Pitch It Creative Mentoring

Widening access to creative careers

Pitch It! piloted last summer, starting off at Netil360 with a pitching and matching session between professionals from the studios at Netil House and Hackney Downs Studios and local young people with creative aspirations. During the programme, students and mentors work on a variety of skills, from gaining work experience and a foot in the door, to understanding what careers are out there and where their skills and interests might best fit. The whole cycle involves students and mentors committing to weekly mentoring sessions and a celebration and networking evening at which students will be ready to 'pitch' themselves to the creative community.

The project, founded by Teach First Ambassador, Isabel Farchy and Eat Work Art Head of Communications, Louise Wellby, works with professionals across the creative career spectrum: advertising, film and television, music, marketing and PR, design and architecture, tech and many more to broaden horizons and raise aspirations. The Pitch It team recruit students and mentors by meeting them personally, providing training and a framework to ensure the experience is beneficial and worthwhile.

The next Pitch It! cycle mentoring cycle begins this month (February 2015). Mentors range from the Global Editor of Time Out, a Connector ECHO, digital media specialist at the BFI as well as self-employed photographers, filmmakers, DJs, art restorers and jewellery designers based at Netil House and Hackney Downs Studios.

Like and Follow Pitch It! to stay connected.

Here's a quick round up video from last summer, filmed and edited by Pitch It! graduate Mark Kamara:

Pitch It! Pilot from EatWorkArt on Vimeo.

Plus a short animation created by mentor Steph Parr (Hackney Downs Studios resident) and mentee Kariella Francis:

Pitch It | Widening Access to Creative Careers | EAT WORK ART from EatWorkArt on Vimeo.