Break The Wall

Young people from working class backgrounds don’t have an equal shot of making it in the creative industries. We’re working to change this.

The representation of professionals from working class backgrounds has been declining for the last decade due to cuts to education, closed professional networks and the increased cost of living.

Today, just 16% of people in the creative industries come from working class backgrounds. As a result, employers are missing out on incredible talent and new voices who can’t break through the class ceiling.

Break the Wall is designed to support young people looking to break into the industry today, whilst upskilling those into the industry to help create long term change.

Break the Wall is a 16-week mentoring and training programme for creative professionals who want to grow as coaches, mentors, and managers while supporting the next generation of talent.

What is break the wall?

Each mentor is matched with a young person aged 16–25 from a lower socioeconomic background who is starting or building their career in the creative industries.

• Over fortnightly sessions, mentors:
• Share insights into how the industry works
• Support skill development and confidence-building
• Help mentees reach specific goals, from writing a CV to developing creative projects or progressing in their role

What mentors do

All mentors take part in 8 hours of training to develop practical skills in coaching, management, and inclusive leadership. Training covers:

• Mentoring and supporting junior talent
• Coaching techniques & inclusive management
• Class diversity in the creative industries, and the role of social and cultural capital

By the end of the programme, mentors gain valuable experience in developing people, while helping to break down the class barriers holding back creative talent.

What mentors learn

We work with mentors across the creative industries in a wide range of roles. Break the Wall is best suited for mid to senior level professionals looking to progress or develop their skills supporting and managing junior team members. 

You don’t need to be a creative to be a mentor, your role can be anywhere in the creative industry. We want to show the young people we work with the different types of roles that exist, break down misconceptions about what “creative” jobs are and provide real-world insights into industry roles.

We hand pick all our matches based on interests, skills and goals to ensure you feel confident to support your mentee. 

www.creativementornetwork.org/break-the-wall