We welcome the Creative Opps CIO to MEC's blog series. Their mission is to teach young people transferable skills relevant to their interests and guide them to navigate their chosen pathways successfully. Their vision is for all young people to understand the power of their creativity and use it to benefit their communities. Their values are Inclusivity, Diversity, Youth Leadership, Reflection, Innovation and Social Impact.
In this blog, the Creative Opps team outline their motivations for founding the organisation, how they empower young people to create change and the schemes that deliver, including their flagship mentorship programme which is currently taking mentor and mentee applicants.
They say...
Creative Opps CIO was established by Creative Opportunities CIC as a charity giving young people access to the tools, networks, and experience that they need to independently achieve their ambitions. We met young people in Islington who consistently told us they did not have access to paid creative work and this was particularly an issue with young people who were from underrepresented backgrounds. The intersections of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and socio-economic status meant that they weren't receiving the nuanced support that they needed.
We realised that the best, most impactful way to encourage the creative ambitions of young people was through user-led programmes co-designed by them. After all, they were best positioned to know which programmes would create positive changes for themselves and their communities. We exist to deliver and support their endeavours.
Some of our work centres on work experience and social action. It's led us to work with fantastic organisations like Box to Box Films, Sound Without Sight, and Poet in the City. Currently, we’re working alongside Drift Studios, Voices Radio, Little Angel Theatre, Off the Kerb, Whitefox Publishing and Finsbury Park Trust, delivering a range of paid work placements.
Since 2020, we’ve developed our flagship mentorship programme that now supports young people across London. Young budding creatives are paired with experienced professionals who provide hands-on support and advice. We also host events that provide networking opportunities. Our June 2024 event featured industry leaders from a range of disciplines including music.
As the mentorship programme has developed, we have had an increasing number of mentees who are interested in writing, creating and producing music. Applicants are from diverse backgrounds with diverse interests. They're interested in classical and contemporary music and some are guitarists, vocalists and music producers.
This is where Music Education Council members and followers come in. We are currently recruiting mentors and mentees for our programme and many applicants are young people who want to make music or be involved in the music industry. While resources in music education are tight overall, it’s encouraging to see that the musicians of tomorrow are hungry to learn and develop. In past programmes, musicians who have been paired with educators, industry professionals and stakeholders, have left with a better understanding of their creative practice and in a great position to succeed in their musical field.
If you like the sound of what we do and would like to be involved as a mentor, mentee or partner of Creative Opps we would love to hear from you!
Find us at contact@creativeopps.org
Visit the Creative Opps website
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