The Cumbria Arts and Culture Network is running the ‘See It to Be It’ scheme, enabling more people to have viable pathways towards the jobs they are dreaming of.
The CACN is now looking for young people across the county who have already made inroads into the creative industry to form the ‘See It to Be It’ advisory group.
The director of CACN, Kate Parry, said: “Even though Cumbria is a wonderfully creative and inspiring place to live for many – our work tells us it is not easy for young creatives to build careers here.
“Too often, we’re finding young people interested in creative careers – whether as museum curators, sound technicians, actors or artists – either leave to work in cities or feel they have to give up their creative ambitions entirely.
“Yet young people are the future of our county’s health and vitality and we need young creatives to live and work here successfully.”
The monthly advisory group sessions will take place online, lasting for about an hour, with each participant being given £25.
There will be one in-person meeting, with a date and location to be finalised by the group.
The project will bring together partners from across educational, careers and creative sectors to do three things:
- Ensure creative careers are well represented in school and college careers programmes, so that young Cumbrians grow up understanding the different options open to them and how to access them.
- Bring together the different development opportunities for young creatives already happening across the county, under the ‘See It to Be It’ banner, so that young creatives know where to look for support and next steps
- Create more paid opportunities for young creatives in all corners of the county, so that it becomes more possible to develop a career and earn a viable living, here in Cumbria.
Organisations already involved in the scheme include: Art Gene, the Rosehill Theatre, Brewery Arts Centre, Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Prism, The Knotted Project, Soundwave, The University of Cumbria, Theatre by the Lake, Grizedale Arts, Signal Film and Media, BarrowFull, Theatre Factory, Cumberland Council, and Westmorland and Furness Council.
More details about the project and the advisory groups can be found here.