Skip to main content

Activating Creative Careers

Building an equitable and sustainable pathway towards creative careers for young people

The creative industries are one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the UK, contributing £109 billion to the UK economy in 2021 and accounting for 2.2 million jobs in the same year.

From school-led programmes through to intensive post-16 training and Apprenticeships, we will enable young people to discover and explore creative career options from primary school onwards.

More information on this programme is coming soon. To be one of the first to know, sign up for our newsletter.

Working with schools  

Data shows that by the time children reach secondary school level many, along with their parents/carers, consider creative subjects less valuable to their careers. Our work with schools will showcase the importance of creativity in all job roles, as well as highlighting the variety of opportunities available within the creative sector. ‘Creative Careers at Year 5’ is a teacher-led programme that will see whole year 5 classes forming their own film company, performing all the roles needed to produce their own short film – and premiere it to their families! We will also host a programme of creative career work experience programme for students in Year 10, building opportunities for them to try out a creative role for a couple of weeks.

Find out more

Apprenticeships & Traineeships  

We will support young people as they make their first steps into the creative industries through a number of work placement opportunities. Each Autumn, we will offer 20 paid Traineeships within creative and cultural organisations. During these 6-month placements, participants will be paid the living wage to bring their perspective and lived experience as a young person to the foreground in their host organisation. We will also support a number of Level 3 Creative Apprenticeships for those who are ready for a longer programme of work-based professional development leading to a nationally recognised qualification. These programmes build on Artswork’s years of experience training, supporting and developing Apprenticeships and Kickstart training placements in organisations across the South.

Find out more

Support for young creatives  

We recognise that some young creatives may want to forge their own path as an independent creative practitioner, so each year we will offer 20 bursaries of £500 to those who want to develop their creative practice. Applicants will be asked to submit a short film (filmed on their phones) saying what they would use £500 for – for example equipment, training or a particular project. Successful applicants will then be asked to produce a second film sharing how they used the funding, and the impact it had on their work.

Find out more

Equitable Routes into Creative Careers    

Working with other organisations across the Solent region we will build on youth-led research looking at how to create equitable routes into creative careers for young people facing discrimination, commissioned by Artswork. This will include signposting opportunities, mentoring young people and building the skills of employers so that they are more welcoming places for diverse young people beginning a creative career. More information on this programme is coming soon. To be one of the first to know, sign up for our newsletter.

Sign up to Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter

Receive the latest News & Events straight to your inbox

Recieve the lastest News & Events straight to your inbox

Opt into another list