It’s festival season and earlier this week we took WonderWhat to the UK Creative Festival and Careers Fair.
Why we were there
Alongside a stand introducing WonderWhat to the hundreds of school pupils attending the event, we held workshops with students – aiming to help provide them with the support they need to make informed decisions about their creative careers.
What we learnt
We all learned a lot. There continue to be common misconceptions about the true breadth of opportunities available in creative fields.
We heard comments from young students such as: “I’ve never given creative careers a thought. I didn’t realise there were possibilities beyond being an artist.”
Why it's so important
Do you remember when you were trying to get into the creative industries? Having to explain what you did to your parents, them asking if it was even a real job and whether there was any money involved, and whether technology would steal your job… Things have only become more difficult.
Now more than ever, we need to empower young people to help their parents, carers and influencers understand the viability of creative paths in a world where the government had not been doing all it could to make these pathways sound viable.
This doesn't mean talking, it means action. WonderWhat is an action we have taken to achieve this. We provide practical guidance on everything from routes into the industry to salary expectations. Equipping the future with all it needs to feel empowered (and make the parents listen for a moment).
Positive change
There were also many organisations (large and small) at the festival wanting to make a difference. And with that, we felt an underlying sense of hope. We look forward to more positive partnerships and collaborations. We look forward to creating change.