Join our mentoring programme and shape the future of the creative industry

Be part of the movement breaking barriers in the creative industry.

Break the Wall is a training programme built to help creative professionals become inclusive mentors, leaders, and managers.

By taking part, you’ll gain the skills to support and empower young talent from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, develop your leadership abilities, and share your expertise to shape a more diverse and equitable industry.

Mentors and companies in Break the Wall do more than support emerging creatives, they help build an industry where talent from all backgrounds can thrive. Join us in making a real impact.

Become a mentor

What is break the wall?

Break the Wall is a 16 week mentor training programme. Through a mixture of training and hand on experience, it trains professionals in the creative industries in mentoring, coaching and leadership to help them become more inclusive leaders at work.

Mentors are matched with a mentee from our community, and support them in fortnightly mentoring sessions over the programme. Our mentees are all from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, between 16-25 years old , and are interested in starting or developing their career in the creative industries.

Our mentors will help them understand more about how the creative industries work, support them with skill development, and work on any specific goals the mentees are interested in. This can be anything from putting together a CV, developing their own creative projects, or supporting their progression in their current roles.

What do our mentors learn?

All of our mentors receive 8 hours of training to develop their skills in managing and leadership, and get specific training on socioeconomic diversity in the creative industries so they have the skills and knowledge they need to give their mentee the right support.

Training topics include:

Mentoring and supporting junior talent
Coaching techniques & inclusive leadership
Class diversity in the creative industries and social and cultural capital

Programme Impact

Impact is at the heart of what we do, to ensure our programmes provide real results for the mentees and mentors taking part, and that it furthers our mission to break the class ceiling in the UK creative industries.

Impact in 2024

Mentors

84% of mentors increased their listening skills
88% of mentors said the the training was effective
91% of mentors feel well equipped to support young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds into their industry

Mentees:

139% increase in mentees who said “I have a clear understanding of the different roles and career paths within the creative industries”
96% increase in mentees who said “I feel a career in the creative industries is accessible to a young person from a lower socioeconomic background”
85% increase in mentees who said “I can identify employers and organisations relevant to their career interests”

“This course has greatly increased my confidence in my own role as it reminded me how much I've learnt since I started. It's been so rewarding watching how quickly my mentee has picked up new skills and has encouraged me to give more time to others who can also benefit from informal chats and goal setting.”

“Through my mentor’s support, I’ve not only developed my CV and showreel but also gained invaluable hands-on experience by shadowing in a post-production environment. The networking opportunities and confidence I’ve built have put me in a position I couldn’t have visualised when I started.”

Who can mentor?

We work with mentors across the creative industries in a wide range of roles. Break the Wall is best suited for mid to senior level professionals looking to progress or develop their skills supporting and managing junior team members.

You don’t need to be a creative to be a mentor, your role can be anywhere in the creative industry. We want to show the young people we work with the different types of roles that exist, break down misconceptions about what “creative” jobs are and provide real-world insights into industry roles.

We hand pick all our matches based on interests, skills and goals to ensure you feel confident to support your mentee.

Past mentors include:

Film Editor

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Brand Manager

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Associate Creative Director

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Senior Social Manager

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Creative Strategist

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Fine Artist

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Editorial Lead

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Motion Designer

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Film Editor ⭐️ Brand Manager ⭐️ Associate Creative Director ⭐️ Senior Social Manager ⭐️ Creative Strategist ⭐️ Fine Artist ⭐️ Editorial Lead ⭐️ Motion Designer ⭐️

Director of Communications

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Copywriter

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Software Engineer

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Account Director

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Senior Strategist

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Script Writer

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Executive Producer

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People Lead

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Director of Communications ⭐️ Copywriter ⭐️ Software Engineer ⭐️ Account Director ⭐️ Senior Strategist ⭐️ Script Writer ⭐️ Executive Producer ⭐️ People Lead ⭐️

Register your interest

If you’re interested in mentoring for yourself or your team please complete the short form below and we will be in touch with more information.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

Company

Start date

How did you hear about us?

Frequently Asked questions

Mentees on Break the Wall are all 16-25 years old and are interested in pursuing a career in the creative industries.
All our mentees on Break the Wall come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, meaning they’ve had less access to the financial support, contacts and cultural know-how many others have to get ahead and make it in the creative industry.
Our mentees are interested in careers in every corner of the industry but don’t always know the different career pathways and roles that exist, which makes it more challenging to make it.
Some of our mentees are still in school, and others may already be working. As a mentor, you can help guide them on the next step of their journey by using your knowledge and networks, plus the tools we will give you.
Mentors on the Break the Wall are paired with mentees based on shared interests, goals, and backgrounds. The mentoring relationship is tailored to the specific needs of the mentees, whether that involves skill development, industry knowledge, or professional networking.
Throughout the 16 weeks, mentors will be required to attend four training sessions, and meet with their mentee for one hour every fortnight.
Over the course, this averages at one hour per week.
The programme is run in a hybrid model, with a balance of online and in person events to keep it accessible as possible.
Our programmes are primarily for mentors who are based in the UK. This is because of the nuances of socioeconomic diversity and class, and our focus on building networks for our mentees.
We operate across the UK, and training is hybrid to enable mentors to join from across the country. Some programmes will have in-person elements, but get in touch to understand how these work.
Break the Wall runs three times a year.

Our upcoming programmes are beginning in September 2025, January 2026 and April 2026.

Deadline for mentor sign ups close around 10 weeks before the programme to give our Outreach team enough time to find the right mentees for the programme.
As a charity, we are funded by our partners in the creative industries.

Programme fees covers the costs we incur through running our programmes and ensures our programmes free and accessible to young people from lower socioeconomic communities.
The cost per mentor is £1,195 + VAT for the 16 week programme.
Discounts are available for group mentor bookings of 6+ over the course of a year, and for freelancers.

We've partnered with Creative Mentor Network for over five years now to give our employees the exceptional experience of mentoring talented creative minds. Not only does the opportunity develop transferable skills for our employees but it also gives mentees access to a variety of diverse skill sets and tools to kick-start their careers.

Charly Fisher, Head of Folk Development and Experience, AnalogFolk Group
My mentor made me feel seen, which is something I didn't realise I needed after feeling so shut out of the industry. Having that support and accountability made such a difference for me, and I was extremely lucky to have gotten a mentor that understood my slightly different needs + pivoted to make sure she could give me the right resources - whether that was tools, food for thought, studio insights, or organising talks with other members at her workplace for anything outside of her scope.

Isra Mohammed, Mentee
The training helped me understand the perspective of someone coming from a lower-income socioeconomic background and trying to break into the industry. It also helped me build valuable skills in mentoring and managing junior talent, such as open-ended questions, listening and framing guidance the right way to still allow them to feel empowered to make their own decisions.

Stephen Klink, Mentor
Having structured support to unlock the key skills needed to support, coach and mentor without relying on our innate tendencies was beyond valuable. It was as vital to have this as any other aspect of the course, and I felt it improved the quality of my mentoring.

Natasha Woodward, Mentor
My mentor was fantastic in providing the best experience in terms of learning what the creative industry involved. Natasha was able to guide me into the right direction in terms of what I wanted in life and career. The programme has helped me develop confidence in myself and what I aspire to be, and given me clarity in what it means to be a creative.

Jeron Vincent Worrel, Mentee
Thanks so much for this wonderful programme! I have never had the chance to mentor, line manage or support someone earlier in their career than me, and I've found it super rewarding. Thanks so much again.

Grace Marsh, Elmwood
I think the programme is excellent and the speakers you had were extremely motivational and inspiring. Keep up the impactful work.

Kerensa Ayivor, Across the Pond