Break the Wall & The Impact of Mentoring
Break the Wall is our longest-running programme, matching mentees and mentors together to help support access and inclusion in the creative industry.
Our programmes have been operating for over 10 years, and this July we celebrated our 32nd cohort of Break the Wall.
Mentees and mentors from the programme together at their Showcase event.
A look into the cohort
The young people we work with on Break the Wall are aged 16-25, and at various stages of their professional careers. Mentors on the programme come from a range of industries, from advertising to audio, film to fashion, and production to publishing.
Mentees on the cohort had a range of goals they were working on together, from working in audio production, running their own photography business, becoming a graphic designer, finding a job in content creation or working on transitioning their careers.
Mentees were looking for mentors to help them understand more about how the industry works, provide support with their goals, have someone to talk to and grow their connections. Mentees also called out how a mentor could help them build their confidence too.
We worked with a range of mentors from different organisations. Mentors included Art Directors, Designers and Creative Directors, but also Producers, Business Directors, Editors, HR, Strategists and Finance Managers.
Each of the matches on our programmes are hand picked, taking into account the skills, ambition, experience and roles of both mentees and mentors to find the perfect pair.
Over the 16-week programme mentors and mentees met for 8 sessions to work towards the mentee’s set goals.
Both mentors and mentees receive training that helps them get the most from the programme too.
Programme Impact
We measure the impact on all of our programmes, taking benchmark data at the start of a programme and then again at the end to assess the work we are doing and ensure we are constantly evolving to keep it impactful. Programme Managers check in throughout the programme informally, and through a mid-point check-in too to ensure progress is being made for all participants.
Mentee Impact
Skills Development
For our mentees, we saw key growth around identifying and transferring skills, understanding more about their place within the industry, and developing professional skills around goal planning.
Employment & Work Experience
A key marker for our long-term impact is helping mentees gain employment and opportunities from the programme.
Over the 16 weeks mentees got:
A half-day shadowing their mentor at WeTransfer
A 3 month training programme with Mama Youth building skills to gain employment in the broadcast & media industries
A 2 week paid internship with the Mayor of London offering graphic design services to grassroots organisations
Shadowing experience at Bulletproof design agency
An internship at Sky as a content creator
2 days of work experience at Gousto in the food styling and research & development kitchen
A site visit to Box of Toys Audio, including Q&A with the owner
These opportunities came from mentors directly or as a result of the work they did with their mentees, supporting them with their knowledge of roles and helping build their confidence to apply.
Mentor impact
Our data from the programme highlighted as positive outcomes for our mentors as our mentees. Not only did mentors get a stronger understanding of class diversity in the creative industries, they felt more prepared to support those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds into the industry.
Mentors felt encouraged to support their workplace DE&I programmes and felt confident to advocate for class diversity. Support and allyship like this is key to help long term change in the industry.
Beyond this, mentors reported the process and training helped them develop skills that helped them with their mentee, but also at work. Skills such as listening, management and reflection stood out, which can help create more inclusive environments at work and support employee growth and retention.
While 16 weeks can fly by, seeing the impact that can be achieved at this time is always remarkable. Providing mentees with this foundational experience helps give their career a boost, and giving them a fairer chance of making it in the creative industry. For our mentors, the work they put in over this 16 weeks is just the beginning. Whilst over half the cohort arranged mentoring sessions beyond the programme, the knowledge they walk away with can help them to advocate for class diversity and help us create long term change in the creative industries.
If you’re interested in being part of our next Break the Wall programme then click the link below for being a mentor or mentee.