East Sussex College celebrates Creative Careers Month: One Giant Leap Towards Your Creative Future
Photo Credit: Fiona Whyte Photography
East Sussex College is celebrating Creative Careers Month throughout November, with a programme of industry talks, school visits, creative projects and hands-on activities designed to help students discover where their talents could take them.
Creative Careers Month, supported by Discover! Creative Careers, encourages young people to explore the wide range of opportunities available across the creative industries, from art and design to music, film, theatre and digital media.
Throughout November, local secondary schools and students from across the college will have opportunities to hear from professionals, learn about different career pathways and discover how the skills they develop in the classroom can translate into careers.
Meeting creative professionals
Hearing directly from people working in the industry can help students understand what a creative career involves and the different routes into the sector.
The November programme includes talks from a range of creative professionals, including artist Stuart Pearson-Wright, performer and filmmaker Suzanne Gielgud, and knitwear designer Katie Jones, who will be visiting Hastings to share insights into her work.
A particular highlight will be a session with Donald Clark, an AI learning theorist, practitioner and strategic implementer. Students will have the opportunity to explore how AI is changing the creative landscape, the opportunities it presents and what these developments could mean for future careers, particularly across education and the creative industries.
Alongside these sessions, students will have access to free online talks through ERIC, covering subjects including what a creative career looks like, the creative industries, choosing a creative degree, alternative routes into the sector and future skills.
The programme will also include practical opportunities to get involved in creative activities, including music sessions, student theatre and 48 hours of live broadcasting with Eastbourne Youth Radio.
These opportunities will help students build their understanding of the industry, ask questions and consider the different paths they could take after college.
Bringing creativity into the community
The College’s Creative Careers Month activities will also extend to local schools. Students from Priory, Downlands, Patcham, Kings, Ringmer, Seahaven and Chailey are already signed up to take part in activities during November, with many more schools encouraged to get involved so younger students can explore creative subjects and discover potential future pathways.
Students will also have opportunities to explore creative work through Art on the Line, a project involving Lewes and Haywards Heath, alongside activities with local creative organisations.
Strengthening connections with the creative industries
East Sussex College has established relationships with a range of creative organisations across the region, helping students connect with the arts and cultural sector and gain a better understanding of the opportunities available.
Partners include Charleston in Lewes, alongside Glyndebourne, Fabrica, Towner Eastbourne, Hastings Contemporary, De La Warr Pavilion and the Royal Ballet and Opera.
These connections give East Sussex College students opportunities to engage with established organisations across the creative industries, discover different areas of work and see how creative skills are used in professional settings. They also help bring the region's thriving cultural sector closer to students, showing them the range of opportunities available on their doorstep.