Mission

To widen access to careers in the creative industries by supporting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to: grow their professional network build an understanding of the careers landscape and financial incentives develop the ‘soft skills’ they need to compete To disrupt existing recruitment patterns in the creative industries, creating a pipeline for diverse talent. To train effective mentors who go on to become leaders of this change in their organisations. To facililate depth of impact, fostering meaningful relationships that last beyond the programme.

Category

Education and Skills

Additional Information

London’s creative economy generated £80 billion last year. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are under represented in the creative industries. To take one examples, 94% of those in journalism are white. The career landscape offers the perfect conditions for elitism. Few graduate schemes or clear ‘routes’ into employment when compared with other sectors can be off-putting to young people who may be risk averse due to lack of financial security. Lack of access to contacts who can act as gatekeepers and role-models, a disadvantage in an industry that recruits through networks. Lack of the financial security needed to support themselves in an ‘internship culture’. A constantly evolving job market means in-school careers services are quickly irrelevant. The reliance on the ‘soft skills’ like confidence, reslience and self awareness required to compete means an inherent bias towards those familiar with the social context. The result is a creative sector is not recruiting the best talent, losing its relevance and therefore ability thrive; and an increasingly polarised community. Pitch It is a social enterprise supporting young people from lower socio-economic settings into careers in the creative industries through mentoring and networking opportunities. We recruit industry professionals looking to develop themselves and inspire young talent, match them with students interested in the creative industries, and support 1:1 mentoring. Creative industry staff enter a 16 week programme, organising weekly mentor meeting offering support with anything from making industry contacts and understanding the various roles, to building a creative portfolio and to responding to live briefs. Research shows that well trained mentors results in increased impact. Our mentors receive an accredited training course in coaching, mentoring and leadership. Creative businesses pay a fee for staff to be involved as mentors, in exchange for practical people management training, access to a diverse talent pool, and the opportunity to network with other mentors.