Why is Upskilling Emerging Talent Valuable
The creative industries are of huge importance to our country, with the UK being a global leader in the sector, but they have always been notoriously hard to break into. Often people have to hustle and pursue creative projects while working in other industries, and the routes to entry are usually informal, relying on personal networks and unpaid internships.
The economic effects on the job market since the coronavirus pandemic have made it even harder for young people to start their creative careers. At the same time, the impact of rapidly-evolving technologies are especially visible in the sector, and its future depends on skills, developing creative talent and the diversity of voices. Because of this, it is now more important than ever to create measures and opportunities to help young people access and develop those careers. How can this be done?
There are a number of programmes that offer early career development for creative people. A good example is Creative Kickstart, a job creation scheme founded by the Department for Work and Pension that provides funding to employers to create six-month job placements for 16-24 year olds currently receiving Universal Credit. There are also several charities, platforms and collectives that offer support for young people, usually aiming at advancing equality and representation in the creative industries.
Besides these programmes, employers play an important role in creating opportunities for young creatives. By recruiting and training new talents through apprenticeships and traineeships, young people from different backgrounds can earn money while they develop the skills and knowledge needed for their chosen occupation. At the same time, companies have access to a fresh and unique perspective from young minds, and can develop a growing talent pipeline to support the growth of the sector.
Still from Terima Kasih, our first Emerging Creators project.
Throughout the years, we at Mountain Way Pictures have made a concerted effort to work with programmes and clients that offer early career development for creative people, and to provide that support for them through our own practice too. We have employed a trainee in our shoots, we have worked with the Young Creatives programmes for the Barbican, for the Apprenticeships project for the Royal Opera House, and with clients like A New Direction, a non-profit supporting young Londoners to be creative.
We also run our own programme supporting young creatives. Through Emerging Creators, young creatives can apply to receive a free promo video for their creative businesses. You can find out more about the programme in an interview with Laura Cabañas, a graduate fashion designer we selected for the first edition in 2020. Our fashion film showcasing her most recent work debuted at the Milan Fashion Film Festival, and screened as part of a London Fashion Week event. We are currently running our second edition this year, focusing on the gaming industry!
If you’re working on a project involving creative careers or emerging artists and are looking to produce a video about it, get in touch to chat.
