Creative Careers
Cockpit Arts / The Prince’s Trust Creative Careers Programme
Following year one of the Cockpit Arts’ Creative Careers Programme offered to 10 young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) at our Deptford incubator centre in 2010, we are now running an annual programme in partnership with The Prince’s Trust at our Holborn incubator in Camden. The 2011/12 programme is generously supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Camden Recycling Ltd.
Creative Careers provides previously unemployed young people with 12 months free intensive business support and craft and business mentoring in our central London creative business incubator environment, as a gateway to a professional career in craft and design. NEETs are integrated into the Cockpit professional working environment and craft mentors provide aspirational role models, giving the young people a sense that enterprise is for them. Participants are referred by The Prince’s Trust and this year include Lenique Louis, jeweller, Johnette Taylor, leather designer and Stacey Dee Robertson, bridal headdress designer.
In 2010 the CACCP achieved an 80% retention rate, with 50% percent achieving an NVQ Level 2 qualification (providing a practical foundation in enterprise training); 40% intending to pursue a craft career; 80% achieving employment or self-employment, and 10% into further training. Two participants (Kethi Copeland and Emma Hamshare) successfully applied for longer term space at Cockpit through the Radcliffe Award (see below).
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Cockpit Arts Radcliffe Craft Award
Participants are eligible to apply for the Cockpit Arts Radcliffe Craft Award, supported by the
Radcliffe Trust. This provides a further spring board to business success – providing studio space and support within a Cockpit Arts incubator for a year. Winners of the Radcliffe Award in 2010 are Emma Hamshare and Kethi Copeland.
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Future Plans
Our aim is for the Cockpit Arts organisation to become self sustainable and generating a surplus in order to cover the cost of further similar programmes in the future; however funding is needed to support the Creative Careers programme for a further year. If you would be interested to partner with us on the programme in order to help broaden access to our activities please contact Vanessa on 020 7419 1962 for an informal discussion.
