Mentoring

Mentoring 4 Creatives- Applications now open

Deadline for applications:  July 28th 2024 @ Midnight 12am

We’re holding a Zoom Q&A (in English) where you can find out more on the evening of July 24th from 7:30 to 8:30pm. Click here to register your place. For all enquiries about the Q&A including questions around accessibility please contact Siwan: siwan@bectu.org.uk

• Q&A (on Zoom) about the programme: Wednesday evening, 24^th July 7.30pm to 8.30pm
• Application deadline: Midnight, Sunday 28^th July
• Mentoring period: Aug/Sept 2024 to 14^th February 2025

There’s no obligation to attend the Q&A. You can just go ahead and apply here (link)

Would you like to be mentored?

To be eligible you must meet the first criterion below and fit into 2 or 3:

1. You work only or mostly in live entertainment (theatre, live music, circus etc)
2. I have several years’ experience and want to progress in the industry
3. I have done some paid work in the industry and want support to stay in the industry and sustain my career

If so, you can apply for 6 free monthly mentoring sessions starting in the Autumn 2024 but please read on for full eligibility criteria.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and levels of experience, these include:

• Those returning to work after a period of absence (due to health, disability, maternity, caring responsibilities etc)
• those of you in groups under-represented in live entertainment and the arts in Wales – women, people from the BAME, disabled and LGBTQ+ communities and those from a less privileged socio-economic background.

The programme is led by CULT Cymru and supported by the Welsh Government’s Wales Union Learn Fund.

Here, you can see stories from our screen mentoring programme (M4S) which ran from 2020 to 2023.

This is what two of our mentees on those programmes said:

“Really enjoying the sessions, the mentoring has really helped me focus. It’s made me a lot more motivated to think about how to improve my craft skills.”

Dan Rees, 2^nd assistant editor

“My mentor was great on so many levels and filled me mostly with confidence that I lacked after taking a 3-year career break.  I have been able to overcome some barriers at work and was successfully selected for a BBC training scheme and I feel Hannah did a lot to help me get to that level where I could go for things that I would have previously hesitated or avoided altogether!”

Yeota Imam-Rashid, Assistant Producer, factual TV

If you’d like to benefit from mentoring like this, come and join us on a Zoom Q&A to find out more.

When?  The evening of July 24th from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

Click here to register your place.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a partnership where a more experienced mentor shares their knowledge and expertise with you. As a mentee you’ll be encouraged, challenged and supported by your mentor to learn and progress.

We’ll match successful applicants with mentors who are established and currently working in the industry in your field or in the field in which you’d like to work.

Mentoring sessions are usually conducted online but you can meet face-to-face on occasions if geography, time and accessibility allow.

Full eligibility criteria:

You can apply for this programme if:

• You work in live entertainment and the arts.
• You live or work in Wales or you wish to return to work in Wales.
• You are freelance or casual or you’re employed by a small independent company.
• You want to progress your career in live entertainment and the arts in Wales.
• You have experience of some paid work in the sector.
• You are a member of any of these unions: Bectu, Musicians’ Union, Equity (contact us if you’re considering joining)

We welcome applications from:

• those returning to the industry after a break e.g. parental leave, long-term sickness or caring responsibilities
• those in groups under-represented in live entertainment and the arts in Wales: Women, people from the BAME, disabled and LGBTQ+ communities and those from a less privileged socio-economic background.

Becoming a mentee requires great commitment and hard work and you need to be proactive. Please read on before you decide whether to apply:

What is a mentee?

A mentee is someone who wants to focus on their personal and professional development. You’ll have goals and objectives you want to achieve and you want to overcome challenges. As a mentee you can expect support, encouragement, challenge, feedback and ideas from your mentor. You accept that your mentor will not have all the answers nor tell you what you should do; nor is it their job to give you a job!

Mentoring can:

• Help boost your confidence and increase your self-awareness.
• Give you clarity and an opportunity to focus on your challenges, goals and career objectives.
• Provide a confidential, safe space to come up with ideas, to reflect, develop and progress.
• Give you the opportunity to learn from your mentor and their experience.

To get the best from the mentoring partnership you’ll need to:

• Be proactive and drive the mentoring process.
• Be clear about what you want to achieve.
• Use your planning and organising skills.
• Understand your strengths and needs for your career – and be willing to share both with your mentor.
• Be ready to receive feedback, be challenged and to use your creativity to generate ideas.
• Learn from your mentor’s experience.
• Commit to actions and review progress with your mentor.

Terms and Conditions

Successful candidates for mentorship will:

• complete a Welsh Government Learner Form.
• complete an evaluation form at the end of the process and will be invited to contribute their story as a case study (GDPR compliance applies). The benefits of receiving mentoring often emerge further down the line.

Please see CULT Cymru’s privacy policy

How to apply

Please note that this is a competitive process so we urge you to take time to complete the online application form. Apply here

Deadline: 28th of July @ Midnight 12am