How Brixton Finishing School's Foundation Is Transforming Industry Access
Since 2018, Brixton Finishing School (BFS) has been a trailblazer in connecting underrepresented talent with opportunities in the creative industries. With a focus on addressing barriers such as racism, classism, and geographic inequity, the school has made strides in creating pathways for diverse perspectives to enrich advertising and media. But in today’s harsher economic climate, its founder Ally Owen saw the need to go further.
Enter The Finishing School Foundation, an initiative designed to close the “practical gaps” that prevent talented young people – particularly those with NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) status – from succeeding.
LBB’s Olivia Atkins caught up with Ally to discuss how the foundation provides essential financial, emotional, and structural support to ensure that the UK’s most disadvantaged young people can not only dream of a creative career but achieve it. If you want to donate your support as an individual or company, click here.
BFS founder Ally Owen sits down with LBB to discuss the School's newly-launched Foundation.
LBB> What inspired the formation of The Finishing School Foundation, and how does it complement Brixton Finishing School’s existing work?
Ally> Brixton Finishing School is a not-for-profit (free) talent academy that finds and upskills amazing talents so they are work ready for our partner employers. It brings them together with an industry that’s crying out for different viewpoints, and in unison with our industry partners we work to break down the structural barriers of creative industry success. These include racism, classism and location opportunity poverty.
Since our set up in 2018, the financial situation across the UK has become much more bleak. It’s no longer enough to create free upskilling and access opportunities. It used to be enough to provide some bursaries, food and travel. We now need to close the ‘practical’ gaps to success that can hold some of our most financially-challenged talents back. The Finishing School foundation is designed to do just that – to support those most at a disadvantage while they upskill via our free Brixton Finishing School programmes. It gives these talents the best chance to focus on developing their skills and professional behaviours, and we hope, win an entry-level role in the marketing, creative and advertising industry.
Think of Brixton Finishing School as a very well-connected, knowledgeable relation who can access all areas (and help you overcome any structural barrier) and The Finishing School foundation as a wealthy uncle or aunt who can support you when transitioning into your first role. Both work for the betterment of our talent's outcomes, the talent then goes on to enrich our workplaces.
LBB> The foundation focuses on supporting NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) young people. How does this initiative address the specific challenges they face in entering the workforce, particularly in advertising and media?
Ally> The Finishing School foundation will empower people with NEET status to participate in our programmes and wider employment opportunities through bespoke outreach and pastoral support, plus practical help. First and foremost, NEET status represents a loss of young people’s potential. The longer a young person has NEET status, the more likely they are to suffer long-lasting consequences – with a negative effect on future employment outcomes and earnings as well as on physical and mental health. It’s a vicious cycle which The Finishing School foundation intends to help break.
The foundation’s outreach will be focused on those of NEET status or ‘at risk’ of NEET status. Our intention is to annually survey our NEET talent pool and tailor our support to their needs. We are initially focusing on a number of ‘key factors’. These include bursaries for living costs, travel to interviews, a deposit/first months rent in safe accommodation near a role that’s been won and access to mental and neurodiversity support.
BFS class of 2024.
LBB> How does The Finishing School foundation plan to close the practical gaps between talent and employment for the most disadvantaged 20% of young people in the UK?
Ally> This Dimple’s testimonial as a BFS Summer School 24 student and recipient of the TFSF bursary demonstrates how we can help:
“Straight out of A-Levels, my priority was finding a job to support my family – a responsibility that influenced every decision I made. Receiving The Finishing School foundation bursary (for BFS Summer School 24) allowed me to prioritise my growth and fully immerse myself in the summer school experience, where I could dedicate all my time and energy to learning, engaging with the brief, participating in activities, and connecting with industry professionals. With the financial support, I didn’t have to worry about covering basic expenses, which helped ease the constant pressure to find work and positively supported my mental health. It provided me with the stability I needed to focus on building a strong foundation for my future.”
We know being of NEET status is linked to having poor mental wellness so providing access where an overstretched NHS cannot is essential. For example, having an undiagnosed (and unsupported) neurodiversity is a driver of poor mental wellness (and can be a barrier to gaining or retaining employment).
Access to diagnosis and support is seemingly a lottery – in October patients in Leeds were told they must wait ten years for ADHD diagnosis on the NHS. As a neurodiverse person, I know first hand how much difference diagnosis and support can make. To have a whole decade waiting time for a young person to gain vital support is, in my mind, very damaging to potential. The foundation will look to serve talents who cannot gain the services they need through the NHS so they don’t have to wait to be supported.
LBB> In what ways does the foundation’s focus on practical support differentiate it from other talent-acceleration programs in the industry?
Ally> There are many wonderful accelerators that deliver mentorship and learning, lunches and travel. I’m not sure I know of one that’s delivering the practical support that our most challenged talents need to make these opportunities a long-term success – for example living costs, accommodation deposit or access to neurodiversity support. Our ambition is for our support for our talent to be ongoing and sustained rather than a singular ‘short course’ intervention.
LBB> What role do the industry’s leading figures, and the school's trustees, play in driving the mission and goals of The Finishing School foundation forward?
Ally> Both Brixton Finishing School and The Finishing School foundation are the sum total of the efforts and generosity of our industry supporters and trustees. Without the industry, we don’t exist. We are here to serve the industry by delivering outstanding talent that wouldn’t normally reach their doorsteps. Without the industry’s investment of funds, time and expertise in our mission we are nothing but an idea. I cannot thank our partners and supporters and advocates enough for making the idea of us a reality.
Celebrating the graduation of the 2024 cohort of BFS.
LBB> How does the foundation’s partnership with organisations like The Trade Desk, Outbrain, and The Barber Shop contribute to the accessibility and sustainability of this initiative?
Ally> Without TTD’s, Outbrain’s and The Barber Shops’ launch funding The Finishing School foundation would not exist. Funding is key to the foundation starting to resolve the practical challenges that are holding brilliant minds back from reaching us.
LBB> What impact do you hope The Finishing School foundation will have on the advertising, media, and communications industries in the long term, and how will it shape the future of talent development in these fields?
Ally> Since its inception, Brixton Finishing School has created an alumni network of nearly 4000 talents from communities that wouldn’t normally enrich our industries. These alumni talents win D&AD Black Pencils and are named on ‘Top 10 lists’. Some of our ‘OG’ alumni are now brand marketeers, agency account directors, AI project managers and programmatic leads.
By uniting with the industry to better its talent pipeline we have begun to optimise business outcomes. All the data shows blended management teams of diverse minds, thinking and experiences produce around 10% more EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) than homogenous leadership teams. (Source: Wall St Journal). We create better work, better offices and better profits when we ensure all those who are talented can reach our doors.
The Finishing School foundation will ensure the pathway is kept clear of obstacles for those most financially-challenged to reach us. Our country’s ability to support young talent is badly damaged. Brixton Finishing School can no longer rely on creating enriching, free opportunities. It’s not enough. The foundation will thoughtfully and practically ensure the road is swept clean by us so it’s clear for those talents to walk down it to our doors.
