Organised by Creative Mentor NetworkMaking it in the creative industry comes with several hidden costs that can stop some people from progressing with their careers. Help us support our mentees and donate so we can ensure they can afford to pursue their creative careers.
Unfortunately, it's not just skill and talent that decides who makes it and who doesn't. There's a whole range of factors that come into play.
One of the key barriers is finances. Making it in the creative industry comes with a number of hidden costs that can stop people from accessing opportunities.
Travel costs, entry submissions, and equipment costs are just some things that are overlooked when considering accessibility.
Whilst small costs for some, for others, they are barriers that stop them from accessing entry-level opportunities. This has been exasperated by the cost of living crisis.
This is a key contributor to the socioeconomic inequality in the creative industries today.
As a knock-on effect, many young people struggle more with their mental health with these extra stresses.
It has made me more aware of how costly everything is, I can’t afford to work solely for experience as transportation/other needed costs add up.
It’s stressful having to find the time and resources to take part in something that will enhance your career. Even if travel is covered, there’s still food and drinks and work hours missed to be there. I believe it’s a risk worth taking, as the rewards are out there. It’s just difficult to manage the uphill climb to get there. I’m lucky to live and work in a supportive environment where those around me want to see me thrive. But it’s not easy to invest in your future when you’re still struggling to afford bills in the meantime.
A lot of companies sometimes require you to briefs, which takes a lot of time and effort and again done in your “free” time however, I find most companies don’t even bother to give you good feedback in order for you to learn and develop. The industry has slightly changed, but it has been one of the hardest industries to get into from a beginner as you are still required to do a lot outside in your free time, which ultimately costs.
At Creative Mentor Network, we run mentoring programmes that pair 16-25 year olds that want to enter the creative industries with a trained mentor to support them on a 16 week journey.
Our programmes are free for all of our mentees to take part in, but there are costs that some mentees may face as part of their journey into the creative industries.
We strive to support mentees with all these costs so everyone can have a fair chance.
We need your help so we can support every mentee in our community to ensure they can get the most out of their programme and give them a more equitable chance of making it.
100% of all donations raised will go towards our mentees and their expenses.
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