Young people aged 14 - 18 joined us for a day of fun workshops, activities and talks plus the chance to speak to inspiring artists and creative professionals with loads of tips and advice about the industry.
This was an opportunity to be inspired and get motivated, to discover something new about creative jobs and to learn what it takes to be successful.
Some of the contributors at the Careers Guidance Day
How 2 Make A Living as an Artist talk led by MOBO nominated artist, Wizdom Layne.
Wizdom Layne is the Community Outreach Manager at The Tileyard, the largest community of recording studios in Europe and home to the likes of Mark Ronson, Chase And Status and The Prodigy. Having been a member of the MOBO Award nominated Hip Hop Group GreenJade for 17 years, releasing 4 albums, Wizdom then became the head of the Arts Department for London Youth Charity XLP. Whilst there he created the Gunz Down Schools tour and Opportunity Training. He also created the BIG Music Project and was part of the founding team for East London Arts & Media (ELAM) School.
Tayo Odesanya is a writer and director based in London. Her work was first recognised in 2015, when the film she wrote ‘Maya’ won the Bradford Student Widescreen Film of the Year award, it then went on to the Raindance Film Festival, London Short Film Festival in 2016 and the London International Film Festival winning Best International Film, then winning Best Foreign Film at the El Dorado International Film Festival. In 2016, Odesanya put on a directors cap when producing her short documentary The Night Shift that went on to win Best Documentary Short at the Amsterdam Film Festival and went on to screen at BAFTA in the Triforce Film Festival as well as the BFI after winning the Hiive short of the month competition.
Yolanda Mercy Yolanda Mercy is a London based Actor and Playwright who trained at the Brit School, Laban and Central School of Speech and Drama. She was named Artist to Watch 2017 by the British Council, part of the BBC Writersroom and her writing has featured in Huffington Post. Yolanda is a Published author with Oberon Books. Her ★★★★★ productions have been described as "relatable, funny and very honest".
Sour Lemons addresses the lack of social mobility and diversity in leadership roles across the creative industries. We do this by delivering creative leadership training programmes for young leaders from diverse backgrounds, alongside consultancy and bespoke training services for creative organisations. At the heart of Sour Lemons is the belief that any disadvantage in life can be turned into an advantage. In other words, any sour lemon can be turned into lemonade. By nurturing raw talent and promoting diverse approaches to problem-solving, we will develop the next generation of creative leaders.
Joe Gray is a youth specialist with 10 years’ experience working with organisations such as the youth engagement agency Livity, educational consultancy Edcoms, and The British Council. At Livity, Joe was Head of Programme for somewhereto_, a £7m Big Lottery funded programme supporting young creative entrepreneurs in the development of their own ideas through the offer of free space. In addition, Joe also constructed research into social enterprise for Red Bull Amaphiko in Athens, as well as designed and delivered a tech-focused pitching event for young innovators on behalf of Google. Having seen the benefits of alternative education himself, Joe is a firm believer in recognising individual potential and the importance of social mobility, diversity and the development of new leaders. He is currently working with The Barbican, Tower Hamlets Council & new charity Sour Lemons.
SKETCHSESH SketchSesh is a series of open drawing sessions created by artists, Simon Gray and James Davison. Inspired by life drawing, fashion illustration and performance, SketchSesh works with significant characters from the London’s scene to create unique happenings where established artists and drawing newcomers respond to the human form in an emphatic atmosphere. Read more on the duos creative process.
