The Big Half 2024 for Creative Mentor Network
Organised by Creative Mentor NetworkOur community are running The Big Half 2024 to help support our work and help us break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries.
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Help us break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries.
At Creative Mentor Network, we believe in a future where there is no class ceiling in the UK's creative industries.
Just 12% of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds work in the creative industries, despite representing 44% of the UK population.
We support young people aged 16-25 from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to help them find work and thrive in the UK creative industries through our mentoring programmes.
By working directly and training those in the industry to be inclusive leaders we give them the tools to create more accessible spaces in the creative industry, helping their mentees and facilitate long term change in the workplace.
We are fundraising to support the young people in our community so we can help them access the resources they need to develop their professional portfolios, cover travel expenses, and support their creative projects.
Today, Creative Mentor Network has expanded and has helped nearly 2000 16-25 year olds, matching them with trained mentors to support their creative careers.
I knew that this was a special opportunity to be a part of and that is why I initially applied. However, it has exceeded my expectations. Thanks to the mentorship, I am taking the necessary steps to progress and create a career with the industry. I feel I am miles ahead from where I was when I applied.
The mentor that I was matched with was absolutely incredible. We connected really well and have gone on to continue working on the project.
I came up with a story idea and my mentor guided me through the process of writing a script from ideation to developing the idea, creating scene breakdowns and then starting the first draft. We have also spoken about professional development and are planning meetings with people from the industry that my mentor knows.
Together me and my mentor worked on making me aware of all the different types of jobs in the gaming industry. To start with, I was unsure with what job exactly I wanted in the gaming industry but now I am aware of all the possible routes. My mentor also connected me with people in positions that I aspire to be in and allowed me to connect.
We are fundraising to help keep our programmes free and accessible for our mentees, cover their expenses, run workshops, and provide more opportunities for them to get into and thrive in creative careers.