The creative sector is rapidly evolving, with new talents and innovative minds shaping industries such as graphic design, media production, games and animation, art, photography, performance, theatre, fashion, and design. To ensure this sector remains vibrant and continues to thrive, it’s crucial that we support the next generation of creatives, offering them the resources and connections to jump-start their careers.
At Weston College and University Centre Weston, we’re dedicated to nurturing the talent of tomorrow through a wide range of creative pathways. Whether learners dream of becoming graphic designers, media producers, animators, or fashion designers, our courses equip them with the skills, experience, and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s competitive job market. But there’s a vital element that makes this journey complete: real-world engagement from creative businesses.
Looking to the future, and as Sir Peter Bazalgette said:
In every scenario the Creative Industries are set to be of central importance to the UK’s future success. We have two great assets: the English language and our creativity, but the skills and business models of this sector are of increasing importance.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bazalgette-review-sets-recommendations-for-continued-growth-of-uks-creative-industries
Employers supporting FE and HE providers offer crucial curriculum overviews which is needed for all learners. Without this, we are unable to prepare them for their future career and, simply put; they will not be industry ready. We value the support from employers who can be involved from a curriculum perspective, who offer projects, workplace experiences and more so we can provide robust, ready and industry savvy individuals. The Creative Sector businesses can inspire learners during their study through this engagement. We have found that this is especially vital for learners unable (or not looking) to go to university; or that want to stay local and contribute to their local economy. They can hear, experience and look to local employers for their next steps into industry.
How Creative Industries Can Get Involved
If you’re a local business in the creative sector, now is the time to step forward and engage with emerging talent. There are countless opportunities to connect with learners and help shape their future careers. We’re calling on creative companies to work with us by offering guest lectures, work experience placements, project work or attending our career events. Your involvement can make all the difference, providing learners with invaluable industry insights and hands-on experience that will give them the edge they need to flourish post-education.
This November, Weston College is hosting its annual careers event, which will bring together over 1,000 FE and HE students. This is a fantastic opportunity for creative businesses to meet fresh, enthusiastic talent and discover how they can contribute to the growth of local industry. Whether you’re looking to exhibit, scout new recruits, or simply share your experiences, we encourage you to take part. The event will be held in Weston-super-Mare on the 19th of November.
Why Partner with Weston College?
Weston College is passionate about supporting learners who want to stay local and contribute to the creative economy in the region. With Bristol 30 minutes away by train, learners are keen to look at exploring careers on offer. By partnering with us, you’re not only supporting the career aspirations of young creatives but also fostering a robust local workforce that can fuel innovation in your own business. Our creative pathways provide a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to make their mark in graphic design, media production, games and animation, art, photography, theatre, and more.
We believe that by building strong connections between education and industry, we can create a thriving creative community in Weston-super-Mare and beyond. We are here to support our learners but we also support business and want to listen, act and implement skills needed.
Let’s Connect
If you’re a creative business eager to inspire and work with emerging talent, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re interested in delivering a guest lecture, offering work experience, or promoting career opportunities, there are many ways to get involved. Your support can open doors for our learners and help develop the future of the creative industries.
For businesses interested in exhibiting at our annual careers event or partnering with Weston College in any capacity, please email us at [email protected] to register your expression of interest. Our passion is to support learner and industry so please do get in touch.
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.
If you are looking to recruit a live events tech, Weston College can help businesses access fully funded* apprenticeship training for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
There is still a post pandemic impact on the sector, resulting in disruptions to staffing, increased costs, and significant supply chain delays. As the industry strives to recover, this new apprenticeship provides a timely solution by developing a new generation of talented technicians capable of supporting the growing demand for live events across the UK and beyond.
The exciting Live Event Technician Apprenticeship program, designed to address the critical shortage of skilled professionals in the live events industry begins starts in November so dont miss out!
Live Event Technicians work in a wide range of settings, including concerts, festivals, theatrical productions, exhibitions, and conferences. Their core responsibility is to prepare, build, set up, and operate industry-standard equipment to deliver seamless live performances. In this dynamic role, technicians interact with a variety of professionals, including venue staff, production managers, designers, performers, and producers..
The Live Event Technician Apprenticeship offers a structured pathway for both new entrants and existing employees to gain the necessary technical skills and practical experience. Employers can use this program to recruit new talent or upskill current staff, ensuring that they are equipped to meet the high standards required for live event production.
For those looking to secure the future of their business and contribute to the growth of the live events sector, this apprenticeship is an ideal solution. To find out more, contact [email protected]
*For 16-21-year-olds and up to 25 if a young person has an Education Health Care Plan.
Being an Employer of Choice: Mental health and financial wellbeing are inextricably linked!
Sometimes, all it takes to drastically improve your employees’ quality of life is a conversation and guidance that can lead to a positive impact that they feel every day. Nobody is immune to money worries and financial stress. So, let’s get talking, break down taboos and change lives.
Poor mental health and financial problems are often closely tied. Fixing one can often help fix the other. Talking about money worries is a bit of a taboo subject in the UK. The topic is surrounded by stigmas such as debt, poor mental health, and absence from work, so we avoid it. But sweeping things under the rug doesn’t work. Long-term, if we don’t break taboos, taboos can break us.
Financial education plays a huge part in increasing preparedness and reducing stress. But stress and worries can build barriers in people’s minds, a powerful resistance to engaging. They may have the answers but feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start. So, to forge a path forward, we need to be there with them.
To help people see through the haze of financial stress, we need to connect with people as individuals, on their own level.
A vicious cycle
Poor mental health can lead to money problems:
And money problems can lead to poor mental health: Stretched budgets could mean less food, heat, or medicine. Financial communications might trigger feelings of anxiety and panic and persistent worrying could lead to sleep problems and burnout
This cycle can get out of control, spiralling downward and affecting relationships, work, and every other part of an employee’s life. It’s critical we let them know that help is at hand.
Breaking the taboo
If you don’t offer much support yet, it’s a good opportunity to get employees involved. Ask them what they want and need and build around their answers.
Maybe some want private 1-2-1 meetings, while others would prefer group workshops or an anonymous online forum. By starting the conversations here, you’ll already be taking steps to normalising talking about money and financial stress and showing that it’s important to your business.
Why employers should care
Why dedicate resources and people to tackling financial stress? According to UK charity Mental Health At Work, 66% of employees feel like their company doesn’t care about their financial situation, making them more likely to salary hunt elsewhere and less productive in the working day.
In other words, beating financial stress is in your business’ best interests too. And if you have limited resources, you can partially rely on the government’s Money and Pensions Service.
Bristol integrated brand agency saintnicks has announced a further senior appointment with the hiring of Marcus Culloty as the agency’s new Creative Director.
Marcus joins saintnicks after holding the title of Creative Director at McCann Bristol. Before that, he was the Creative Director of The Mix Dublin, part of Pernod Ricard’s global in-house agency network.
With more than 17 years experience working for some of the UK and Ireland’s leading network and independent agencies including Havas, Publicis, and The Leith Agency, he has created a raft of award-winning campaigns for global clients such as Toyota, O2, Jameson and Dunlop.
Now as saintnicks’ Creative Director, Marcus will be leading the agency’s conceptual output alongside supporting with the mentoring, shaping and development of its creative studio.
On his appointment, Culloty said: “saintnicks has a great philosophy for crafting great work that helps their clients and their brands really fly. That’s why I can’t wait to dive in, be part of this experienced agile independent agency’s senior team and take things further than ever.”
It’s a time of continued growth for the Bristol agency with further new talent joining across the business. This month sees the arrival of Richard Canueto-Cook and Hannah Bain into the Client Services team as Account Directors. Both join with previous careers at Ogilvy, Havas and McCann.
The appointments coincide with another strong year for the agency after a consistent period of new and existing client growth within the automotive, sport and audio sectors and a string of industry award nominations.
Steve Davies, ECD of saintnicks commented: “The quality of talent and the versatility of skills in the agency has enabled us to generate stronger campaigns and deliver better performance metrics across the board. With over 65% of our business from international brands we are always seeking talent who can help us to take clients further, and Marcus is a most welcome and exciting addition to the team.”
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We are delighted to announce the eight young people who have been selected for the second round of the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, in partnership with Babbasa and eight creative businesses from the BCI membership community.
Launched with a successful pilot in 2023, the programme is aimed at young people aged 18-30 from under-represented backgrounds, wanting to gain more insight and real experience in the creative industries.
A long-term skills shortage and a lack of workforce diversity are two of the biggest challenges facing the creative industries. The internship initiative, part of BCI’s wider Talent Programme, is designed to help tackle those issues and create more inclusive workplaces.
For the second year of the scheme, another eight brilliant agencies from the Bristol Creative Industries member community have stepped up to provide paid placements for the interns over six months.
Clare Leczycki, Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme manager, explains the process for selecting this year’s cohort:
“Our aim was to make the application process as accessible and open as possible, to give the candidates different scenarios to share their skills and personality. To apply, candidates could share a short video, audio or written piece to illustrate why they were interested in participating in the programme and what they hoped to gain from it. We had over 60 applications for eight placements so it shows there is a lot of interest from young people wanting to work in the creative sector.
“Once applications closed, we held an insights day at the brilliant Gather Round workspace in St Paul’s, Bristol. This was a chance for the host agencies to meet the potential candidates, pitch their internship offers and share more about the nature of their business. We also ran an informal Q&A session for everyone to learn more about each other and the different job roles available in the agency world.
“From here, we shortlisted candidates for the formal interview stage during which we explored each young person’s skills and areas of interest to help us with the selection process. Having a two-part interview process allowed us to see the candidates in a variety of settings and learn more about them, which also helped with the matching process.
“Working in partnership with the team at Babbasa is a key part of our recruitment process. The organisation supports young people from underrepresented groups who are looking to pursue their professional ambitions, by providing them with employment support, such as mentoring, CV writing and interview preparation, to help them achieve their aspirations.
“The Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, in partnership with the OurCity2030 Pathway into Creative & Tech, is an innovative example of how creative businesses can come together to offer opportunities to young people from ethnic minority and low income households.
“We would like to thank our interview panel Daniel Palmer, Marissa Lewis-Peart and Alli Nicholas for taking the time to meet all of the candidates. This was no small task. Their energy and insights were integral in making the selection process as smooth and effective as possible.
“In order to prepare for this year’s cohort, we have spent the last three months onboarding the host businesses with a variety of training sessions including equity, diversity and inclusion training from Babbasa, mental health training from Bianca Jones at Empower Develop People, and neurodiversity training from Devon Lowndes at Self Agency.
“Ensuring the workplaces are ready to welcome a young person and provide a meaningful placement is a key priority for our programme. Agency life can be pretty hectic and fast-paced, so taking time to consider the experience (onboarding/offboarding, bespoke work plan, mentorship and feedback) is integral to our internship offer. The eight interns have landed roles in content creation, marketing, press and PR, graphic design and strategy.
“The programme brings huge benefits to everyone taking part. We aim to provide the interns with a positive and enriching work placement, while the BCI team and host businesses have the opportunity to learn from the young people. Having different perspectives in the room brings fresh energy, innovation and new ideas.
“It’s a challenging time for many businesses so we are extremely grateful that the participating agencies are willing to invest time and money to support the next generation of creative talent from under-represented backgrounds.”
The agencies and Bristol Creative Industries members participating in the programme are:
Thanks also to Oakwood, Sunhouse Creative and Aer Studios for sponsoring the programme, and to Boomsatsuma and Gather Round as our venue sponsors.
The interns taking part in the 2024 programme are:
Read bios for the interns here.
Some of the interns explain what they hope to get out of the programme:
Kaden Gardner:
“Marketing and PR is an area of work that I have been interested in for a while, and is becoming more important with video work in recent years. I hope to gain some knowledge within this career path, and hopefully advance my videography skills as well.”
Inaz Hussain:
“I want to make more connections in the industry and learn about how the whole creative development process in order to establish myself as a multidisciplinary artist. I would love to establish a company or space to help bridge the gap for people to break into the creative industry without the barriers I faced.”
Wheri Dumuje:
“I hope to become a designer who helps everyone have equal access to the same services and throw light through research on areas that are often overlooked.”
Elma Hossain:
“I hope to become more confident in the skills I excel at, what roles interest me and build a solid network of people who have similar interests and goals as me. I’m also looking forward to making good friends and enjoying a great experience!”
Fyonh Bui:
“I hope to gain valuable skills and knowledge, become a reliable professional, inspire and guide junior designers in the future.”
Representatives of the host businesses explain why they are taking part in the programme:
Liam Britnell, Ambitious PR:
“We are excited and proud to be one of the agencies participating in this year’s BCI Internship Programme. We saw last from last year’s cohort the impact that the placements had, and the opportunities it offered to some amazing talent from across the city, so we knew we had to be part of it this time around. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our first placement to the Ambitious PR office.”
Chloe Cottle-Watkins, Armadillo:
“The BCI Internship Programme was a great experience for Armadillo last year. We hired two of the interns from the programme on a permanent basis, and they’ve both been excellent additions to our team.
“We absolutely recognise the benefits that having a diverse workforce has, not only on our business but on the creative industry and community as a whole. We’re proud to play even a small part in helping work towards that.
“Having met some of this year’s interns already, we can see so much potential waiting to be uncovered, and we’re really excited to witness the successes that will no doubt come out of this cohort.”
Alex Rife, The Collaborators:
“The Collaborators has always been about people first, so it’s natural that we want to help nurture young talent. We have a (borrowed) saying that “none of us is as smart as all of us”, so we’re excited to bring different perspectives into our business.
“We’re so grateful to Bristol Creative Industries and Babbasa for helping us to do this in a way that’s about driving real change in the wider creative industry, rather than feeling like a one-off tokenistic gesture. We’re delighted to be part of the programme and looking forward to getting to know this year’s cohort better.”
Abi Sargant, Taxi Studios:
“We are thrilled to be taking part in this year’s Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, helping to shape a brighter future for the creative industries.
“We are looking forward to supporting our interns and nurturing their talent, all while gaining valuable insights and growing from the experience ourselves!”
Image credit: Big thanks to Sham Ahmed for capturing the brilliant images used in this post. Follow @shamphat on Instagram.
The mustard team are pleased to unveil their status as B Corp, officially joining the growing community of accredited B corporations across the world. Becoming one of 2000+ businesses in the UK, with a shared vision for the future.
The rigorous process covers all areas of the business including Governance, Workers, Customers, Environment and Community. The Bristol-based creative recruitment agency have painstakingly assessed their impact and are committed to providing a better future for not only their clients and employees but also their community. They’ll be returning to this impact report year-on-year to assess their impact and identify areas of improvement. Providing key insight into their practices, as they strive to hit their enhanced sustainability goals of net-zero by 2030, 20 years ahead of the UK government’s SME net-zero goals.
They’ve already levelled up their community commitments, from increased volunteering allowances to fundraising for their Charity of the Year, The Grand Appeal in aid of Bristol Children’s Hospital.
The B Corp certification provides businesses with comprehensive, credible, comparable impact standards to support economic systems change. Founded in 2006, to support businesses to lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model.
Directors of mustard hope that this spotlight on the recruitment agency will encourage others in the sector to aim for more transparency and accountability.
“We’re delighted to become a B Corp, it’s been a long process, but a needed one. We’re continually striving for higher standards throughout the business. The whole team are extremely excited to be listed amongst like-minded businesses that are taking steps towards positive change.”
– Dave Madden, Director, mustard jobs
UWE Bristol will host Showcase, its annual degree show, next month, offering visitors the opportunity to discover a new generation of talent from the College of Arts, Technology and Environment.
More than 1200 students from over 40 courses will exhibit their work at Bower Ashton, Arnolfini, Spike Island and the university’s Frenchay Campus from Thursday 6 until Wednesday 12 June.
An annual highlight for the university and the city of Bristol, members of the public are invited to attend the free in-person exhibitions which will include a selection of undergraduate and postgraduate work from animation, architecture, art, creative technologies, design, engineering, fashion, filmmaking, media, performance, photography, product design and writing.
Elena Marco, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Arts, Technology and Environment said: “We are thrilled to share our students’ work publicly and give them the chance to demonstrate their ingenuity and creativity to a wider audience. This is a critical point in their careers, and they should be proud of everything they have achieved so far.”
Further information on the Showcase is listed below:
UWE Bristol Frenchay Campus:
A public opening night takes place on Thursday 6 June, with student work from architecture, product design, creative technologies and engineering on display at R Block, The Foundry and Z Block between 18:00 and 21:00. Registration is required – to book visit Eventbrite.
The Frenchay Campus Degree Show continues, featuring work from architecture, product design and engineering on:
UWE Bristol City Campus:
On Friday 7 June an exclusive private preview evening (by invitation only) will take place across the University’s City Campus – at Bower Ashton, Arnolfini and Spike Island – featuring the work of graduating students from art, design, animation, fashion, media, writing, performance, photography, and filmmaking.
The City Campus exhibitions open fully to the public on Saturday 8 June (no need to book). Opening times are:
For those who can’t make it in person, a digital showcase launches on 3 June and features exciting work from hundreds of graduating students from 40 programmes. Designed to celebrate new talent and support professional practice, enterprise and employability, each graduate has curated their own portfolio with links to their own sites and social channels.
More information on the Showcase is available on the UWE Bristol website.
mustard jobs have unveiled new plans to support the local community, through charity fundraising and volunteering practices. As part of this redefined commitment to charities and the wider community, they’ve announced a partnership with the well-loved Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.
mustard have appointed a charity committee to lead the charge, whom will be responsible for all fundraising and volunteering activities. Supporting and empowering staff and clients to get involved and make an impact.
As a Recruitment Agency for the Creative Industries, they’ll be getting creative with the fundraisers that they put together. With a top-secret stash of ideas up their sleeve, all will soon be revealed.
“We’re taking mustard’s charity and volunteering contributions to the next level. Working with Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal is extremely exciting, not only for our committee but for the entire business.
We hope this charity of the year partnership with The Grand Appeal, will help to provide sick children and their families with the support they need. It’s an honour to be working with them.”
Phil Boshier, Associate Director of People & Culture
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal is the official Bristol Children’s Hospital charity, that helps save the lives of sick children and supports their families. Being a stone’s throw from the mustard office, and with a large proportion of the staff having young kids, supporting Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal was a no-brainer for the team.
“We’re thrilled to have the support of mustard. Our charity partnership means we can work together towards a brighter future for the children and families at Bristol Children’s Hospital. Thanks to the generosity of brilliant Bristol businesses like mustard, we can fund everything from life-saving equipment to free accommodation for families, medical research, and so much more.”
– Helen Haskell, Head of Fundraising (Corporate)
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