NM Productions Announces Partnership with Creative Mentor Network

Creative Mentor Network is a mentoring and training charity working to improve socioeconomic diversity and break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries. They support young people from  lower socioeconomic backgrounds looking to enter the creative industry and train professionals to become mentors to them and advocates for socioeconomic diversity. 

NM Productions' Anissa Payne and Creative Mentor Network's Miles Zilesnick talk about the arrangement with the Creative Mentor Network and how they are supporting the charity.

Q> Why did NM Productions come up with this incentive? 

Anissa> NM recently celebrated its 5th birthday and I am really happy with the trajectory we are on. We have been lucky enough to have seen year-on-year growth since our inception. While there’s always more ground to cover, I truly feel we are in a good position to be able to start to give back where we can.

Q> What kind of partner were you looking for? 

Anissa> Over the past year, I’ve been invited to give talks to students about what I do and how I got started. As well as this we have been actively taking on interns and work placement students for Waltham Forest College as well as pledging placements to the 10,000 Black Interns programme. 

As a company, we're deeply committed to improving accessibility into this industry. Collaborating with a charity that provides invaluable support and opportunities to young individuals pursuing their career aspirations was paramount. That’s where Creative Mentor Network came into the picture. 

Q> Why did you specifically choose Creative Mentor Network as the charity you wanted to focus on? 

Anissa> My journey into production wasn't conventional by any means; it involved exploring numerous roles across different industries until I found the right fit for me and my ambition. I understand first hand the challenges of breaking into this industry so working with them on this incentive seemed like the most obvious choice for us. 

Q> What do NM want to achieve overall from this collaboration? 

Anissa> As part of NM's support for Creative Mentor Network, we will be aiming to offer mentorship, connecting directly with people who want to break into the industry as well as driving fundraising incentives. Drawing from my experiences and those of the NM team, we want to provide a comprehensive and transparent understanding of the industry's realities – both the highlights and the challenges. 

Q> How do you see the donation programme working in practical terms? 

Anissa> In addition to participating in Creative Mentor Network's mentorship program, we've set a fundraising goal for the year. As some of you may or may not have seen, I have quite the addiction to merch. This year, instead of offering NM merchandise for free, we'll be encouraging donations to Creative Mentor Network in exchange for some cool hoodies, notepads, candles etc (well we think they are cool!) 

Photographer: Mark Cant @NM Talent 

Q> What is the aim of Creative Mentor Network when working with companies in this way?

Miles> Our vision is to break the class ceiling in the UK's creative industries. Collaborating with companies like NM Productions helps us extend our reach within the sector, raising awareness about our mission, who we are and what we do, meaning we can drive meaningful change. 

Q> What do Creative Mentor Network wish to achieve through the collaboration?

Miles> Awareness is crucial, but action is paramount. We aim to encourage individuals to become mentors, utilise our Jobsboard for hiring, and advocate for socioeconomic diversity to shatter the class ceiling. By working closely with Anissa, her team at NM, and engaging in fundraising activities, we can support more mentees, organise events, and expand our impact. 

This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration we've had with a company in this way. Not only are we extremely grateful for the support from NM Productions, but we're really excited by the enthusiasm for our mission from the team, whether that's fundraising, events, mentoring or more. NM do brilliant work and have some fantastic clients. Being able to pass on our message through their network is an incredible opportunity. 

To donate to the charity you can click on this just giving link here.