the wealth of opportunities available. Across the region, we know that BCI members are worried about the potential long term skills shortages and a lack of diversity within the sector. To address this we need to get the creative industries in the minds of young people much earlier so that they view the creative industries as a viable and fulfilling career choice.
The live brief allowed the interns to work as a team, showcase and develop their skills and specialisms, and produce work they could include in their portfolios going forward. It’s also a lasting legacy that we can build on to support our outreach activities with local schools, colleges and universities.
“Create engaging and informative promotional materials aimed at young people interested in entering the creative industries (specifically creative agencies). These materials should explore and explain various job roles and required skill sets within the industry.”
The group began by discussing the brief and fleshing out the nuances and areas they wanted to focus on. Getting into the creative industry for a young person, particularly from an under-represented group, can be challenging, so we were keen to use this opportunity to create some assets and resources that would help young people better understand the different roles and departments with a creative agency.
The group split into groups (based on their individual strengths) to develop the strategy and research, production elements (filming and interviews), and design the digital assets.
As part of the initial research, the strategy team looked at the importance of diversity in the creative industries. Based on their own experiences and some further research, they explored some of the reasons why young people can find it hard to get into the industry.
They also undertook some research into some of the potential barriers to entry for young people whilst also exploring why diversity is so important in creative teams.
In order to address some of these issues to demystify what it means to work in a creative agency, the interns looked at the different team structures, job roles and types of projects, campaigns and products that are produced.
From their own experiences and their research, the team felt representation was key in promoting these job roles to the next generation of talent. They selected six people from the BCI membership, all from diverse backgrounds, to share their insights, pathways, and top tips for working in a digital agency.
As part of their campaign, the team were keen to create an impact to:
They decided to create three different assets:
The film crew sourced equipment, put together a production schedule and interview questions, and spent two days visiting our guest interviewees in their place of work gathering content. It was an intense shoot but everyone worked as a team and played to their strengths. They captured six interviews which then needed to be edited and shaped into bitesize content.
The interviewees were:
Meanwhile, the design team made the digital assets that the content would feed into, creating infographics, and social media post templates. They used the BCI branding as a guide but wanted to bring in elements to make sure the designs appealed to a young audience and were both inclusive and representative.
Job roles within a creative agency:
Instagram carousel:
Social media posts:
Once the interviews were complete, the team spent time pulling out the key quotes and messaging that could then be used for some social media posts which included top tips for working in the industry, pathways to creative careers, potential barriers to work, and the importance of diversity in the sector.
Webpage wireframe examples:
As part of their workflow, the group presented their research and designs back to the BCI team for feedback and suggestions. We are so impressed with their work and are keen to use it to create a resource pack we can send out to education providers and youth groups to help spread the word about creative jobs.
Watch the final film here:
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The interns will soon complete their Bristol Creative Industries internship placements and are looking for their next opportunity. If you have a role that you think may be suitable for one of this year’s interns, please get in touch with [email protected] asap before they get snapped up!
Here are some useful resources to help young people find opportunities in the creative industries, including internships and junior level roles:
Following heaps of positive feedback since the last Gather Round free event Community: A force for good we’re back again with the last in the series this year.
Join us and a panel of experts in the cosy meeting room at Brunswick Square on Wednesday 4th December 12.30 – 2pm sign up here to get your spot on the guest list!
We’ll be asking the audience to participate in this open discussion around: ‘music and design and how the two industries influence each other.’
Introducing the panel…
Nathalie is Head of Marketing and Partnerships at brand and digital agency, Fiasco. After studying design at Falmouth University, she fell into marketing accidentally in order to sell tickets for her music events.
Nathalie went on to establish a career in music marketing in London. Working for national and international promoters, she promoted a wide range of artists, from Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran to Jamie XX and Moodymann. Collaborating with designers, producers, artists and their agents, Nathalie has experience marketing sell-out Wembley Stadium shows, national tours, and the UK’s best club nights. Now working at Fiasco, she brings her deep knowledge of arts and culture to the team—as well as endless mix recommendations that everyone must surely be sick of by now.
Founder of Electric Mustard, with a deep passion for music and design. Todd loves how intertwined the two are, both are ‘sensory’. He sees design in many ways as ‘An extension of sound, it can create a personification that starts feeding the story before hearing anything. The design side of things can be used for both expression and communication which is great for keeping work interesting.’
He’s had the pleasure of working on projects for music brands like Official Charts; record labels such as Drumcode, Nervous, and V-Recordings; artists including Ben Howard, Dimension, and Louie Vega; as well as events and venues like Rise Festival, SXM Festival, Arcadia, Alexandra Palace, and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
With over 15 years in the advertising industry, Amy Gettings co-launched Hey! What? in 2019, driven by a passion for the industries she loves music, events, tourism, food, and drink.
The agency quickly made its mark, creating bold branding, eye-catching animations, and standout campaigns for iconic names like Glastonbury Festival, Love Saves the Day, Bristol Beacon, and renowned artists such as Eats Everything, Crazy P, and Richy Ahmed. Most recently they have launched their first TV and national campaign for Elvis Evolution, an immersive experience launching in May 2025.
Amy and her team understand that great campaigns are more than just visuals—they’re about storytelling that resonates at every touchpoint, merchandise to digital activations to live experiences. It’s this meticulous approach to audience insight and creative execution that has cemented Hey! What?’s reputation as a go-to agency for the music, events, and entertainment sectors.
Having worked in the creative industries for over 15 years, Ed’s background in design and music brings an insightful perspective to our event.
Ed founded The Discourse (formerly Garrett Creative) in 2017 and leads on strategy, growth and design effectiveness. His work prior to the agency in electronic music included managing a record shop on Stokes Croft in the late 90’s, running an independent record label, and working as a production engineer in studios.
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