COLLAGE WORKS
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This is Me Creative London Supported by JPMorganChase Foundation
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The aim was to develop community-led and industryinformed courses, and nonformal learning opportunities for Londoners experiencing a range of barriers associated with their ethnicity, gender sexuality and economic inactivity.
KEY AIM
Collage Works. • July. 2020
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MISSING VOICES
HOW DID WE APPROACH THE TRAINING? The training was about storytelling to address some of the missing voices in the mainstream media.
Collage Works. • July. 2020
CONFIDENCE, PORTFOLIO, NETWORKS
Training at Collage Works designed to build confidence of participants, develop a relevant portfolio showcasing their skills and knowledge and build their networks. Currently the race to be part of the creative industries is rigged...
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Collage Works. • July. 2020
ADDRESSING THE ISSUES...
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THE RACE IS RIGGED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS DEMAND OUTSTRIPS SUPPLY
PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT
Individuals from more affluent families are more likely to have the connections and support to get unpaid internships
Jobs in the creative sector are typically highly desirable with demand frequently outstripping supply. Providers of preemployment training have not invested in making entry and progression more accessible to people from disadvanatged or diverse backgrounds.
Employment in the sector is often precarious with work often short-term ontract based with periods of unemployment, particularly in the early years of a developing career. Individuals with family financial support are more able to withstand this parlous financial situation.
Collage Works. • July 2020
AFFLUENCE AND CONNECTIONS
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PARTICIPANTS IN COLLAGE WORKS TRAINING develop a full pitch for their creative idea take the idea through pre-production delivering the contract and post production
document what they have achieved in their portfolios Collage Works then provides follow up support through a weekly job club with a 13-point process designed to help participants find work in the creative sector.
Collage Works. • July 2020
reflect and learn from the work
20 out of 26 survey responses from training participants were positive
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The participants like the high quality of the tutors they worked with:
“It felt very good to be a part of it, the staff were very good mentors and I think that's the most important thing. Really felt like there was excitement and direction in the tasks and the project, and that there was plenty of support and guidance whenever things got tricky.”
Collage Works. • July 2020
"The staff were great at communicating and creating a motivational and inspiring friendly atmosphere."
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They liked the opportunity to meet people from the creative industries: Collage Works. • July 2020
“The staff were so friendly and welcoming and I got to meet new people to bounce ideas and skills off of. Learning more than expected and coming out of the experience with a new perspective on the arts industry, I have more hope for finding work in the future too.”
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They liked motivating and empowering nature of the course as a whole:
“I really realised it was possible to do this kind of work. When you are not surrounded with likeminded people, it’s hard to imagine yourself doing it, just sat at home, wondering what the next steps are.”
Collage Works. • July 2020
“It was such an amazing experience!! I felt so empowered and confident in my abilities and many lovely and talented people!! Thank you!!!”
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Collage Works. • July 2020
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT 4 participants identified: starting documentation for the portfolio earlier more focus on online platforms and having more workshops with people from the industry
One of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the need to address points 2 and 3 in the delivery of N17 Tottenham Creatives. The team work to address the issue of portfolio building in the next training programme.
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TRAINEES DELIVERING THE GOODS.... Collage was able to develop live briefs and commissions for the participants to work on. There was a high level of approval from the organisations providing the commissions.
LIVE BRIEFS
Collage Works. • July. 2020
TRAINEES DELIVERING THE GOODS....
DESIGN COMMISSION
The sci-fi festival commissioned set design and graphic design. They were exceptionally pleased with the work produced. The designs by the Collage trainees made a significant contribution to the success of the festival and to the decision by funders to commission another edition of the festival the following year. Collage Works. • July. 2020
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TRAINEES DELIVERING THE GOODS....
The Emerge Festival was pleased by the working relationship with Collage Arts and committed to the social impact that the festival to assess the result. They felt that they had not fully understood the extent to which they were would need to actively participate in guiding and supporting the trainees. This had not diluted their appetite to repeat the partnership.
The take-home was that better preparation would be needed next time to achieve better outcomes for Emerge and the trainees. FESTIVAL MEDIA
Collage Works. • July. 2020
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IMPACT - BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
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61 PARTICIPANTS STARTED WORK AFTER TRAINING WITH COLLAGE WORKS:
full time work and apprenticeships
15 were in part-time work part time work
4 were freelancing
freelancing
40 OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAD SUSTAINED THESE OUTCOMES FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS
Collage Works. • July 2020
42 in full-time work of which 7 were doing apprenticeships