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]
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:
On 24th September, the Prime Minister announced plans to change apprenticeships to provide greater flexibility – in response, we had a great roundtable at the Engine Shed, with inputs from all aspects of the apprenticeship picture. This article focusses on support.
There are important steps leading up to apprenticeships, from work experience to more formal bootcamps. Jane Coulter previously worked for IntoFilm, and now runs the West of England Film/High-End TV Workforce Development Programme from The Bottle Yard studios. It is designed to de-mystify the industry and open up those craft roles that range from camera, lighting and locations to set building and costume. It’s just started its 3rd round with an Intro Webinar on October 7th with 100 participants, and a process that whittles those down to provide a 5-week course for the 20 top candidates, hosted online and at The Bottle Yard. So far, 15 people have been taken on by the production companies working at the Studios or other businesses servicing production in the region .
The programme is funded by the West of England Combined Authority, but this funding ends in March 2025 and other sources are currently being explored. Can we identify the natural next step for public-sector support?
Jane Deane and Katie Green from the Western Training Providers Network connects training and education providers across the West of England to share opportunities, best practices, and collaborate for maximum impact. It also operates the region’s Levy Share scheme, in which companies with a payroll more than £3m and thus subject to the Levy can gift their payment to other companies.
They will support the crucial 5 steps to success :
Research: identifying apprenticeship standards and crafting a bespoke Apprenticeship Development Plan tailored to the company needs.
Find a Training Provider: arranging meetings, facilitating handovers, and assisting with paperwork once the provider has been selected.
Advertise: helping to write ads to attract diverse applicants, creating promotional materials, and sharing vacancies via the WTPN network and social media.
Funding Options: exploring available funding based on the apprentice’s age.
Set Up for Success: Supporting with shortlisting, interviews, and contracts to ensure a smooth start
And they’re easy to find – based in Engine Shed, and with regular drop-in sessions :
Engine Shed, Temple Meads, Bristol – Every Wednesday, 9am – 1pm
Future Space, Stoke Gifford, Bristol – The first Thursday of the Month, 10am – 12.00pm
The latest addition to the WTPN support network is the BBC! – Louise Brown is their Industry Partnership Manager.
Funding covers the training cost, but not the apprentices’ wages. The final thought from the meeting was “Why Not?”
On 24th September, the Prime Minister announced plans to change apprenticeships to provide greater flexibility – in response, we had a great roundtable at the Engine Shed, with inputs from all aspects of the apprenticeship picture. This article focusses on the industry.
James Ellis, Business Development Manager at Creative Alliance talked through their approach. They have a team of 30 people operating from Birmingham, and providing blended learning for the apprentices they support – 1:1 coaching, seminars and peer learning as well as training. It’s part of a “spiral staircase” approach, where each step for the individual leads to an opportunity. James’ slide deck is below.
They provide particular support to neurodiverse people – those with lateral thinking and creative brains that may not fit conventional education.They work with corporates who pay the Apprenticeship Levy as well as microbusinesses, with schemes at Level 3 (A Level), Level 4 (Foundation degree) through to Level 7 (Masters) to cover Production Management.Apprenticeships are a great way to develop your established team – local companies such as Our Media currently focus on this benefit. You can watch James’ presentation below.
Lydia Thornton from Professional Apprenticeships talked through how apprenticeships can address issues of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and are especially relevant in areas of defined deprivation such as South Bristol. Their apprenticeships focus on Content Creation, Marketing and more technical pathways. They focus on 18-24s, many of whom have studied film and photography. Their advice includes things such as the value of having a driving licence – something many young people don’t consider – or can’t afford.
Nick Young-Wolfe moved for the Creative Youth Network to set up MUTI Live – providing apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps across a wide range of professions in the live arts & events sector, for people at all stages of their career. He made the point that most careers guides in schools and colleges simply don’t know about the type of jobs in the industry, and that apprenticeships are the only route into the industry that is not debt-laden.
Infact, whilst apprenticeships may lead to university (or university-equivalent qualifications) whilst people are also earning a living, attending university shuts off access to apprenticeships!
Rachel Drummond Hay and Kibibi White from Drummer TV brought the industry perspective.
Rachel pointed out that creative microbusiness need to have 18 months of funded business ahead in order to host an apprentice (something that could be helped by the “flexi-job” approach, with multiple hosts, but is very challenging to organise). Drummer have years of learning from a strong work-experience programme as the first step in the “staircase”, and take on apprentices from that talent pool because they can learn their craft in “the Drummer Way”, when many graduates have to “unlearn” their practices to make their way inside the industry.
A strong learning culture within the company is a key to success. Kibibi is their latest recruit, supported by Cirencester College, and learning both inside and outside the office on an 80:20 model with roughly 1 day per week in the classroom. Duncan Fraser from A Productions pointed out that the “classroom time” can be front-loaded into the apprenticeship period with a 2-week block that can help get the apprentice work-ready.
Carmela Carrubba from Real SFX is also a passionate advocate for apprenticeships. Headquartered in Cardiff but now setting up at The BottleYard Studios, they have adapted the Level 3 Creative Digital Media apprenticeship to include special effects. Bizarrely, this can be done with the Welsh CDM course, but not the one in England… They have an 80% retention rate for their apprentices.
These are the people that are making apprenticeships work for our sector, and their companies are benefitting hugely. With the government also looking to energise skills development, we’ll look at the support that’s available in next week’s article.
Voice actor and founder of BRAVA (Bristol Academy of Voice Acting) Melissa Thom, has become a full voting member of BAFTA.
Melissa will now have a say in the winners of the Academy’s annual BAFTA Games Awards, which are presented annually to recognise, honour and reward outstanding creative achievement in games. The Awards are voted by an expert membership of over 1200 experienced professionals and are watched by millions online.
Melissa and BRAVA’s team of master coaches have trained hundreds of people in Bristol and beyond to become professional voice actors, with many already working in the gaming industry.
BRAVA has connections with games production companies and bodies across the UK and internationally. Melissa and her team work to support those coming up in the profession, liaising with industry stalwarts and championing diversity. Melissa’s gaming work as a voice actor includes roles in ZeniMax’s The Elder Scrolls (Necrom and Gold Road) and Grand Theft Auto V.
Melissa is British, with Indian-African heritage, and feels strongly about the need for diversity in the gaming sector. Melissa said:
“The online games industry is estimated to be worth almost $28 billion worldwide, dwarfing the film and music industries. It’s thriving and has a powerful influence. As the popularity of gaming continues on its upwards march, it’s critical that people from all backgrounds see themselves represented in games.
I am thrilled to be recognised by the Academy for all the work we do behind the scenes to support and guide voice actors and improve working conditions and diversity within gaming. I’m also committed to supporting the gaming community in the South West, which is a hot bed of creative talent.”
Melissa invites any actors in the South West with significant gaming experience to get in touch with her if they need support or advice.
-ENDS-
About BRAVA
Founded by experienced voice actor and communications consultant, Melissa Thom, BRAVA brings together acting and voice experts from the UK & US to deliver best in class training and advice about the industry.
At BRAVA, all learning is done online, meaning students can learn at their own pace, wherever they are. Training is offered as personalised 1-1’s or group sessions and covers a wide range of topics, including Getting Started in VO, Corporate, Commercial and Narration, Characters, Audiobooks, Performance Techniques, Home Studio, Marketing, Vocal Health, VO & Shakespeare, Voice, Presence, Impact, Presentation Skills and more.
Find out more at www.brava.uk.com
Melissa Thom’s IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm10724768/
The government has started a review of the cirruculum to ensure creative subjects are part of education, Lisa Nandy said.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, the culture secretary criticised the previous Conservative administration for not supporting arts and culture, and said the new government will “reignite the imagination of the next generation because a complete education is a creative education”.
With education secretary Bridget Phillipson, she said she has launched “a review of the curriculum to put arts, sports and music back at the heart of our schools and communities where it belongs”.
The government will also, Nandy said, launch a review of Arts Council England to “ensure arts for everyone, everywhere because we will never accept that culture is just for the privileged few, to be hoarded in a few corners of the country, and we will never accept there is a trade off between excellence and access”.
Other focuses outlined by the culture secretary included “making the TV industry far more representative of the country”, working with mayors and councils to grow creative sectors such as tourism, film, and gaming, and shortly launching the BBC charter review “to ensure the BBC survives and thrives well into the latter half of this century”.
In his conference speech, Keir Starmer also referenced creativity, saying:
“Everyone deserves the chance to be touched by art. Everyone deserves access to moments that light up their lives.
“And every child deserves the chance to study the creative subjects that widen their horizons, provide skills employers do value, and prepares them for the future, the jobs and the world that they will inherit.”
The creative industries were also discussed in other parts of the conference, including in a pavilion run by Creative UK.
One panel focused on improving working class access to the creative industries, following research released earlier this year which found that in film, TV, video, radio and photography just 8.4% of people identify as being from a working-class background.
On the panel was Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure who said:
“If it wasn’t for the likes of Jed Mercurio [Line of Duty writer] and Shane Meadows [This Is England writer], working class lads from Birmingham and Uttoxeter, I wouldn’t be here.”
The panel discussed the need for funding to be targeted at underrepresented groups wanting to enter the creative industries. Watch a recording of the event here.
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 social enterprise Babbasa and Bristol-based agencies, we provide opportunities for members and have 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]
An estimated 20,000 women left the tech industry in the first half of 2023. With caring responsibilities being one of the leading reasons why women leave, non-profit initiative HeyFlow and reproductive health inclusion experts HeyFlow “The Reality of Mums in Tech”: a state-of-the-nation research project to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of working mothers in UK Tech.
The initial findings of the report uncover alarming statistics about the lack of support for working mothers in the tech industry and urge immediate action to prevent further losses. These losses can be attributed to poor communication during maternity leave, lack of training for managers, and structural barriers within organizations that hinder working mothers from advancing.
Sophie Creese, Founder of MotherBoard commented on the results:
“Our report’s initial findings highlight that while efforts to retain women in tech are improving, the progress is not sufficient to see gender gaps close.
If we want to see a breakthrough for gender balance within tech and ensure more women are in senior positions, organisations must pick apart and scrutinise how they can do better in supporting mothers.”
This report was powered by HeyFlow, the female reproductive health inclusion business that helps remove the disadvantage many women face at work. Their co-founder Nick Dean further addresses that the report is just one aspect that may be causing barriers for women in tech:
“Some of our findings are alarming, yet not surprising. Lack of parental inclusion is a known barrier to many women’s progression within the tech industry and it is one of the main reasons why we see capable women being forced to exit the workforce. Alongside our wider research across all industries, we hope this report will inspire change and address not only the impact of motherhood and pregnancy, but also other impacting factors such as menopause and menstrual health.”
The report is part of an ongoing study, and MotherBoard invites more mothers working in UK tech to share their experiences. These contributions will help inform future initiatives, including the City of London’s ‘Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce,’ where MotherBoard’s founder, Sophie Creese, is a subject matter expert.
You can download the report over on MotherBoard’s website: https://motherboardmovement.co.uk/community/reality-of-mums-in-tech-results
The survey remains open here: https://forms.office.com/e/r3kJ007tTb
50% of women leave the tech industry before age 35. Let’s change that.
MotherBoard is a Business Charter, Community, and Event Series driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry. We are on a mission to transform the industry to be more inclusive of women & mothers by tackling stigmas and supporting employers who want to create real change. Powered by ADLIB.
Ending disadvantage for women in the workplace.
Through insight, learning and action for female* reproductive health inclusion in the workplace, HeyFlow empowers businesses to create change and build a truly inclusive company and break the taboo from menstruation to menopause.
10.09.24: HeyFlow, the female reproductive health inclusion business, which aims to end disadvantage for women in the workplace, has become the founding investment client for Aer Venture Studios, the new SaaS impact-driven venture arm from Aer Studios. The £235,000 investment will support the build and architecture of HeyFlow’s tech platform and employee insight product, enabling it to reach even more enterprise clients.
A majority-female start-up, HeyFlow aims to create meaningful change for women at work globally, at a time when 31% of women experience severe reproductive health symptoms every year: 85% of women face at least four reproductive health conditions and mothers see a 60% drop in earnings following their first child, compared to fathers. HeyFlow transforms organisations through employee experience insight that reshapes workplace behaviour and fuels meaningful change for women’s inclusion, resulting in organisations retaining talent, promoting talent, boosting profitability, and creating an equitable future.
Aer Venture Studios has been launched by creative technology firm, Aer Studios, to help early-stage SaaS tech businesses with funding and creative tech expertise to accelerate their time to market. It aims to create meaningful digital experiences that have an impact on people and planet. It’s set up to deliver the financial backing that early stage ventures need, tech expertise required to develop products to a launch-ready stage and partnerships required for future investment rounds. HeyFlow marks its first investment client.
Following its launch in 2023, HeyFlow has worked with progressive companies including Hitachi Vantara, BIMA and Digitas UK, providing insight into their female employee experiences, management’s ability to support at all levels, informing leadership gender inclusion strategies and empowering them to create change. The funding will enable the development of its technology platform to deliver on a national and global basis, as well as providing progress measurement and on-demand industry benchmarking.
HeyFlow is now actively seeking an additional pre-seed investment of £250,000, to allow the firm to take the employee experience and diagnostics platform to market. A future roadmap introduces Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide on-demand learning solutions and delivering against mandated gender pay and ESG reporting, globally.
“We’re honoured to secure Aer Venture Studios’ investment and trust in HeyFlow’s vision. Its backing is a testament to our early success and powerful validation of our mission to champion reproductive health inclusion and close workplace gender gaps. At a time where only a small percentage of investment goes to female-founded companies, Aer Venture Studios’ belief in HeyFlow sends a clear message that innovative, women-led start-ups are worthy of investment. Their support strengthens our ability to scale globally, and together, we’re set to shake up the future of work,” comments Sophie Creese, Co-Founder, HeyFlow.
Geoff Wells, director, Aer Venture Studios; “Our mission is to help organisations realise their vision for digital experiences that have a positive impact on people and planet. Our ambition and values are perfectly aligned with HeyFlow’s, making it the ideal collaboration and partnership. We are excited at the opportunity to bring the full force of our creative and technical talent in Aer Studios to realise HeyFlow’s vision and accelerate its impact.”
HeyFlow is a majority female-founded and owned business, launched by Sophie Creese, Nick Dean and Sabrina Walls, with Kate Thompson, an applied behavioural scientist and co-founder of businessfourzero, recently joining as NED. With financial backing by ADLIB Recruitment, the team brings together many years of expertise in gender equality work and talent solutions. Aer Venture Studios’ Directors Geoff Wells and Tom Harber will play active roles in the future of HeyFlow, with Wells taking a seat on the board. Wells and Harber bring extensive expertise in delivering award winning creative technology solutions for organisations including BBC, Breast Cancer Now, Diabetes UK and Women’s Aid.
For media enquiries, please contact Sabrina Walls on [email protected] / contact Jess Morgan on [email protected] or on 07947 008 071.
Ending disadvantage for women in the workplace. 31% of women experience severe reproductive health symptoms every year. If not supported properly they can have a massive impact in the workplace and become a hidden burden leading to a lack of inclusion, increased absenteeism, and reduced retention.
Through insight, learning and action for female* reproductive health inclusion in the workplace, HeyFlow empowers businesses to create change and build a truly inclusive companies.
*We actually mean people with internal reproductive health organs, it’s just not as catchy.
You can read our full inclusion statement here: https://heyflow.co.uk/inclusion-statement
Aer Venture Studios works with impact driven founders and their teams, bringing creative technology expertise and financial backing to progress their concept to MVP and launch. Aer Venture Studios’ mission is to create meaningful digital experiences that have an impact on people and planet. Launched by creative tech firm Aer Studios, Aer Venture Studios bring financial backing that early stage ventures vitally need and combine this with the expertise required to develop the product to a launch ready stage, as well as partnerships required for future investment rounds to scale fast.
Werkshop Weekender (formerly known as Werkhouse) is finally back! This year they’re changing it up, and the torch for hosting has been passed on to Halo.
The weekend, where future designers, copywriters, and strategists are given the chance to connect with the industry and get a taste for agency life first hand through a real brief, is happening in Bristol on 16th and 17th November 2024.
Breaking down barriers
As Halo takes over the mantle, they are continuing to dial up the focus on diversity and inclusion. The weekend is open to anyone over 18, no matter their previous experience or education, and all applications are being judged blind.
“We know that university isn’t accessible, or even the right route, for everyone but yet there’s still such a heavy onus on having a degree when trying to move into the Creative Sector. We don’t think this should be the case. Creativity is open to everyone, and always should be, no matter where you are in life or what you’ve been (or are going) through. “ ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Werkshop Weekender brings together professionals from some of the best studios in Bristol and Bath, with curious individuals looking to enter the creative industries. Participants are divided into squads to tackle a real life brief from a client in the charity sector, developing ideas and communicating their concepts, with the support of assigned team leaders and on hand professionals.
Studios that so far have signed on for the weekend are:
How to apply
Applications open on 2nd September and close on 1st October, but if you for any reason need more time to finish, please contact Halo at [email protected] and they’ll do what they can to accommodate you.
The Werkshop Weekender team has made it clear; the weekend isn’t for those with experience. It’s for those with an interest in communications, design, and commercial creativity. They aren’t looking for professionals, they’re looking for those with a curious attitude and drive, who want to gain insight into agency life.
“If you’re passionate, if you have ideas, if you’re curious, we want to hear from you. Good ideas come from every aspect of life, and the experiences and the way people perceive life right from day one are what forms rounded ideas. We know life isn’t linear, and your journey into the creative space may not be either (mine wasn’t), so if you have even an inkling to apply, please do!” ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Go to the Werkshop Weekender website to find out more and to access the application when it opens.
We want to take a moment to acknowledge that many of our members may feel vulnerable as a result of the distressing events which have happened in our community recently.
The riots and disorder remind us of the work that must be done to create a truly inclusive and equitable society.
However, the large crowds who gathered on Wednesday to protest against the violence show us what can be achieved when the city and our communities pull together in true Bristol spirit.
As a membership organisation, we would like to signpost to groups and resources that can help to support the safety and wellbeing of those impacted.
If you have your own recommendations, please share them in the comments so that others can benefit too.
Let’s continue to support one another and stand together as a united sector.
Stay safe and take care.
Race Equality Matters has shared some ways you can ensure safety and support for ethnically diverse colleagues.
Stand Against Racism & Inequality has resources on its website explaining what you can do if you encounter or witness a hate crime. You can report a hate crime here.
On 26 August, Bristol Creative Industries internships programme manager Clare Leczycki joined other people from the creative and culture sectors for a walk from Bath to Bristol.
The walk was an act of togetherness and to raise money for Hope Not Hate and SARI (Stand Against Racism & Inequality). Over £4,800 has been raised and you can still donate here.
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