What To Expect at the UK Creative Festival Careers Fair
The UK Creative Festival will once again be hosting its free-to-attend careers fair at this year’s event in Dreamland, Margate on 10th - 11th July 2024. Running across both days, the fair will be held in the Dreamland Roller Disco.
While the main festival is geared towards those already in the industry–bringing the UK creative community together for networking, inspirational talks and beachside fun–the careers fair provides a prime location for these professionals to discover and uplift budding talent. Over 1000 aspiring creatives showed up to attend in the last year alone, and, when surveyed, 100% of such respondents noted that the festival made the industry feel more accessible to them, repeatedly citing the personal connections, confidence, knowledge, and motivation gained from it.
Leading companies from across the creative industries will be present, representing the following industries: advertising, marketing and PR; animation; architecture; arts and crafts; design; fashion; film and tv; gaming; media; music; photography and videography; podcast, radio and audio; publishing; theatre and performing arts; and writing.
Setting up shop to demystify the different pathways to employment, companies at the fair will offer not only networking opportunities but also workshops and Q&A sessions. With more still to be announced, programme highlights are set to include:
- Becoming A TikTok Influencer: Learn how to succeed using TikTok as a platform with Tom Skinner, TikTok’s executive creative director.
- Bitesize 101 Talk: Hear from Katie & Noel Leeman at Another Acronym who work with clients such as BBC Storyworks and The Forward Trust.
- What Makes Special Effects Special?: Explore the world of special effects and see if your skills can lead you to a great career in this exciting area of the creative industries.
- Make Video Games Your Life: Discover a career in gaming through our industry and third level education panel and networking session.
- Sculpt A Model Selfie: Enter Paul Gotham’s model making workshop, from award-winning animation studio A+C, whose clients include LEGO, National Geographic, and Cadbury
- Kickstart Your Career In Media: Get tips on broadcasting, advertising and more from the Global Academy at Global, the UK and Europe's largest radio and outdoor media company.
- Apprenticeships In The Arts: Get the lowdown on apprenticeships from Kent and Medway Careers Hub, Artworks and the Power of Events.
- Get Some Culture: Look at career journeys within the cultural sector in the V&A with a future-focused creative skills session.
- Build Skills For The Future: Figure out how you can build skills for your future with Experience Haus, who have trained teams working in Spotify, Amazon and more.
- Enter The World Of Events: Understand more about events and experiential from Sparks, a leading global brand experience agency that works with leading brands such as Netflix, Meta, BMW and Google.
- Photography Advice: Get career advice and your portfolio reviewed by photographer Francis Augusto, who works with adidas, Canon, Nike, lululemon, and Nando's
A selection of the people contributing to the Creative Careers Fair, through both workshops and panel discussions are:
- Karrelle Dixon, former global account director for Nike and former CEO, W+K
- Maxime Ponsart, 3D generalist, Time Based Arts,
- Dionysia Navarro, senior partnership development manager, Save The Children
- Lolo No, costume designer and multi-disciplinary artist
- Debbie Ellison, VML Incubator Programme and chief digital officer
- Rasmus Smith Bech, ECD, BBC, director, BBC Creative U Course
- Lubeto Kalwa, Brixton Finishing School
- Michael Grant, director’s rep, Eleanor Films
The Careers Fair is led by The Creative Foundation, an industry-focused and funded registered charity. Founded in 2017, it exists to support diverse and underrepresented talent in accessing more career pathways and work opportunities within the UK creative industries.
Young creatives can register for the fair for free here. To learn more, visit https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/careersfair
Jeremy Green, CEO, UK Creative Festival, comments, "The Creative Careers Fair is the beating heart of what we do at the UK Creative Festival, supporting young individuals who are underrepresented in the industry. This year we are excited to be welcoming so many fantastic brands and creative leaders who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise, and who are providing dozens of opportunities to young creatives, including job placements, work experience, free one-to-one mentoring, and training. We are dedicated to creating a space that offers pathways into an industry that needs a new generation of creativity."
