We are Creative Mentor Network

At Creative Mentor Network we believe that everyone deserves the chance to work in the creative industries, and are working to break the class ceiling that prevents many young people getting into the industry.

Working with professionals across the creative industry, we run mentoring programmes to support 16-25 year olds on their journey into the creative industries and help break down the barriers that can restrict them from finding work.

  • Our work supports young people directly by matching them with a mentor who is given the tools and resources to help them over a 16-week programme.

    Through fortnightly sessions, mentees build their knowledge of the creative industries, get a better understanding of career paths and see where they can fit in. Mentees also develop their confidence and grow their professional networks.

    All our mentors receive training in coaching and inclusive leadership, are taught about the state of socioeconomic diversity in the creative industries, and how they can support long term change in the industry.

    Our 2025 highlights:

    • 275 mentoring pairs matched

    • +52% mentees gained clarity on creative career paths

    • +53% mentees improved networking and industry relationships

    • 78% of mentors strengthened their coaching skills

    • 83% of mentors feel equipped to support young people from socio-economically diverse backgrounds

    Read more about our impact here

  • The class ceiling acts as a barrier to the creative industries in a number of ways, and can impact people differently.

    Industry Knowledge: The creative economy is huge, but many of the jobs within it aren’t spoken about. This means young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds find it hard to see themselves in these spaces, making it hard to plan their careers.

    The Hidden Jobs Market: They say it’s who you know, not what you know, and there’s truth behind this. Up to 80% of roles are filled through networking, referrals, or direct outreach rather than public advertisements. This means if you don’t know anyone in the industry you’re chances of making it can drop considerably.

    Creative Credibility: Many people believe the industry is an unreliable career path, which discourages young people from pursuing careers in these areas.

    Learn more about the barriers here.

  • We partner with organisations to bring on mentors from all across the creative industries, not just those in creative roles. Mentors don’t need any experience in mentoring or management as our training is designed to support them throughout the whole process.

    Read more about our community

See about how Nikolaj, CEO of OkayStudio, supported his mentee Aum on his journey into filmmaking.

  • The course has helped me understand better what's required to coach an individual, as well as the importance of widening the recruitment net beyond the people and places my company normally defaults.

    —Nico Tuppen, Homeground

  • Learning to mentor helped me develop better communication skills, how to provide constructive feedback, and understand how to motivate mentees to reach their full potential.

    —Harley Ilott, Bumble

  • This experience helped diversify my experience and gave me an opportunity to add significant value to a young person's career. In tern, it helped me reflect on how far I'd come.

    —Adrian Chua, Amazon

  • It was a great opportunity to give back and I also learned so much from my mentee and the process.

    —Fega Ibodje, Sony Music

  • I walked away with renewed clarity on the kind of leader I want to be, one who sees who someone could become and supports them to grow into it by maximising their potential.

    —Damilola Ogboye, Chanel

Our Partners