LIGHTHOUSE YOUNG CREATIVES: EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE TO KICKSTART THEIR CREATIVE CAREERS

Launched in 2018, Lighthouse Young Creatives (formerly known as Viral) is a six-month professional and personal development scheme that gives young people aged 16-25 the skills, confidence and connections they need to kickstart a career in the creative industries.

Brighton & Hove is home to a thriving creative and digital sector, full of employment potential for the next generation. However, these opportunities aren’t equally accessible or visible to young people from all backgrounds.

Lighthouse Young Creatives (LYC) seeks to change this, by empowering young people who aspire to work in the creative industries but face a variety of barriers to doing so. It also sets out to address the chronic lack of diversity within the creative and digital industries, which stems from ongoing social inequalities and a historical lack of access and inclusion.

How the scheme works

The scheme spans a range of creative disciplines including video-making, photography, music and design. Over six months the young people take part in hands-on learning that includes production skills training, business development support, mentoring, showcasing and networking.

With support from the LYC Artist-Mentors, they also produce a new project with access to a budget, equipment and production facilities.

Of the young people we have worked with so far:

• 44% have gone on to gain employment in the creative sectors

• 84% are continuing to create and produce work independently

Business partners

A vital part of LYC is bringing the young people together with businesses in the city, to gain a greater understanding of how different workplaces operate.

Our business partners feature as guest speakers and deliver some of the business focused sessions, covering topics such as branding, budgeting and digital marketing. Through cash and in-kind sponsorship they also help to make the project financially possible. You can read about their take on the scheme here.

We are currently looking for Sussex-based creative and digital businesses to sponsor LYC#3 and help empower another cohort of young people. If you are interested in getting involved please contact Emily Kyriakides at emily@lighthouse.org.uk.

LYC alumni & community

A key success is the growing and increasingly self-supporting community that we’ve cultivated around the scheme. Past participants return to take part as peer mentors and guest speakers, and new collaborations continually emerge via connections formed on the scheme.

You can read more about different aspects of the LYC experience and outcomes below.