“First and foremost, it’s about acknowledging that there is disparity with the representation within the creative industry and the motivation is to create a creative industry that represents our communities.”
To support our mission, STEP partners with employers to provide London Living Wage entry-level roles for 18-30-year-old people who live in the London boroughs of Waltham Forest, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. Lesley regards the shared commitment to London Living Wage as integral to the STEP programme and towards facilitating inclusive workplaces.
“This was really one of the key points of discussion when we were devising the programme… having responsibility for your own financial independence comes up time and time again. I think it’s important we don’t patronise people. They are coming in to do a job… they are coming in to have responsibility and have accountability for work so why shouldn’t they be paid a wage that reflects that. It’s quite difficult in London to stretch your finances. London Living Wage is a representation [of that] and has been an ongoing conversation…”
Lesley considers the shared aspect of STEP beneficial to both trainees and their employers. Trainees gain experience across two different organisations and through collaboration employers benefit from a range of talented individuals, each with different perspectives, joining their teams. As a growing collective, STEP employers have the opportunity to learn from one another and have a bigger impact across the creative industries.
“…a lot of organisations are doing some really great work but a lot of it is happening in isolation and I think it’s important to share what’s being done and the fact that we have a group of organisations collaborating on this project means that actually it’s a wider conversation, this isn’t just something at Sadler’s Wells for example. So, the ripple effect happens quicker and with more vigour, it can affect people on a wider scale”
There are various touchpoints in the programme for employers to come together and learn from one another. Lesley has attended numerous employer focussed sessions and also contributes as part of the STEP steering group. She identified Employer Sessions as an area of development in terms of being more focused and strategic, improving attendance as well as tailoring sessions more closely to where individuals are coming from. Lesley felt the STEP Employer Workshop led by Creative Access was particularly successful in terms of providing opportunities for peer-learning.
“The Supporting an Inclusive Creative Workplace went really well… as somebody who identifies as a Black female, it was quite interesting to hear people talk about their uncomfortableness with their own privilege or their own status within their own organisation and I don’t know if that happens often… if people feel safe enough to be able to express that. So I felt that went really well and the exercises and activities that Elonka [Diversity and Inclusion Consultant] put together allowed people to consciously think about that in a space that was safe – I thought that was really useful.”