LAUNCHING A YOUTH CLUB IN EAST LONDON
It’s with great excitement that we will bring the New Creator Club to Tower Hamlets after winning funding from the prestigious City Bridge Foundation. The New Creator Club will empower creative excellence and storytelling from the young people of tomorrow. We will create a safe space dedicated to improving young people’s media literacy skills, enabling them to hold power accountable.
We are pleased to announce that the New Creator Club will fall under the umbrella of TSV’s New Creator Network, which is dedicated to nurturing young talent poised to reshape the landscape of journalism, broadcasting, and media.
Our vision for the New Creator Club goes beyond basic training, as we look to set up a haven for young minds where they can safely explore, learn, and apply media literacy skills in a real-world context. This includes engaging in newsroom activities, community storytelling, and connecting with seasoned professionals in the media industry.
The startling reality, as highlighted by our recent survey, is that 68% of young people in the UK’s most deprived areas feel that a career in media “wasn’t for someone like them.” Furthermore, studies show that in 2021 a staggering 80% of UK journalists hail from the highest social class backgrounds. The New Creator Club aims to break down these barriers and foster inclusivity in the media sector.
We’ve chosen Tower Hamlets as our launchpad for this project, a borough where over half of the secondary school students come from low-income families. Our aim here is not just to educate but to inspire and open doors to careers that many of these young individuals might have thought were out of reach.
Starting in January 2024, we plan to conduct nearly 50 club sessions annually for young people across the community, which will see them engage in newsroom activities, write stories, and have access to a wealth of resources and data relevant to their communities. The club sessions will also see a range of guest appearances from diverse professionals across the media industry, from TV & radio presenters to YouTube content creators.
Jordan Jarrett Bryan, Sports Reporter at Channel 4 & TSV Advisory Board Member says:
“Ensuring that as many people have a fair chance of accessing jobs within the media industry is essential and ultimately benefits the industry – and in turn us the consumer. This funding and support will make sure the young people have an opportunity they probably wouldn’t have had – and we’re very grateful for that. I’m delighted to be sharing my time and experiences to help but the help you’re offering is invaluable and appreciated.”
Renée Kapuku, Co-Founder at To My Sisters & TSV Advisory Board Member says:
“Ensuring organisations and communities dedicated to tackling some of the biggest challenges facing young people, are well equipped with the tools and resources they need, are paramount to success. The effects of deprivation disproportionately affect people in creative and media-related spaces, and the funding from City Bridge Trust is an important step towards tackling some of these challenges, and providing hope and opportunities for young people in accessing media careers.
“I look forward to seeing and actively supporting the New Creator Club, and The Student View more broadly, in efforts to radically reimagine our media industry, and support diverse young people by platforming and enabling their voices to be heard on a national scale.”
Through our New Creator Club, our goal is clear – to spark a passion for media in the young minds of today and guide them towards further studies or employment in both local and mainstream media.
From the very outset of this project, young people have played a pivotal role, infusing their fresh perspectives and creative energy into every aspect of our journey. This collaborative approach is illustrated in the development of our branding for the New Creator Network.
Check out how we came up with the branding for this new platform with expert designer Kieron Goldsborough and a group of young people in the video below!
We are beyond excited to launch our New Creator Club and are immensely grateful to City Bridge Foundation for their support and belief in our mission.
Paul Martinelli, City Bridge Foundation Funding Committee Chairman, says:
“A free, flourishing and independent media is one of the cornerstones of our society and it’s important that those who work in the media should be representative of the country as a whole.
“We’re delighted to support this project, which will give under-represented young people in Tower Hamlets the skills, experience and confidence they need to build a successful career for themselves in the media and related industries.”
As we eagerly await the official launch of the New Creator Club, we invite you to register your interest to be a part of this incredible network at newcreator@thestudentview.org
Also, keep an eye out for our taster pop-up NCC newsroom which will be coming very soon…