Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Luxury beauty PR COTY is offering a Marketing Work Placement to work on Marc Jacobs Beauty.

ITV News is looking for a Freelance General Reporter.

Burberry is hiring a Content Assistant and a Product Developer.

Rubies is offering a paid 6-12 month Design Internship in Leeds for a fashion student or recent graduate.

Vogue Scandinavia is hiring a Graphic & Layout Designer in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dazed is seeking a Studio Assistant in New York City.

To view all 70+ applications across the UK, Remote, Europe & the USA, please join our Substack.

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BRICKS Favs:

Frieze has opened applications for the 2027 Frieze New Writers Programme, a free, three-day intensive course for aspiring art writers to develop critical writing skills with guidance from the Frieze editorial team in London. Deadline: 3rd January. 

KIKO KOSTADINOV is looking for a Leather Goods Intern in London.

Hot Girl Cooking Club is still looking for submissions for its next issue. Find out more here.

The BBC Apprenticeship applications also open on 3rd November. You must be 18 years old by September 2027 and interested in a career in journalism, production, business, engineering, or technology. 

Named Collective is hiring a Graphic Designer in London.

Venice Biennale has opened applications for Fellowship 2027. Check out the eligibility requirements and key dates here.

The Lede Company is hiring a PR Account Manager in Beverly Hills.

LONDON

VICE is hiring a Deputy Editor. Send your CV, cover letter and examples of work to: magazine@vice.com. 

Anthropologie is looking for a Copywriter.

Dr. Martens is hiring a Social Media Creative.

The White Company is seeking a Creative Shoot Producer.

Atkin Studio is looking for a Studio Intern.

Mulberry is hiring an Assistant Planner. 

KIKO KOSTADINOV is looking for a Leather Goods Intern.

Burberry is hiring a Video Post Editor.

Clarks is hiring a Global Marketing Content Executive. 

END is hiring a Junior Art Director.

Clast Magazine is looking for Photographers, Artists, Designers, Writers, Curators and Visual Storytellers to submit work. Deadline: 30th January 2027.

Net-a-Porter is hiring a Fashion Features Editor.

EDELINE LEE is looking for a Creative Pattern Cutter.

Victoria Beckham is hiring a Junior Technical Pattern Cutter.

AllSaints is hiring a Studio Co-ordinator.

Vivienne Westwood is advertising for a Junior Digital Site Merchandiser.

Named Collective is hiring a Graphic Designer.

Jimmy Choo is seeking an Email Marketing Coordinator.

Glassworks is looking for a PR Intern.

HARDWARE is seeking a Social Media Assistant.

Dr Martens is hiring a Stylist.

Ralph Lauren is hiring a Brand Communications Associate.

Chopova Lowena is advertising for a Sample Machinist / Seamstress.

Self Portrait is hiring a Sample Manager.

The Photography Foundation is hosting a free Building a Career in Commercial & Fashion Photography workshop on Nov 19th.

REST OF UK & REMOTE

Mulberry is hiring a Craftsperson in Bridgwater.

The Welsh National Opera is seeking a Learning and Development Partner.

The BBC Open Call for Scripts window will open for submissions from 3rd November to 1st December at 12pm. For anyone with questions, they are hosting online drop-in sessions on 10th November (with BSL interpretation available) and 26th November. 

Additionally, BBC Apprenticeship applications also open on 3rd November. You must be 18 years old by September 2027 and interested in a career in journalism, production, business, engineering, or technology. 

Reach PLC is seeking an Assistant News Content Editor to work across its Scottish titles, the Daily Record, Edinburgh Live, Glasgow Live and Scottish Daily Express in Glasgow.

Royal Society of Edinburgh is looking for a Marketing Officer in Edinburgh. 

Club L London is looking for a Junior Copywriter in Manchester. 

Canon UK is seeking two Marketing Interns in Uxbridge.

The Henry Moore Foundation is hiring an Archivist/Archive Manager in Perry Green, Hertfordshire.

Guildhall School of Music & Drama is hosting an online six-week Introduction to Event and Production Management course, find out more here.

Creative UK is hiring a remote freelance Graphic Designer.

The Northern School of Contemporary Dance is hiring a Theatre and Production Manager in Yorkshire.

DreamBoat Studio is looking for a remote student or recent graduate who wants credited work as an illustrator for our self-published picture book. Find out more here.

Future London Academy is hosting Mauro Porcini, Chief Design Officer at Samsung, for a 90-minute online conversation about the Chief Design Officer role, the business value of creativity, and leading design at three of the world's best-known companies. On 17 November at 7:30 am. Find out more here.

Hot Girl Cooking Club is still looking for submissions for its next issue. Find out more here.

Applications are now open for independent publishers to attend London Book Fair 2027.

Frieze has opened applications for the 2027 Frieze New Writers Programme, a free, three-day intensive course for aspiring art writers to develop critical writing skills with guidance from the Frieze editorial team in London. Deadline: 3rd January. 

EUROPE

Salomon is hiring a CMF Designer for an internship in Annecy, France.

Karl Lagerfeld is looking for a Product Development Intern in Amsterdam.

Moncler is seeking a Digital Art Direction Intern and a Knitwear Design Intern in Milan.

Bottega Veneta is hiring a Shoes Structure Technician in Veneto, Italy. 

Cecile Bahnsen is hiring a Design Intern and a part-time Fit Model in Copenhagen.

Aeyde is seeking a Supply Chain & BPM Director in Berlin.

Vetements is looking for a Design Intern in Zurich.

Chanel is hiring a PR Coordinator in Hamburg.

Hugo Boss is looking for a Marketing Intern in Metzingen

On is hiring a Global Social Media Lead in Zurich.

Christian Dior is hiring a Production Planning Intern in Florence.

Venice Biennale has opened applications for Fellowship 2027. Check out the eligibility requirements and key dates here.

A Kind of Guise is seeking a Freelance Fitting Model in Munich.

Belle Anna is hiring a Womenswear Designer in Spain.

The EU is offering mobility budgets for Fashion Designers. Deadline April 2027.

USA 

Sol de Janeiro is hiring a Packaging Artwork Coordinator in New York City. 

The Lede Company is hiring a PR Account Manager in Beverly Hills.

West Elm is seeking a Photo Producer in New York City. 

BaubleBar Inc is looking for a hybrid-remote Copywriter in New York City. 

Penguin Random House is hiring a Marketing Assistant to join the Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press imprints in New York City. 

Saks Fifth Avenue is seeking a Social Selling Assistant in New York City.

Printfresh is looking for Illustrator and Textile Designer for sleepwear/apparel in Philadelphia. 

J.Crew is hiring an Assistant Colour Librarian in New York.

Victionairy is putting together a new travel book series, and is looking for an NYC-based photographer to show them the city as it’s lived day-to-day, for readers around the world. If you shoot architecture, street scenes, interiors, food, and small details that make a place feel authentic, they’d love to hear from you. Find out more here.

The 22nd annual free to enter Louisiana Book Festival will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in downtown Baton Rouge, celebrating literature, authors, and Louisiana’s rich literary heritage. Find out more here.

The Speculative Literature Foundation is offering its annual Gulliver Travel Grant to support writers undertaking non-academic research for speculative fiction projects. Open to writers working across science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, folklore and more, the grant helps cover domestic or international travel expenses, including flights and accommodation. Find out more here.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs is offering $10,000 grants to support established, mid-career artists creating new solo works across graphic design, literature, performance and visual arts. Open to Los Angeles County residents with an established professional practice, the programme offers funding alongside opportunities to showcase work through exhibitions, performances and publications. Applications close 13 November 2026. Find out more here.

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) is offering grants of up to $20,000 to support Manhattan-based artists, creative collectives and nonprofit organisations developing projects for 2027. Open to creatives across all artistic disciplines, the programme supports exhibitions, performances, public art, community events and arts education, with additional unrestricted funding available for performing arts practitioners. Applications close 12 November 2026. Find out more here.

Starting an independent fashion brand takes more than just a good idea or unique design. Alongside the physical making of a collection, designers are often responsible for photographing it, marketing it, finding customers, processing orders and managing returns. For emerging designers without industry connections or significant financial backing, figuring out where to begin can be as difficult as making the work itself.

It’s a problem Joe Corré knows well. Having spent much of his life working in fashion retail, wholesale and development, the entrepreneur and co-founder of Agent Provocateur has watched the landscape for emerging creatives change dramatically over his career. Where London’s independent designers once had markets and multi-brand shops in which to sell their work, rising costs and the disappearance of independent retail have left fewer opportunities to get started.

Now, through Light House Soho, his creative retail space on Berwick Street, Corré is hoping to help change that. The newly launched Artisan Club offers independent designers, makers and brands access to a physical space where they can meet customers, host appointments and build their businesses. Members who make three sales can also apply to progress to Trader status, opening up the opportunity to book pop-up retail space within the Soho showroom.

For Corré, however, the scheme is about more than giving designers somewhere to sell – it’s about addressing the isolation that can come with building a creative business today, and helping emerging talent find the practical support and human connections they need to grow.

Below, industry maverick Joe Corré shares his essential advice for emerging designers.

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BRICKS Favs:

Dazed and Selfridges are calling on young creatives aged 18–35 across art, fashion, photography, film, design and more to bring their visions to life in one of Selfridges’ iconic Oxford Street windows.⁠ Six selected creatives will receive a £3,000 creative fee and a production budget to make it happen. Deadline: 23rd October.

PhotoVogue has launched its new platform where photographers can create a new profile and submit their photographs to be featured. Find out all info here.

Ellie Misner is offering a Design & Production Internship to students enrolled in fashion design courses. To apply, send your CV & portfolio to: studio@elliemisner.co.uk.

No More Nowt has launched its £20,000 Digital Residency Commission, We Are Hope – seeking an artist, collective or organisation to explore the power of community co-created hope in County Durham.

Chanel is looking for an Embroidery Design Assistant and is offering a Haute Couture Collections Internship, both starting in March 2027 in Paris, France.

Communications agency BAM Works is seeking a PR & Communications Team Lead, and is offering 6-month internships in PR & Influencer Marketing, Graphic Design or Event Production, all in Berlin, Germany.

KHAITE is hiring a 3D Designer in New York City.

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There’s something reassuring about the fact that one of Britain’s best-loved animation studios began with two friends messing about at their kitchen table. Before the Oscars, the global audiences, and the now very British cultural institution that is Aardman Animations, Peter Lord and David Sproxton took a camera, some homemade characters and the excitement of watching something they’d made appear to come alive.

Fifty years later, Aardman is responsible for some of the most recognisable characters in animation, from Morph to Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Its signature stop-motion style depends on a deceptively simple process: make a character, move it a tiny amount, take a photograph, then do it all again. Repeated hundreds or thousands of times, these individual frames become a living, breathing world.

To mark the studio’s 50th anniversary, Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More brings that world to Lightroom in King’s Cross. The immersive exhibition surrounds visitors with Aardman’s characters, stories and archives, while offering a glimpse of the painstaking craft behind the finished films. There are miniature sets, carefully constructed props and plenty of beloved characters whose smallest expressions can take hours of work to get right.

With thanks to Outside Organisation, we were able to send three Learner Platform members to experience the exhibition for free, and their responses revealed something beyond the nostalgia of revisiting childhood favourites. For photographer Elinor Juhler, the care given to Aardman’s sets, props and characters offered a reminder of how much detail can communicate. Fashion Communications graduate Alice Glaves came away struck by the journey from two friends making things at home to the teams of specialists working together today.

That journey was also at the heart of our conversation with Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Nick Park, the creator of Wallace & Gromit. We spoke to the trio on the Larger Than Life red carpet, who shared their creative advice for getting started, collaborating, and staying rooted in physical making.

Their advice is relevant well beyond animation – whether you’re developing a photography portfolio, experimenting with illustration, building a fashion collection or figuring out what kind of creative work you want to pursue, Aardman’s story offers a useful reminder: you don’t need to know exactly where an idea will lead before you start making it.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Vivienne Westwood is hiring an Ecommerce Content & Image Coordinator and a Digital Pattern Cutter.

TATE is hiring an Associate Producer.

KNWLS is seeking a Designer for 12-months.

Warp Films and Netflix are offering a Film Internship in Sheffield. Deadline: 25th October.

Desigual has opened up its 2027 Digital Young Talent Program in Barcelona.

Hyphen Magazine is looking for Creative Assistants with graphic design experience in San Francisco, California.

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This week, it’s back to university for many students across the globe — while for everyone else, we’re heading into 2026’s Q4; the home stretch of the year. Wherever you’re at, it’s always worth brushing up on the skills that can help you get where you want to be.

Today, we’re talking about the art of the cold pitch email. It’s something we’ve covered before here on The Learner Platform, but as such an essential part of creative collaboration, commissions and networking, we wanted to create a resource with all of our advice on the subject in one easy-to-find location. So many professional introductions still happen in our inboxes, whether you’re a student looking for a placement, a recent graduate hoping to land your first commission, or a creative looking to expand your network and find your next collaborator.

It’s also something many members have asked us to share – in our recent Learner Platform survey, cold pitching and advice on making applications stand out were among the topics members wanted more help with. Our 1:1 mentorship competition has now closed (and the winner will be announced next week!), but if you haven’t filled in our survey yet, you can still tell us what you’d like to see more of on the Learner Platform. Your answers help us make sure we’re creating resources that are genuinely useful to our members, and we’re excited to share our upcoming plans to support more members soon.

What is a cold pitch email?

A cold pitch is an email to someone you haven’t previously built a professional relationship with, introducing yourself and proposing an idea, service, opportunity or collaboration.

It could mean pitching a story to an editor, asking a studio about work experience, introducing yourself to a brand you’d love to work with, or contacting another creative whose work you think would complement your own.

The important thing is that you have a reason for contacting that particular person. A cold email isn’t simply an introduction with your CV attached. It’s an opportunity to explain who you are, what you’re proposing, and why the recipient might be interested.

Before you start writing, do a little research. Check whether the organisation has a formal application process, whether the publication accepts freelance pitches, or whether the person has shared preferred contact details. If there are specific guidelines, make sure to follow them.

Finding the right person to contact

Before you can write your email, you need to know where to send it. A beautifully written pitch won’t get very far if it lands in the wrong inbox.

Start with the organisation’s website. For publications, look for a masthead or editorial team page. Don’t assume the editor-in-chief is always the best person to contact – a fashion editor, commissioning editor, picture editor or junior editor may be more relevant, depending on what you’re proposing. The same applies elsewhere: try to identify the person whose responsibilities actually align with your enquiry.

For brands, agencies and studios, check their team page and look for the person whose role best matches your enquiry. LinkedIn can also help you identify relevant people and understand what they do if their website is vague.

Once you’ve found the right person’s name, look for their professional email address. It may be listed on their website, in their social media bio, on LinkedIn or in a press contact page. If you can’t find it, check whether the organisation uses a general email address for enquiries or submissions.

Sometimes, you might be able to work out an organisation’s email format from publicly listed staff addresses. For example, a company might use firstname.lastname@company.com. If you try this, make sure you have evidence of the format rather than simply guessing. And if you’re unsure, use an official contact route rather than sending repeated emails to different possible addresses.

The key is to be resourceful without being intrusive. You’re looking for the right professional contact, not someone’s private details.

What should you include in a cold pitch?

There’s no single formula for a perfect cold email, because what you’re asking for will change depending on the person you’re contacting. But there are a few essentials to keep in mind:

1. Who you are

Introduce yourself briefly. You don’t need to tell your life story or list every qualification you’ve ever earned. Your name, what you do, and a little relevant context should be enough to get started.

If you’re a student or just starting out, don’t worry about having years of experience to draw on. Explain what you’re studying, what you’re interested in or what kind of work you’re developing. You can be new to an industry and still have a clear point of view or something valuable to offer.

2. What you’re pitching

Be specific about why you’re emailing. Are you proposing a story, offering your photography services, enquiring about work experience or suggesting a collaboration?

If you’re pitching a story, explain the idea and why it’s worth publishing. If you’re approaching a potential collaborator, explain what you have in mind and why you think your practices might work well together. If you’re enquiring about opportunities, make the type of work you’re interested in clear.

Avoid making the recipient do all the work of figuring out what you want or leaving your request open-ended. If they have to read your email three times to understand your proposition, it probably needs another edit.

3. Why it’s relevant to them

This is where a little research makes a difference. Show that you understand what the person or organisation does and why your email is relevant to their work.

For a publication, that might mean explaining how your proposed story fits its coverage or audience. For a creative studio, you could reference a project that relates to your own practice. For a potential collaborator, you might explain what you admire about their work and how your skills or interests connect.

A genuine, specific reason is more useful than generic flattery. You don’t need to tell someone you’ve been a fan since you were five; you do need to show that you’ve thoughtfully considered why you’re contacting them.

4. Why you’re the right person

Now, make the case for yourself. What makes you well placed to write, shoot, design, produce or contribute to this project?

That could be relevant experience, a particular skill, a personal perspective, access to a community or subject, or work you’ve already made. You don’t need to have done exactly the same thing before; focus on the experience and qualities that make you a good fit for this particular opportunity.

If you’re starting out, link to a university project, personal work or a small selection of relevant examples. Don’t apologise for not having a huge portfolio. Give the recipient something useful to assess.

5. What happens next?

Finish with a clear, simple question or suggested next step. You might ask whether they’d be interested in hearing more, whether they’re open to freelance contributions, or whether there’s a suitable person to contact about work experience.

Keep it easy to respond to. You’re opening a conversation, not demanding a meeting or asking someone to commit to a project before they’ve heard the details. The person on the other end doesn’t owe you anything – even a reply – but remaining succinct, polite, and informative is the best way to make that happen.

To attach or not to attach?

Our general advice is to keep your first email light. You want to make it easy for someone to read your pitch without having to download a collection of files or navigate an enormous presentation.

Links are your friend. You can direct people to your portfolio, website, selected work or a relevant project, allowing them to explore further if they’re interested.

That said, we think one sleek, well-considered PDF can be useful when it genuinely helps you make your case. Depending on what you’re pitching, this might be a project proposal, media kit or portfolio. The important thing is that it’s tailored to the recipient. Sending a photographer’s entire portfolio to someone who only needs to see your editorial portraiture, for example, might make it harder for them to assess your work.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Curate it. Include work that is relevant to the person or project you’re pitching. You don’t need to show everything you’ve ever made.

• Keep it manageable. A concise PDF is easier to open and review than a huge file. Check the file size before attaching it.

• Name it clearly. A filename such as [Your Name]_[Portfolio] is more useful than finalportfolioFINAL2.pdf.

• Consider their email system. Some organisations restrict attachments or filter emails containing large files, multiple attachments or certain embedded images. If you’re unsure, use a link instead – you can make presentations publicly available via link on Canva, which we sometimes use to work around this issue.

• Check your links. Make sure your portfolio is accessible, the permissions are correct, and the work you want them to see is easy to find.

And remember, you don’t need to make a new deck for every email; a little curation goes a long way. If you’re sending a project proposal, make sure it explains the idea clearly. If you’re sending a media kit, include the information the recipient needs to assess the opportunity. If you’re sending a portfolio, lead with the work most relevant to your pitch. You can find more advice about curating your portfolio here.

Your subject line is doing more work than you think

Your subject line is the first thing someone sees in their inbox, and it can also help them find your email again later. Think of it as a searchable label: it should give the recipient a clear idea of who you are or what you’re contacting them about.

At BRICKS, we’ve found that specific details can be particularly useful. If an editor is looking for a photographer in a particular location, for example, an email with a subject line that clearly identifies the sender’s specialism and location is much easier to spot than one that simply says ‘Photography enquiry’.

Depending on your pitch, useful details might include:

• Your discipline or specialism, such as fashion photography, illustration or freelance writing.

• Your location, particularly if you’re looking for opportunities outside London or if the project is location-specific.

• The type of opportunity you’re proposing, such as a story pitch, work experience enquiry or collaboration.

• A relevant identity or perspective, if it’s pertinent to the opportunity and you’re comfortable sharing it.

For example, ‘Bristol-based queer photographer’ tells the recipient much more than ‘Hello!’ or ‘Collaboration opportunity’. You can also add a little personality when it feels right, but clarity should come first.

Avoid vague subject lines that could apply to absolutely anyone. ‘Introduction’, ‘Quick question’ or ‘Opportunity’ don’t give the recipient much to go on. And if you’re pitching a specific story, make the subject line about the idea itself.

The aim isn’t to cram in every keyword you can think of; it’s to make your email recognisable, relevant and easy to retrieve when someone needs your particular skills.

Don’t forget your email signature

An email signature might seem like a small detail, but it’s an easy way to make your introduction look polished and give the recipient useful information without cluttering the body of your email.

At a minimum, include your name and what you do. You can also add links to your website, portfolio or professional social media account, as well as your organisation or university if it’s relevant, and a logo if you have one.

You don’t need to have an impressive job title to make a signature work for you. If you’re a student photographer, say so. If you’re a freelance illustrator, make that clear. If you work across several disciplines, choose a description that reflects the work you’re most interested in doing.

For example:

[Your name]
[Your role or creative specialism]
[Website or portfolio link]
[Professional Instagram or LinkedIn link]

Keep it simple and make sure every link works. You want the recipient to be able to find your work easily, not navigate a wall of logos, social icons and unnecessary information.

The art of the follow-up

You’ve written your email, checked your links and pressed send. Now comes the waiting game. It’s easy to assume that no reply means no interest, but people are busy, inboxes get overwhelming, and emails can slip through the cracks. Equally, a lack of response doesn’t necessarily mean your idea is inherently rubbish; there are countless reasons why an internship, collaboration or commission isn’t right for them right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be right for everyone.

At BRICKS, our general advice is that you can send your initial email and follow up twice if you haven’t heard back. Give someone at least a week between emails, unless the opportunity is genuinely time-sensitive, and make this clear if it is the case.

Follow-up one: Reply to your original email thread after at least a week. Keep it brief and polite, and remind them what you were getting in touch about. You don’t need to rewrite the whole pitch.

Follow-up two: If you still haven’t heard back, you can send one final follow-up after another week or so. Again, keep it friendly and give them an easy way to respond.

After that, leave it there. Repeatedly emailing someone who hasn’t responded is unlikely to improve your chances, and you want to leave the door open for a future introduction.

If you’re working towards a specific deadline, make that clear in your original email rather than creating urgency after the fact. And if the person has stated that they can’t accept pitches or asked not to be contacted, respect that.

One final thing: don’t take silence too personally. You can write a thoughtful, relevant email and still not receive a reply. What you can control is the quality of your approach, the research you put in and whether you make it easy for someone to understand what you’re offering.

Template: Here’s a cold pitch email you can adapt

Now you’ve got the basics, here’s a template to get you started. It’s a framework rather than a script to copy word-for-word, so adapt it to suit your discipline, the recipient and what you’re actually asking for.

Subject: [Specific subject line identifying your specialism, location or pitch]

Hi [Recipient’s name],

I’m [Your name], a [your role, discipline or current stage of study] based in [your location]. I’m getting in touch because [specific reason you’re contacting this person or organisation].

I’m interested in [briefly explain what you’re pitching: a story idea, collaboration, work experience enquiry, freelance services or another opportunity]. I thought it might be a good fit for [their publication, organisation, project or practice] because [explain the relevance to them, their work or their audience].

My work focuses on [relevant specialism, subject or approach], and I have experience in [relevant skills, projects or experience]. You can find some examples of my work here: [link to your portfolio or relevant project].

[Add one relevant sentence showing that you’ve researched their work, if you haven’t already covered this above.]

Would you be open to [your proposed next step, such as discussing the idea, considering the pitch or pointing you towards the right person to contact]?

Thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,
[Your name]
[Your role or creative specialism]
[Portfolio or website link]
[Professional social media or LinkedIn link]

Before you hit send: Read the email back and ask yourself three questions:

• Is it clear why I’m contacting this person?

• Have I explained what I’m offering and why I’m a good fit?

• Have I made it easy for them to find my work and respond?

If the answer to all three is yes, you’re in a good place to send it. And if you don’t hear back, remember that pitching is a skill you build with practice. Every email is an opportunity to get clearer about your work, your ideas and the people you want to reach.

Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Chopova Lowena is looking for a Studio & Production Assistant in London.

Vogue Business is hiring a Beauty Editor in London.

ITV is looking for a Planning Editor in Birmingham.

Acne Studios is hiring a Content Manager in Stockholm.

Coach is hiring a VIP Design Assistant in New York City.

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There’s a lot that nobody tells you about your first London Fashion Week. How early you actually need to leave, what happens when a show runs late, whether you should film every look (just in case!), and, perhaps most importantly, how you’re supposed to know what everyone else already seems to know.

This season, with thanks to the British Fashion Council, we took seven Learner Platform members into LFW alongside street-style photographer Siria Ferrer Sainz-Pardo. Below, some of our members have shared what they learned from the experience.

We’re hugely grateful to the BFC for making this opportunity possible, and this is just the beginning of what we’re working on together. We’ll share more soon about upcoming collaborative plans between the British Fashion Council and the Learner Platform, with more opportunities for our members to get closer to the industry and the people shaping it.

And if you want to hear about opportunities like this as they happen, make sure you’re a paid Learner Platform subscriber. Our members get access to job roles, events, workshops and networking opportunities designed to help emerging creatives get further into the worlds they’re trying to build careers in.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Nike & Palace have opened applications for their South London Manor Place Residency for 2027. The residency offers free, private studios for London’s up-and-coming creatives – hand-picked by Nike and Palace – for all creative disciplines. Applications close on 9th October.

The CHANEL Foundation is hiring a Communications Officer in London – and there’s less than a week to apply!

Aaron Esh is offering a 6-month Design Internship. To apply, email: justin@aaronesh.co.uk

Schuh is seeking an Executive Assistant in Livingston, Scotland.

Mulberry is looking for a Junior RTW Designer and a Pre-Loved Admin Assistant.

Cecilie Bahnsen is seeking a Design Intern and a Marketing & Content Intern, both in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Netflix is hiring a Storyboard Artist for its experimental in-house animation studio in Los Angeles, California.

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The esteemed music photographer shares his advice on finding your own style, getting your foot in the door, working with the kit you’ve got, and making the most of every opportunity.

This week, we hosted an online workshop with photographer and director Charlie Barclay-Harris, whose work spans live music, portraiture and editorial. Since first picking up a camera to photograph his friends’ bands, Charlie has gone on to tour with Fontaines D.C., worked with artists from Wunderhorse and Geese to Charli XCX and Addison Rae, and shot for publications including Dork and The Guardian.

Charlie’s relationship with BRICKS began through the Learner Platform, when he was commissioned to photograph Beabadoobee live in Bristol as part of our live photo scheme, where we invite first-time and early-career photographers to shoot artists for BRICKS’ music reviews. We know first-hand how much one opportunity like this can transform a photographer’s career – our first-ever photographer through this scheme, Eleanor Osada, went on to receive tour photography commissions based on the photos she took for us of Chappell Roan, while we recently commissioned Charlie to shoot for our print issue after loving his Beabadoobee shots.

We will be announcing more similar opportunities on The Learner Platform soon – so if you’re an emerging photographer looking for your big break in music, keep an eye on our Substack over the coming weeks.

In this workshop, Charlie took us through how he developed his practice, from photographing friends and experimenting with film to building relationships with artists and working on larger-scale commissions. Rather than focusing on the perfect camera or technically flawless image, Charlie’s advice centred around making the most of whatever access, equipment and opportunities you have.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of Charlie’s best tips and advice from his workshop.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Chopova Lowena is looking for a Sales Coordinator and a Communications Assistant.

Ellie Misner is hiring a Studio Intern and a Freelance Seamstress. 

Turner Contemporary is looking for a part-time Design & Creative Assistant in Margate.

Acne Studios is seeking a PR Intern in Paris.

Calvin Klein is looking for a Junior Copy Coordinator in New York City.

The Queer Britain Art Award international open call is closing on the 29th September at 5pm. Celebrating queer creativity, the award is open to artists, designers, and makers aged 18+ in any 2D or 3D medium, with up to 80 works selected for a London exhibition in December 2026 and a £3,000 prize fund.

Continue reading on Steady

Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Simone Rocha is seeking a Footwear Designer.

V&A Museum is hiring a Content Executive and a Content Designer.

Writer, actor and casting director Gee Small is looking for a Female Theatre Producer or Director for a play in November. To apply, email: georgia@studioache.co.uk.

Liberty is seeking a Studio Assistant in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

Cecile Bahnsen is looking for a Marketing & Content Intern in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Cut is hiring an Editorial Assistant in New York City.

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Fashion month is back! And we’re once again looking for talented photographers to capture the best looks on the streets of London, Paris and Milan fashion weeks. For several seasons now, we’ve loved working with photographers from the Learner Platform – many of whom have never attended a fashion week before – to showcase unique perspectives on the industry’s busiest week.

This is a paid opportunity to have your work published online & on our social channels. At BRICKS, we are always looking for a vibrant display of each city’s unique style with a preference for colour imagery and colourful outfits displayed on a diverse mix of bodies, genders, and ethnicities.

This is not our application to attend London Fashion Week with BRICKS – this application has now closed.

For more information on how to apply, job details, and deadlines, scroll below – and please make sure you’re a Learner Platform member, as only those with active memberships will be considered.

Application details

To apply, please complete the Google Form at the bottom of this email.

We are offering photography opportunities in London, Milan and Paris to capture street style. We will be selecting one photographer per location, and applicants can apply to multiple opportunities.

We are looking for photographers available for the following dates:

• London Fashion Week: Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th September

• Milan Fashion Week: Thursday 24th, Friday 25th or Saturday 26th September

• Paris Fashion Week: Monday 28th or Wednesday 30th September, or Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd, Sunday 4th, or Monday 5th October.

Each selected photographer will receive a £120 fee for a maximum of 20 final images, and will have their photographs published on BRICKS online & on our social media channels.

This is a paid opportunity; however, international travel will unfortunately not be covered by BRICKS, so photographers should apply to their local events only or be responsible for their own travel and accommodation.

Please apply only using the Google Form, and do not email or DM our team members with your application or for updates.

We will contact selected applicants via learnerplatform@bricksmagazine.co.uk only.

Deadline: 6pm BST, Tuesday 15th September.

Selected applicants will be contacted on Wednesday 16th September.

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BRICKS Favs:

Stylist is looking for a Newsletter Editor in London

This Friday, Sep 11th, Yaku and The Paul Smith Foundation are coming together to host a workshop in London, bring your own button-up shirt and get it customised. Find out more here.

Ben Sherman is hiring an Assistant Buyer in Leeds.

Substack is hiring a Creative Strategist for Brand Partnerships in NYC.

Cecilie Bahnsen is looking for a PR intern to join its team in Copenhagen.

Photographer Miles Aldrige is looking for a Studio Manager in London.

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We’re inviting Learner Platform members to attend London Fashion Week presentations and runway shows exclusively with BRICKS Magazine.

This season, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re working closely with the British Fashion Council to offer 7 Learner Platform members the opportunity to attend BFC NewGen shows & presentations, which include:

• FRANCESCA LAKE presentation on Thursday 17th Sept

• PETRA FAGERSTRÖM catwalk show on Friday 18 Sept

• OSCAR OUYANG catwalk show on Friday 18 Sept

• A LETTER catwalk show on Friday 18 Sept

• THE OUZE presentation on Friday 18 Sept

• PAULINE DUJANCOURT catwalk show on Saturday 19 Sept

• JOHANNA PARV event on Saturday 19 Sept

• STEVE O SMITH presentation on Saturday 19 Sept

• YAKU presentation on Sunday 20 Sept

• GUI ROSA presentation on Sunday 20 Sept

• CHARLIE CONSTANTINOU catwalk show on Sunday 20 Sept

• OCTI presentation on Monday 21 Sept

• LIZA KEANE catwalk show on Monday 21 Sept

As you can see, it’s an extensive programme of events featuring some of London’s most exciting emerging designers. This season, we’re specifically looking for Learner Platform members who are available all days Thursday 17th - Monday 21st.

While we’d love to share these opportunities as widely as possible, we’re reviewing how we manage LFW access for members. In previous seasons, we requested tickets directly from each designer, which often led to last-minute stress, lost tickets and access issues. This season, we’re thrilled that the British Fashion Council will instead be accrediting seven members for all NewGen events, making the process much smoother for everyone.

Unlike our Photo & Review opportunities, this is not commissioned work for BRICKS. Instead, we’re sharing our access to exclusive fashion spaces with members to support their own content creation and creative development. It’s ideal for fashion writers and content creators looking to cover LFW, as well as designers, stylists, creative directors and producers looking for inspiration and insight into how these events come together.

A reminder that this opportunity is available only to paid Learner Platform members, so please ensure you have a paid subscription via Substack or Steady if you’re looking to apply – and a reminder that all new Learner Platform members must join on Substack, as we’ve now closed new memberships on Steady.

Further details:

London Fashion Week SS27 will take place Thursday 17th - Monday 21st September. We’re looking for applicants who ideally are available to attend shows throughout the schedule – we understand not everybody might be available for all 5 days, but as this access is so extensive, we do want to ensure that the members accredited make the most of this opportunity and are able to attend as much as possible from across the schedule.

As a runway show or presentation guest, you may be able to bring a compact digital camera, but those with larger cameras with detachable lenses may be denied entry, as we are not applying for photo pit access for this opportunity.

While this opportunity will be open to all, we unfortunately cannot cover travel and accommodation expenses, so please consider this if applying from outside of London.

How to apply:

To apply to this opportunity, please fill out the Google Form at the bottom of this post. Please ensure you submit the same email address that you use for your Learner Platform membership so we can ensure you are a paid member before confirming allocation.

Due to the volume of applications we receive each season, we kindly ask that you do not DM or email our team members about this opportunity – if you have any technical issues with your application, please email: learnerplatform@bricksmagazine.co.uk.

Application deadline: Midnight on Friday 11th September.

Successful applicants will be contacted on Monday 14th September.

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BRICKS Favs:

Independent London-based designer HARRI is seeking Menswear, Womenswear and Styling/Creative Direction Internships. To apply, send your portfolio to: internships@harri.store. Deadline: 9th September.

Jamie Wilson Productions is looking for a Dresser on The Devil Wears Prada Musical. To apply, please send your CV to hello@jamiewilsonproductions.com with the subject title ‘DRESSER APPLICATION – THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’. Deadline: 12pm on Friday 4th September.

The Queer Britain Art Award is open to applications. The prize is open to anyone aged 18 and over, at all stages of their careers. Any and all two-dimensional or three-dimensional media are welcome, including but not limited to: painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, craft practices, performance and moving image.

BAFTA’s Rocliffe New Writing Competition is open for applications for TV Comedy scripts. The prize is a platform for aspiring screenwriters and is part of BAFTA’s charitable commitment to supporting the next generation of film, games and TV talent. Calling for entries for Film, Television Drama, Children, Family & YA Media, and Television Comedy scripts on a rotational basis – there is plenty of opportunity to get involved, no matter what your specialism.

The Learner Platform is hosting a members-exclusive Photography Workshop: How-To Make The Most Of 15 Minutes With A Musician with Charlie Barclay-Harris on Tuesday 22nd September. The workshop is free to members and hosted via Zoom – whether you’re an aspiring music photographer, already shooting live shows, or simply looking to get better at working quickly and creatively, this Zoom workshop will offer practical insights into Charlie’s preparation and composition, as well as how to make the most of every second in front of the stage.

LONDON

JW Anderson is hiring a PR & VIP Relations Coordinator. 

Independent London-based designer HARRI is seeking Menswear, Womenswear and Styling/Creative Direction Internships. To apply, send your portfolio to: internships@harri.store. Deadline: 9th September.

Hearst UK is looking for a Picture Assistant (Luxury) to work across titles.

Jimmy Choo is hiring a Digital Content Manager. 

Women's Health is seeking an Editor on a 12-month fixed-term contract. 

Coach is hiring a Brand Media Manager.

Louis Vuitton is seeking a Media Coordinator. 

Jamie Wilson Productions is looking for a Dresser on The Devil Wears Prada Musical. To apply, please send your CV to hello@jamiewilsonproductions.com with the subject title ‘DRESSER APPLICATION – THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’. Deadline: 12pm on Friday 4th September.

Lone Design Club is hiring a Marketing & Community Manager.  

Condé Nast is seeking a Digital Editor and a Creative Director. 

Completedworks is looking for a Junior Jewellery Designer.

Chelsea Football Club is seeking a Content Manager and a Commercial Design Lead. 

Harrods is hiring a Womenswear Buying Assistant. 

London Fashion Week showing designer YAKU is looking for London-based Black & Asian dancers, models, actors and people with movement experience available on 19th & 20th September. Deadline: 4th September.

Post-production studio DOMA is looking for a Post Producer and an Assistant Editor. 

Miss Sohee is seeking a Haute Couture Atelier Manager. 

V&A Museum is hiring a Corporate and Private Events Manager. 

The Associated Press is seeking a Reporter/Text Editor (Newsperson). 

The i Paper is hiring a Digital Production Journalist. 

UGG is looking for a Performance Media Manager.

Emelia Wickstead is hiring an Office Manager.

Burberry is seeking an Archive Coordinator and a Creative Image Retoucher.

National Theatre is looking for a Content Manager for NT at Home.

Oner Active is offering Design Internship opportunities. 

Tiffany & Co. is looking for a Media & Communications Manager for the UK, Ireland & Nordics territories.

Knitwear brand &Daughter is seeking a Studio Assistant. Deadline: 4th September.

Take Two London is hiring a Social & VIP Account Manager.

The Photographers' Gallery is seeking a part-time CRM & Data Manager. 

Studio Clint is hiring a freelance Menswear Designer.  

Lucie Azari is seeking a Bespoke Atelier Assistant. 

Elements Bar is hiring a freelance Content Creator & Social Media Lead. 

Dialled In is looking for a Creative Producer for a new live art & dance performance in June 2027. 

Andreia Afonso Photography is seeking a Photography and Video Editing Assistant. To apply, send your CV and links to work you have edited to: info@andreiaafonsophotography.com 

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is hiring a Communications Assistant. 

RENATA BRENHA is offering a Graphic Design Internship and a Studio Intern.

London Short Film Festival is looking for a Marketing Lead. To apply, send your CV to info@shortfilms.org.uk with the job title in the subject line. Deadline: 6th September. 

Fitzrovia Chapel is seeking its next Curator in Residence. They are seeking an experienced curator to collaborate with us on a series of art exhibitions during 2028. Deadline to apply: 8th September.

Frontline Club is hosting a panel discussion ‘What does journalism look like in the social media era?’ on September 16th. 

Waterstones Piccadilly is hosting a Snail Mail workshop on October 9th. 

REST OF UK & REMOTE

My favourite job listing of the week came via BBC Cornwall, who reshared this listing for a Resident Witch at The Headland Hotel in Newquay. 

Mulberry is hiring a Craftsperson in Chilcompton.

Culture Leicestershire is seeking a Creative Practitioner/Artist for Market Harborough Library. 

National Museums Liverpool is looking for an Admin Officer in Liverpool.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is hiring a Learning Projects Coordinator in Liverpool.

Leeds Playhouse is looking for a Marketing Officer in Yorkshire.

Ray Young is seeking a remote Creative Producer for a live art/dance performance. 

BAFTA’s Rocliffe New Writing Competition is open for applications for TV Comedy scripts. The prize is a platform for aspiring screenwriters and is part of BAFTA’s charitable commitment to supporting the next generation of film, games and TV talent. Calling for entries for Film, Television Drama, Children, Family & YA Media, and Television Comedy scripts on a rotational basis – there is plenty of opportunity to get involved, no matter what your specialism.

The Photographers' Gallery has opened applications for a new residency based in Derbyshire. It’s free to apply, and applications close on 6th September.

Reimagining Ghana is a UK-Ghana arts project by Forty-Four Words in collaboration with Ekow Barnes. The project explores how contemporary creative practice can respond to ideas of Ghanaian identity, memory and representation. Beyond a single narrative, Reimagining Ghana invites artists, thinkers and writers to conceptualise, question and explore the many ways Ghana can be imagined and understood today.

Royal Institute of Oil Painters has launched an open call for its Annual Exhibition Submissions. The 2026 special theme is ‘Winter Rituals’, for which The ROI Themed Painting Prize is on offer to the best interpretation.

As a reminder – The Learner Platform is hosting a members-exclusive Photography Workshop: How-To Make The Most Of 15 Minutes With A Musician with Charlie Barclay-Harris on Tuesday 22nd September. The workshop is free to members and hosted via Zoom – whether you’re an aspiring music photographer, already shooting live shows, or simply looking to get better at working quickly and creatively, this Zoom workshop will offer practical insights into Charlie’s preparation and composition, as well as how to make the most of every second in front of the stage.

Allie's Art Club is hosting a free creative hangout session at the Vibast Community Centre on the first Sunday of every month. Find out more here.

EUROPE

Diesel is offering a Visual Merchandising Internship in Breganze, Italy.

Acne Studios is hiring a Womenswear Fabric & Trim Manager in Paris, France.

Acne Studios is also seeking a Production Manager for Jersey, Fleece & Knitwear in Stockholm, Sweden. The deadline is coming up on 4th September.

Dior is offering an Assistant Knitwear Studio Internship and an Assistant Jersey Studio Internship in Paris, France. 

Citizens of Humanity is hiring a PR & Communications Manager in Paris, France.

Hugo Boss is looking for a working student for a Digital Content Styling position.

AWWG, who look after Pepe Jeans London, Hackett & more, is seeking a Project Manager in Madrid, Spain.

Alexandra Zhukova is looking for a Production Assistant in Paris, France.

Rain Magazine is looking for Interns for Paris & Milan Fashion Weeks.

VAILLANT is looking for a Content Creation Intern for its Fashion Week event on 10 September. The internship runs for approximately 14 weeks, at 3 days per week, based in Paris, France.

USA

Tory Burch is hiring a Footwear Designer and a Sample Operations Assistant in New York City.

Bloomingdale's is looking for an Influencer Marketing Coordinator on a temporary contract in Long Island City, New York.

WIRED is hiring a Politics Writer in New York City.

LoroPiana is offering a PR Internship in New York City. 

Condé Nast is looking for an Audio Coordinator in New York City. 

MODEWORLD is seeking a Talent/Influencer Manager in New York City. 

Lanvin is looking for a Fashion Show Coordinator in New York City.

Nahmias is seeking a Content & Creative Manager for E-Commerce & Social Photography in Los Angeles, California. 

The Model Experience is looking for a Red Carpet Photographer for the Fashion Week Festival in Brooklyn on September 11th & 12th.

Pamela Roland is looking for a Fashion Week Intern starting immediately til September 16th.

For emerging designers, getting your work onto a fashion week runway can feel like an impossible leap. For Florence Tétier, founder of jewellery label Tétier Bijoux – and Creative Director of Novembre Magazine – the route was less about following a conventional path and more about building relationships, protecting her creative identity and letting the work find its way into the right spaces.

Florence originally started making jewellery almost accidentally while art directing a show for Brazilian designer Neith Nyer in 2018, when nobody had sorted the jewellery. The brand then went on to work with KNWLS for its AW19 & AW20 collections, fashioning a melted and twisted plastic comb into a sculptural hair ornament. For ASICS‘ Crafts for Mind project, Florence reworked Gel-Nimbus 9s with handmade custom sneaker accessories made from found plastics.

Most recently, Florence collaborated with Paolina Russo during Copenhagen Fashion Week, creating a series of wheel-inspired statement earrings in response to the collection’s moodboard and skater-girl storyline – with just three weeks to bring the chosen designs to life.

This collaborative approach is wrapped into the jewellery brand’s DNA — she works closely with photographers Nicolas Coulomb and Florian Joye, most recently with Joye on Tétier Bijoux’s second collaboration with Barcelona-based jewellery brand La Manso, which transformed scans of real flowers into sculptural jewellery.

Below, we spoke to Florence about what makes a successful designer collaboration, and what she has learned about turning an artistic practice into a sustainable creative career while across design, fashion media and education.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

A reminder you have one week left to fill in our Learner Platform members-only survey, and to be submitted into a draw to win a 1:1 mentoring session with BRICKS founder Tori West. Deadline: 1st September.

The Learner Platform is hosting a members-exclusive Photography Workshop: How-To Make The Most Of 15 Minutes With A Musician with Charlie Barclay-Harris on Tuesday 22nd September. The workshop is free to members and hosted via Zoom – whether you’re an aspiring music photographer, already shooting live shows, or simply looking to get better at working quickly and creatively, this Zoom workshop will offer practical insights into Charlie’s preparation and composition, as well as how to make the most of every second in front of the stage.

EE72, Edward Enninful’s magazine, is hiring an Art Director. While this might be billed as a senior role, Enninful was just 18 years old when he famously became the fashion director of i-D – so shoot your shot!

Moncler has launched MATE, the Moncler Academy for Technical Excellence in Trebaseleghe, Italy. Starting in October, this full-time six-month placement offers a unique opportunity to acquire and enhance garment construction skills while gaining in-depth knowledge of technical areas such as prototyping, pattern making, industrialization and quality control.

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Join the music photographer for a virtual workshop on capturing great live music images when your time in the photo pit is limited.

Join BRICKS’ Learner Platform for an exclusive online workshop with photographer and director Charlie Barclay-Harris, exploring how to capture great live music photography when you only have a few minutes to get the shot.

For most live music photographers, the photo pit offers a very limited window (often just the first three songs) to capture the images you need. In this practical session, Charlie will share what he’s learned about working within those constraints: how to make creative decisions quickly, anticipate the moment, work with the light and movement in front of you, and come away with a varied set of images when there’s no time to hang around and wait for the perfect shot.

Date: Tuesday 22nd September
Time: 7pm BST [1-hour session]
Where: Hosted online via Zoom

A photographer and director from North Wales and now based in Bristol, Charlie has built a portfolio spanning live music, portraiture and editorial, working with artists including Charli XCX, Addison Rae, Yungblud, Magdalena Bay and Geese. He is currently on tour with Fontaines D.C., and his recent published works include shooting MUNA for the cover of Dork Magazine and Audrey Hobert for The Guardian.

Charlie has also shot for BRICKS, photographing our #15 I Support You issue’s Portraits series, which spotlighted working-class designers in London. Our relationship with Charlie actually began through The Learner Platform, when he was commissioned to photograph Beabadoobee live in Bristol for BRICKS – so we’re particularly excited to welcome him back to the platform for this session.

Whether you’re an aspiring music photographer, already shooting live shows, or simply looking to get better at working quickly and creatively, this virtual workshop will offer practical insights into Charlie’s approach to live music photography, from preparation and composition to making the most of every second in front of the stage.

Plus, Charlie will be answering questions from attendees during the session – if you’d like to submit your Q&A question in advance, you can do so below.

This workshop is exclusive to Learner Platform members. To register, become a member and find the workshop link at the end of this post.

If you’re unable to attend, we shall be sharing a round-up of Charlie’s advice to the Learner Platform Substack on the following Friday.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Simone Rocha is seeking a Footwear Designer.

The New York Times is hiring a Social Media Editor in London.

The B-Hive, Boots’ in-house creative agency, is seeking a Midweight Copywriter in London & a Creative Producer in Nottingham or London.

032c is seeking an Editorial Intern for three to six months starting from September, and is also looking for a Creative Pattern Maker to join its design team for its upcoming Paris Fashion Week show, both based in Berlin.

Arddun Agency is looking for a Showroom Intern from 22th - 29th September in Milan, Italy, and a Showroom Intern from 30th September - 6th October in Paris, France.

Purple PR is looking for a Showroom Assistant in New York City.

The Cold Magazine is accepting pitches for features, nightlife series and photo series. To submit, email: Phoebe@thecoldmagazine.co.uk.

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Help us shape the future of The Learner Platform – tell us what you love, what you’d like to see more of, and what would make the platform more useful to you.

When Tori and I first started the Learner Platform, our DM requests were full – with questions from “how do I get people to reply to my emails” to “how do I get a job”, all the way to “do you have a job going at BRICKS?” While we couldn’t unfortunately facilitate hundreds of new hires, we did have some advice for the former questions, and thus this newsletter was born.

Since 2023, The Learner Platform has existed to share our advice with emerging creatives on how to navigate the bits of the creative industries that nobody really teaches you – from email tips to job hunting tricks, and understanding the realities of working in fashion, media, music and beyond.

But as the creative industries change, so do the things our community needs from us. So, we want to know what you actually think.

Whether you’ve been a Learner Platform member for years, have only recently joined, or dip in and out of our content, we’d love to hear about your experience. What have you found genuinely useful? What keeps you coming back? What would you like to see more of? And (just as importantly) is there anything that hasn’t worked for you?

This survey is your chance to tell us what you want from the Learner Platform, whether that’s more practical resources, workshops, mentorship, industry insight, community or something we haven’t thought of yet.

And there’s something in it for you...

Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw to win a free one-to-one mentoring session with BRICKS founder Tori West. Tori founded BRICKS during her final year of university after realising there were fewer editorial opportunities for emerging queer and working-class creatives outside of London. Since its inception in April 2014, BRICKS has gained a large cult following, launched an alternative education platform and worked with the likes of Coach, Ugg, Gucci, Converse, TikTok and Dr Martens to name just a few.

Tori is the co-founder of the Learner Platform. Only 16% of the creative industry is made up of working-class voices, so supporting more perspectives into the industry lives at the heart of this platform. A mentoring session with Tori is an opportunity to ask questions, talk through your creative career, get advice on your work or portfolio, or simply have a conversation about where you want to go next.

All answers will be totally confidential and will help us make the Learner Platform more relevant and genuinely useful to the people it’s here for. So, tell us what you think.

At this time, this survey is only for paid Learner Platform members. If you’d like us to create a survey for non-members to share their thoughts, let us know in the comments below this post.

And lastly, thank you for being a part of the community we’re building, and for helping us shape the future of this platform.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

BRICKS Magazine is looking for a Photographer to capture Notting Hill Carnival on Saturday 29th August. Given the cultural significance of Notting Hill Carnival, we are particularly keen to hear from photographers of Caribbean heritage who can capture the event with authenticity, sensitivity and an understanding of the communities at its heart. To apply, please email maddy@bricksmagazine.co.uk with the subject line “Notting Hill Carnival Photographer”. Deadline: Friday 21st August. 

Sony Music has opened applications for its 2027 Internship Scheme in London. Internships are paid, 12-month, full-time roles based in London, with opportunities across Sony Music UK’s labels, creative teams and central functions, including Columbia Records, RCA Records, Ministry of Sound, Commercial Group, 4th Floor Creative, Sony Music Publishing, The Orchard, Finance and more. The programme is open to people from all backgrounds, whether you’re a student, recent graduate, career changer or simply looking to take your first step into the industry. Deadline to apply: 10am on Monday 24th August.

HarperCollins is hosting its next Publishing Virtual Insight Days on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th August. Aimed at those aged 16+ with no prior experience in publishing, the free programme offers an exceptional opportunity for individuals interested in exploring the various functions within the publishing house. You will be contacted by Friday 14th August if your application has been successful.

Dyelog PR is hiring paid Fashion Interns during London Fashion Week, for 2-3 weeks in the lead-up to and during LFW (starting 17th September). Email CVs to alisha@dyelog.co.uk. Deadline: Friday 14th August.

MCQUEEN is hiring a Women’s Shoes Designer on a 6-9 month maternity cover contract.

Chanel is seeking a Digital Creative Manager.

Bottega Veneta is looking for a Junior Product Designer and a PR & Communications Coordinator in Milan, Italy.

High Snobiety is hiring a News Writer, and is offering a Branded Editorial Internship, both in Berlin, Germany.

Acne Studios is looking for a People & Talent Acquisition Coordinator in New York City.

Continue reading on Steady

We’ve spoken many times before on The Learner Platform about creative careers not being linear. Often, even the most celebrated creative practitioners and industry leaders didn’t start their careers in the sector they later found success in. That’s why we’re such advocates for getting your foot in the door – even if it’s not your forever role, being inside a creative workplace often reveals opportunities you couldn’t have planned for.

Part of the reason why so many creative careers tend to take the long way round is because, for many people, the job role they end up with wasn’t a possibility (or sometimes even known to them) when they started out. When I first started working at BRICKS as a volunteer, I had no idea there would be a paid Editor role for me several years down the line. You could chuck it all up to luck or manifestation (or delusional self-belief), but the reality was, I didn’t even know what I was manifesting, but I was committed to work I genuinely wanted to do and was open to where that could lead.

And this isn’t just the case for me – for lots of people working across creative and media industries, it isn’t just a case of putting the job on your vision board and hoping for the best, because many of the most interesting editorial jobs didn’t even exist five years ago.

For Capsule founder and editor Holly Beddingfield, she didn’t apply for her dream job, she created it. Having already worked as a reporter, a subeditor, and an editor, Holly pitched the platform she’d always wanted to build to her employer while working as a creative strategist. She identified an underserved audience, built a convincing business case, and convinced her employer to back it.

Since then, Capsule has grown a cult following on Instagram and Substack, providing thoughtful cultural critique to internet-native “zillennial” women & nonbinary people, with many of its posts reaching tens of thousands of readers across social accounts and sparking engaged conversations on celebrity culture, music, fashion, film, and much more.

Below, Holly shares how she pitched her dream career, built the platform from scratch, and the lessons she learned along the way.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Aidan Zamiri is seeking a London-based, part-time Personal & Creative Assistant. To apply, send your CV & cover letter to: jobs@aidanzamiri.com.

Simone Rocha is hiring a Product Developer & Garment Technician.

Peachy Den is hiring a Creative Lead on an initial 3-month contract, 4-5 days per week. To apply, send your CV and portfolio to: careers@peachyden.co.uk.

Mithridate is seeking a Design Intern.

WWD is hiring a Fashion Assistant in New York City.

Somerset House is hosting the Upgrade Yourself Festival this Friday 7th & Saturday 8th August, a series of free networking and upskilling workshops for 16-30 year olds. This weekend’s programme includes sessions with Run the Check, the Alternative School of Economics, Sludge Magazine, and many more. Book your free slots and find out more here.

The Fondazione Prada Film Fund is an annual initiative that supports independent cinema. Each year, the Fund supports up to 14 projects without restrictions regarding geography, theme, genre, or language. The Fund has an annual endowment of €1.5 million. Applications are open from 6th August til 10th September.

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The creator of Stargazer shares what she's learned about building an interview series, how to earn artists' trust and ignoring the algorithm’s idea of success.

It’s no surprise that short-form social series have taken over the celebrity interview circuit. Whether it’s eating fried chicken, naming song titles, or sharing controversial opinions on public transport, celebrity interviews once reserved for prime-time television have firmly moved onto platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube (and even late-night hosts are following suit). Excitingly, with this shift has come a new generation of independent interviewers, each experimenting with formats designed to get beyond the media training and closer to the person behind the public image.

When Iona Bielby launched Stargazer, though, she wasn’t interviewing household names – she was interviewing rising artists she admired, many of whom have since become her friends. Rather than chasing celebrity access, she focused on something she could control: thoughtful questions, a carefully crafted visual identity and conversations that felt more human than performative.

That outlook still drives Stargazer today, as the series launched the first episode of its third season with musician, Stranger Things star, and 24.5 million-followed Finn Wolfhard last week. “I’m not media-trained,” Iona laughs. “I’m sure everyone can tell by now; I have no interest in being media-trained. I just wanted to create something that felt really human and not palatable. Something a little more dangerous; I always say there’s a bite to my interviews, if you really pay attention.”

Below, we caught up with Iona to discuss building one of the internet’s most distinctive interview series, how she earns artists’ trust, and why originality has far less to do with format than most people think.

Continue reading on Steady

Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Bianca Saunders is seeking a Design Assistant. To apply, send your CV & portfolio to cassandra@studio-hr.co.uk.

Clio Peppiatt, the designer best known for dressing Olivia Dean, is looking for an Embroidery Designer.

Charlotte Simone is seeking a Social Media & Studio Assistant.

Powered by IoDF is offering a free workspace in their studio for creatives in Tottenham Hale.

Barbour is offering a Raw Material Buying Apprenticeship in South Shields, Newcastle.

Keburia is seeking Design Interns in Tbilisi, Georgia. To apply, email info@keburiaofficial.com.

You can win a 3-week residency in the south of France with thanks to the NG Creative Residency prize. Find out more here.

It’s Freezing in LA is open for submissions for its next special edition – a collection of climate fiction (Cli-fi) shorts to be published in November 2026. Deadline: 15th August.

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We’re recounting the advice shared by one of music’s most exciting self-producers at her production masterclass this week.

Abbey Road is one of those London landmarks that had been on my bucket list since the first day I knew I was moving to London. There are few studios more synonymous with music history, welcoming everyone from bona fide legends to today’s most exciting emerging artists. It’s also the kind of tourist photo I could send to my family group chat, and all generations would respond with the same amazement – talk about iconic.

Yesterday, a group of aspiring women and non-binary writers, producers, DJs and musicians were invited inside Studio Three for the rare opportunity to spend the day learning alongside alt-pop artist, songwriter and self-producer Erin LeCount.

Still only 23, Erin has already established herself as one of the UK’s most impressive emerging alt-pop artists and producers – writing and producing much of her own work, she’s earned praise for her cinematic, emotionally rich sound. I first met Erin during an interview for her score of Inter Alia at The National Theatre, and to say I was in awe of both her artistry and technical ability would be an understatement.

Earlier this year, she released THE CINEMA – a track that encapsulates years of teaching herself production and finding confidence behind the desk – and she has most recently collaborated with acclaimed producer Jim-E Stack (Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde) on her new EP, PAREIDOLIA.

Hosted as a free interactive masterclass for a select group of attendees (hand-picked by Erin herself), the Abbey Road masterclass offered a glimpse inside the iconic creative residence. Attendees heard Erin unpack her journey, from teaching herself production in GarageBand to creating her latest music in the control room of Studio 3, before breaking down the stems of THE CINEMA and opening up the creative decisions behind the track. The afternoon then shifted from conversation to collaboration, with attendees rotating through recording, mixing and vocal production sessions led by Abbey Road’s engineering team, before sharing their work and receiving feedback together.

What made the day so insightful wasn’t just thanks to the access into one of the world’s most famous recording studios; it was Erin’s insistence that great production doesn’t need expensive equipment or technical perfection. Alongside her own releases, Erin has become a passionate advocate for making music production feel more accessible, particularly for women and non-binary creatives, using opportunities like this Abbey Road masterclass to demystify the craft and encourage the next generation to trust their own creative instincts.

Whether you’re simply considering giving it a go or you’re working towards your debut release, Erin’s advice rings true across many creative disciplines. At yesterday’s masterclass, we chatted to the musician (plus have distilled some of the biggest lessons from the session) for a practical guide for anyone looking to take their first, or next, steps in music production.

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BRICKS Favs:

Royal Albert Hall has opened applications for its Free Future Focus Photography Mentorship Scheme. If you’re a young photographer at the beginning of your career, this programme is for you. Over four months, you’ll receive mentorship, shadowing opportunities and partake in workshops with three industry photography mentors. Additionally, you’ll have opportunities to photograph our events and showcase your work at the Hall at the end of the programme. Deadline: 23rd August.

Emma Davidson, Fashion Features Director at Dazed has launched Writing & Portfolio Reviews – you can register your interest here. The sessions are donations-based, with a minimum donation of £25 and will be donated to The Sameer Project, Centre Point UK, Not a Phase, MediCinema and Trekstock Cancer Support.

Apple is now accepting emerging designers to its 12-Month Creative Development Program in London.

Selfridges is hiring a Creative Photographer.

ITV is hiring a Production Journalist in Bristol, and an Assistant Content Editor on a 6-month fixed-term contract in Birmingham.

Iris Van Herpen is hiring a First Assistant Designer to Iris van Herpen, as well as a Head of Atelier, both in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Bloomingdale’s is hiring a Digital Design and Content Coordinator in Long Island City, New York.

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Journalist and Bread Alone editor Kate Pasola shares the realities of bringing an anthology to life, and why the industry's hidden rules affect working-class creatives far beyond books.

For many aspiring writers, publishing can feel like an industry built with invisible rules. Agents, proposals, publicity, launches and literary networks are often treated as knowledge you’re simply expected to have, making the process feel inaccessible long before you’ve written the first page. Esteemed journalist and editor Kate Pasola wants to change that.

Her new anthology, Bread Alone: What Happens When We Run Out of Working-Class Writers?, brings together 33 contributors exploring class, creativity and the barriers that continue to shape who gets to tell stories. Over two-thirds of people working in UK publishing come from professional socio-economic backgrounds, while as little as 20% come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, making this work an essential read for any working-class creative, with much of the book’s contributors’ advice applicable across disciplines. And, beyond the essays themselves, Kate’s process of making the book became an education in everything publishing rarely explains: finding the right home for a project, building an audience, and the countless behind-the-scenes lessons she learned only through trial and error.

Below, Pasola reflects on editing an anthology, navigating independent publishing without an agent, and why working-class creatives shouldn’t wait for someone else to validate their ideas. Whether you’re hoping to write a book, launch a magazine, start a creative project or simply carve out a place in an industry that wasn’t built for you, her advice is as practical as it is reassuring.

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BRICKS Favs:

Applications for our exclusive Learner Platform opportunity to join Erin LeCount at Abbey Road Studios for a special production masterclass on 23rd July will close this Friday 17th July. Find all details on how to apply here.

WED Studio is seeking a Design & Atelier Intern, and a Chinese Communications PR Intern in London. Applicants must be students. To apply, send your CV & portfolio to: info@wed-studio.com.

ITV is hiring a Production Journalist/Assistant Content Editor for 6-months in Birmingham.

Fashion critic & content creator Lyas is hiring a full-time Creative Director based in Paris.

Marc Jacobs is hiring an Associate Designer of Leather Goods, as well as a Temporary Production Assistant, both in New York City.

The Sarabande Foundation has opened applications to join its Studio Residency 2026/27. This programme is designed for creatives at a pivotal point in their career – those with something new to say and the ambition to push their practice further. It offers heavily subsidised studio space, invites to networking events, and business mentoring plus press & marketing support. Deadline: 1st August.

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Ahead of her conversation with Sarah Mower at Light House next week, pioneering designer Katharine Hamnett shares her advice. PLUS we’re giving away a free ticket to the talk on 14th July.

For five decades, Katharine Hamnett has challenged what fashion can be, and what it should stand for. Long before sustainability became a buzzword or slogan T-shirts became a staple of high street collections, the British designer was pioneering manufacturing innovations, campaigning for workers’ rights and proving that clothing could be a vehicle for political change. Her bold typography became instantly recognisable, but behind the graphics was a career defined as much by systems thinking and activism as it was by design.

On Tuesday 14th July, Hamnett joins acclaimed fashion journalist Sarah Mower at Light House for a rare conversation looking back on the career that reshaped British fashion. Together, they’ll revisit the innovations behind her work, the rise of the Katharine Hamnett brand in the 1980s, and the ideas that continue to shape her practice today.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Hamnett to ask what advice she’d offer emerging creatives. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t interested in rehearsing the usual clichés about chasing your dreams or saying yes to every opportunity. Instead, she offered the same kind of honesty that has defined her work for decades: creative careers are changing, fashion is facing enormous challenges, and building a sustainable life sometimes means thinking beyond your dream job.

While tickets to the exclusive in-conversation can be purchased for £40 (artist fee donated to Heal Palestine), we’re thrilled to share that as part of our latest Exclusive Opportunity, we’re giving a Learner Platform member the chance to attend the conversation for free. Find application details below, along with some expert insight from the industry innovator.

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We're thrilled to offer one Learner Platform member the opportunity to join Erin LeCount's production masterclass for female and nonbinary producers.

In a new Learner Platform Exclusive opp, we’re thrilled to offer one Learner Platform member the opportunity to join Erin LeCount’s production masterclass for female and nonbinary producers.

An artist, producer and songwriter whose genre-defying work blends electronic production with deeply personal storytelling, Erin has built a reputation for crafting immersive sonic worlds entirely on her own terms. Now, she’s inviting a small group of female and non-binary producers behind the scenes of her creative process.

Whether you’re producing your first tracks or looking to develop your practice further, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from an artist navigating today’s music industry independently, ask questions, and gain practical insight into music production in one of the world’s most iconic recording studios.

The details:

• Date: 23rd July

• Location: Abbey Road Studios, London

• Who can apply: This workshop is exclusive to female and non-binary producers

• Deadline to apply: Friday 17th July

This opportunity is exclusive to paid Learner Platform members.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

British Vogue is hiring a Social Media Manager in London.

We Are Social is hosting a free talk titled ‘Your Social Feed: Winning the Attention Race’ for anyone looking for an extra hand or inspiration for their social media account on the 14th of July.

The Pottery Cafe is hiring a Weekend Studio Assistant in London.

Arts Collective is hiring a Marketing and Press Coordinator in Northampton.

VETEMENTS is hiring a Print Designer and Graphic Designer in Zurich, Switzerland.

Creative Lives in Progress has shared an open call to all UK-based emerging creatives – they are looking for new artists to feature on Spotlight, its weekly social series sharing the work of new artists. To apply, simply fill out this Google Form.

CapCut and Creative Lives in Progress have launched a Design Studio Competition to win up to £350 cash & a free CapCut Pro subscription – and, if you share your project on TikTok, tag @capcutuk and use #CreativeLivesChallenge, you have the chance to win an additional cash prize. Deadline: 20th July.

The Gender Equality Grant is offering $5,000 to help US-based journalists take to a new level the reporting on issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Find out more here.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Vivienne Westwood is hiring an Ecommerce Photographer.

Glamour is looking for an Associate Fashion Editor on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

NTS is seeking a Music Curator.

Carhartt Work in Progress is seeking an Apparel Designer in Basel, Switzerland.

New York Post is hiring an Assistant Picture Editor in New York City.

The Whitney Museum is seeking a Curatorial Assistant in New York City.

The Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation is hosting Business by Design, a free, part-time seven-month programme created by young people for young people, designed to support aspiring creatives in building successful careers within the fashion and wider creative industries, and includes a paid work experience placement. The programme starts in September in London and they are hosting open days on 2nd & 9th July.

It’s Nice That has opened applications for Ones to Watch, its annual showcase of emerging creative talent from around the world. The categories we cover are graphic design, illustration, photography, moving image (animation and short film) and art. It’s completely free to apply, all you need to do is fill out our online form, submitting a short statement and a small selection of work images or videos. The It’s Nice That team look at all the work and choose the final line-up, to be announced in Autumn 2026. Apply here. Deadline: 30th July.

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After the success of our previous open days, we discovered so many incredible creatives, many of whom we’ve since gone on to work with. We’ve pulled clothes from emerging designers for our cover shoots, commissioned paid photography and writing opportunities, and built lasting creative relationships.

If you’re joining us, we’d love for you to bring your work along or be ready to show us what you’ve been creating. Whether it’s a portfolio, publication, project, or work in progress, we’d love to see it!

Spaces are limited, we’re prioritising Learner Platform members first, before annoucing the sessions across the BRICKS wider community tomorrow.

BOOK YOUR SLOT

Drinks and snacks will be provided.

Your booking cost covers your copy, which you will receive during the session.

Exact location will be provided closer to the session date.

Accessibility: Located on the ground floor. No steps.

Toilets are located on the ground floor, but not directly within our unit.

Seating is available.

About a 4 min walking distance from Brixton Tube station and 2 min walk from Brixton train station.

Hope to see you there! x

In a Learner Platform exclusive, we’re offering one member the opportunity to photograph RALLY Festival on Saturday, 29 August 2026 at Southwark Park in London, and another member the opportunity to review the festival for BRICKS online.

RALLY is a collaborative project inspired by DIY culture and grassroots movements, celebrating London’s music and arts communities. The festival will be headlined by Blood Orange, and the line-up includes Daniel Avery (live with full band), Smerz, james K, Jump Source, GENA (featuring Liv.e & Karriem Riggins), keiya, ARoman Flügel (performing Tracks On Delivery live), YHWH Nailgun, Kiss Facility. You can view the full line-up here.

For this festival date, we’re running two opportunities: one successful applicant will receive 1 x ticket with photography accreditation, and a second member will receive 1 x general admission ticket to the festival to review.

To submit: Photographers, please upload a 1-page portfolio in PDF format.

Writers, please upload a writing sample of gig review, arts/culture review, or relevant journalism in a Document format.

The successful photography applicant will receive a £200 fee for 20 final images – a mixture of attendee street style & performance shots that will be published on BRICKS socials & BRICKS online.

The writing applicant will receive a £120 fee for an 800-word review.

If the successful applicants are based outside of London, they will be compensated up to £60 for their return travel expenses.

Deadline to apply is EOD Friday 31st July.

The successful applicants will be contacted by Friday 7th August.

Apply below.

* Only current members are able to apply for this role and view the application link. If you choose to become a member, you’ll have access to our full creative advice archive, join our workshops, book club and our weekly industry opportunities board.

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BRICKS Favs:

British Vogue is hiring an Art Production Associate.

Selfridges is looking for a Creative Conceptor.

Edinburgh Fringe is hiring a Media Assistant in Edinburgh.

MIU MIU is offering a Social Media Internship in Milan, Italy.

Tory Burch is seeking an Executive Assistant.

South London Gallery’s The Emerging Curator Fellowship is a 15-month full time trainee-level role based at South London Gallery. The candidate will gain comprehensive experience across all aspects of exhibitions and events work in a public institution, including research, programming, delivery, and archiving. Deadline: 15th July.

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This week, we share our tips on how to vet too-good-to-be-true opportunities.

Last week, artists across social media began sharing emails that appeared to offer them places on Abstract Magazine‘s Summer Residency programme. The magazine spotlights emerging artists and boasts an impressive 1.1 million followers on Instagram, and it launched its inaugural residency last summer, with its Summer Residency account already amassing 233,000 followers. The residency itself sounded like a dream opportunity: two weeks in Georgia with accommodation, travel and meals covered, plus the chance to connect with other artists and develop their practice.

There was just one problem: the same acceptance email seemed to have been sent to hundreds of artists. Initially, many recipients believed they had been personally selected or accepted onto the programme. Some hadn’t applied for this year’s residency at all, while others said they had never applied to the scheme. As artists compared notes online, their confusion quickly turned into frustration.

A Reddit post titled “Summer Residency scam”, and another titled “A year later: Abstract mag summer residency scam” quickly began circling online, leading to endless questions wondering if the email was sent in error, or if applicants had genuinely been shortlisted. Some suggested it was an attempt to encourage more submissions (and, of course, more application fees) before the deadline closed.

The situation continued as applicants struggled to get answers. Some reported receiving no response when they asked for clarification, while others claimed emails bounced back entirely. When the magazine eventually addressed the controversy, it said the email was intended to notify artists that they had progressed to a further stage of consideration, rather than being formally accepted onto the residency itself. But by that point, many artists felt the damage had already been done.

The backlash wasn’t only about one email. It inspired many to speak out about wider concerns in the creative industries, as opportunities are often highly competitive, expensive to access and difficult to verify. For many emerging artists, residencies, exhibitions and open calls can feel like vital stepping stones towards building a sustainable career – we share these regularly on our Opps Board because we understand the important opportunities they can bring. Receiving what appeared to be an acceptance email can carry significant emotional weight, particularly when application fees are involved.

Artnet’s excellent investigation into the residency stated that while last year’s event in France did happen, participants reported major discrepancies. Instead of the promised 50 participants, only 18 attended. Artists also claimed they had to negotiate for basic art supplies and that no galleries or representation were actually involved, despite promises in promotional materials.

But beyond the scandal around this particular residency, the controversy has also reignited conversations about “pay-to-play” creative opportunities. Artists are increasingly questioning how application fees are used, how selection processes are communicated, and what organisers owe applicants in terms of transparency.

That’s why today, we’re sharing some red flags – and green ones too – to look out for when discovering new artist opportunities, residencies, and competitions. And, as we want to ensure none of our members get scammed by similar opportunities in the future, we’re sharing this week’s newsletter without the paywall.

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Green Flags

The residency or competition clearly explains what you’re getting: Good opportunities are transparent about accommodation, studio space, materials, mentoring, exhibition opportunities and funding. If organisers are specific, that’s usually a positive sign.

The focus is on supporting artists, not selling a dream: A strong residency talks about how it will help you develop your practice, experiment with new ideas or connect with peers. The emphasis should be on artistic growth rather than creating an aspirational lifestyle fantasy.

There are opportunities for feedback and critical engagement: Whether it’s studio visits, group critiques or mentoring sessions, the best residencies create meaningful opportunities to discuss your work and learn from others – it should just be about painting or creating in a sunny holiday destination.

The programme encourages community: One of the biggest benefits of a residency is being surrounded by other creatives. Look for programmes that facilitate conversation, collaboration and peer learning rather than treating participants as isolated individuals.

The organisers have a track record: Previous participants, documented outcomes and publicly visible alumni can help demonstrate that a residency delivers on its promises. While the Summer Residency Instagram account does show some evidence of last year’s residency (a few images and a Reel of artists painting outside), it has largely shared infographics and quote cards featuring generic statements, which don’t offer us much evidence of what took place at last year’s residency.

Red Flags

It sounds too perfect: If every post looks like a luxury holiday brochure and very little information is provided about the actual artistic programme, proceed with caution.

Lack of accountability: If it really is an amazing opportunity for artists, the participants should be easy to find. If you cannot find a list of staff, director, or board members on their website, and you’re left wondering who is running the event in the first place outside of a faceless organisation, chances are this isn’t legit. If it were, the jury or board would be publicly available – a credible organisation wouldn’t hide any of that.

Lack of transparency with fees: Application fees for residencies are not inherently a red flag, but they should always be clearly explained and proportionate to the opportunity. Where large numbers of applicants are paying into a programme (Summer Residency artists paid $25 to apply, and there could be hundreds or thousands of applicants), transparency around how that money is used and what artists receive in return becomes essential.

The marketing focuses more on prestige than support: Be wary of opportunities that spend more time talking about how exclusive or desirable they are than explaining how artists will actually benefit. In the Summer Residency email, they claimed that “each group will spend two weeks at a historic villa in Georgia, with dedicated time for inspiration, relaxation, creative exchange, and artistic practice,” – but without details of what these activities might be, it becomes unlikely the event will be as advertised.

Key details are vague or missing: Aside from the activities, if you can’t find clear information about accommodation, costs, selection criteria, mentors or what happens during the residency, that’s worth questioning before you pay a fee to apply.

Communication is inconsistent: Slow responses happen, especially with small organisations, but repeated unanswered questions or contradictory information can indicate larger issues happening behind-the-scenes, and no contact information at all is a major red flag.

The opportunity relies on urgency or FOMO: Creative opportunities should earn your trust through transparency, not through pressuring you into applying before you’ve had time to do your research or without answering your questions. Extremely short application windows should also be questioned, particularly when a residency appears to be annual, suggesting they should have plenty of time to prepare.

Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Erdem is hiring a Social Media & Content Lead.

Richard Quinn is looking for an Embroidery & Textile Designer.

16Arlington is offering a Production Internship.

Fashion photographer and filmmaker Charlotte Wales is looking for a full-time Digital Technician, and a part-time or full-time Studio Art Director. You can read PDFs for both roles at her link in bio.

Jaken Jarvis, founder of sunglasses brand Hot Futures, is hiring a Content Creative & Coordinator.

Noxx Magazine is seeking an Editorial Intern. Additionally, journalist Lauren Bulla is seeking writers and photographers during Berlin Fashion Week for the magazine. To apply, send your CV & 3 relevant pieces of work to: lauren.l.bulla@gmail.com.

Fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor is seeking an Assistant Video Editor in New York City.

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This week, five creatives from GFF’s Fashion Accelerator programme share the career lessons they wish they’d learned sooner.

Every year, Graduate Fashion Week offers a glimpse of fashion’s future. Across four days at Truman Brewery, emerging designers, stylists, photographers, journalists and creative directors showcase the work they’ve spent years refining, often while wondering what comes next once the exhibition stands come down and university support disappears.

That question sits at the heart of the Graduate Fashion Foundation’s Fashion Accelerator, a programme designed to bridge the gap between education and employment by providing mentorship, industry access, networking opportunities and professional development for creatives at the earliest stages of their careers. This year’s cohort includes designer Kemi Gbadebo, stylist Brandon Bolland, designers Janey Cribbin, Tarika Kinney and Miao Jiang, alongside creatives working across photography, journalism and creative direction.

While their disciplines, aesthetics and career paths differ dramatically, speaking to members of the 2026 cohort revealed a surprisingly consistent set of lessons about what it actually takes to sustain a creative career; the realities of running a business, the importance of community, the value of backing yourself. And, perhaps most importantly, the understanding that talent alone is rarely enough.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Acne Studios is offering a Graphic & Branding Design Apprenticeship Program in Stockholm, Sweden.

16Arlington is looking for a Production Manager.

Lucy & Yak is seeking a Production Runner to support on its next large scale photoshoot on 24th June. To apply, email your CV and a short paragraph explaining why you’d like to be a part of this. Ideally, they are looking for applicants with no or little on-set experience, so this is an ideal opportunity for anyone looking for their first on-set role. Email nishil.patel@lucyandyak.com with the subject line ‘Runner Application- 24th June’.

Sheffield Theatre, in partnership with Stage One, is offering a Trainee Producer Placement – a paid year-long placement for emerging producers to train, work and grow.

Esquire is hiring a Junior Style Writer & Content Creator.

Havianas has launched an open call for Content Creators, Musicians, Videographers & Photographers. To apply, tag yourself in the comments of its Instagram post.

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We're sharing more details on how to apply to this incredible opportunity for aspiring filmmakers before the deadline on 14th June.

Apologies that you’re receiving this email on a Monday and not a Friday!

For emerging filmmakers, opportunities that offer meaningful financial support can often feel few and far between. At a time when funding remains one of the biggest barriers to getting independent projects off the ground, initiatives that invest directly in new creative voices are more important than ever.

To mark its tenth anniversary, Girls In Film has launched the GiF 10th Birthday Fund, awarding £25,000 in production funding to one fiction-based short film project from a UK-based team of women, trans+ and non-binary filmmakers. Alongside the headline award, selected shortlisted projects will also receive mentorship and support, helping creatives develop their ideas beyond the application stage.

With submissions closing on 14 June, there’s not much time left to apply – so, whether you’re sitting on a production-ready script, considering taking the leap with a passion project, or simply wondering whether your idea is “ready enough”, here are ten reasons why this opportunity is worth applying to.

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1. You could secure £25,000 in production funding

Let’s start with the obvious one. The selected project will receive £25,000 in production funding – a significant amount for an emerging short film, particularly at a time when independent funding opportunities remain highly competitive.

2. Runner-up projects don’t walk away empty-handed

Even if your project isn’t ultimately selected for funding, Girls In Film will also offer mentorship and support to a selection of shortlisted teams, helping promising projects continue their journey.

3. The fund is looking for “bold ideas”

This isn’t a call for safe bets. Girls In Film is seeking original, ambitious fiction projects across both live action and animation, creating space for filmmakers with a distinctive creative voice, and there’s no need to sanitise your weird and wonderful ideas.

4. You don’t need a feature-length script

Applicants can submit projects with a maximum running time of 20 minutes, making the fund accessible to filmmakers working in the short-film space.

5. You’ll gain valuable pitching experience

Shortlisted teams will be invited to pitch their projects to a panel of Executive Producers. Regardless of the outcome, the experience of refining and presenting your vision is invaluable for any filmmaker.

6. Mentorship can be as valuable as funding

A strong mentor can help shape a project, open doors, and provide industry insight that lasts long after a production wraps. That’s why it’s encouraging to see mentorship built into the fund itself, as well as financial support.

7. The application process can sharpen your project

Putting together a funding application forces you to articulate your creative vision, production plan and goals. Even if you don’t receive funding this time around, the process can leave you with a stronger project package.

8. The fund was created by people who understand the community

Girls In Film has spent the last decade championing women, trans and non-binary creatives across the industry. This initiative is designed specifically with that community in mind.

9. There’s a network behind it

Alongside Girls In Film, the fund is supported by sponsors and industry partners, including Feeld, Prettybird, Bridget Productions, Farago Projects, MOX and Uncommon, with additional in-kind support from a range of creative companies.

10. You can’t be selected if you don’t apply

It might sound obvious, but many creatives talk themselves out of opportunities before they’ve even submitted. If you have a production-ready idea that fits the brief, there’s little to lose and potentially a great deal to gain.

Applications for the Girls In Film 10th Birthday Fund close on Sunday 14 June 2026 at 23:59 BST.

Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Apple Music is seeking a Production Manager.

ICA London is seeking an Assistant Cinema Curator.

Royal Court Theatre and Stage One are now accepting applications for the Trainee Producer Placement – a paid year-long opportunity for emerging producers ready to get stuck into the world of theatre producing in London. Deadline: 22nd June.

Welsh music festival Green Man has relaunched its annual T-Shirt Design Competition, to design for a special edition GM26 t-shirt, plus win a pair of GM26 weekend tickets. To apply, submit your portfolio or design to info@greenman.net. Please have ‘GM26 T-Shirt Competition’ as the subject line of the email. Designs should be one colour only and should also be available as a vector file (illustrator - ai file) or layered PSD. Deadline: 12th June.

ROTATE Birger Christensen is looking for a Junior Designer in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Photo Vogue’s Global Open Call is back! With the theme, “Brave New Visions: Creativity as Rebellion,” we are looking for projects that hold attention and interrupt this flow. Across all genres and formats, we invite artists to challenge familiar narratives, disrupt visual conventions, and explore new ways of seeing and feeling. More than ever, this is a call to create from freedom rather than expectation. Deadline: September 3rd, 2026.

Coach is hiring a Global Merchandising Assistant and PR Assistant in New York City.

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Hosted by Brett Staniland, the new London event will host a day of panels, networking opportunities and honest conversations about the future of fashion.

For a long time now, sustainable fashion feels as if it has existed in two extremes: either as fluffy marketing language deployed by billion-pound global brands to deceive us, or as a niche space populated by smaller labels struggling to survive long enough to see meaningful change take effect. Aiming to transform this landscape from within, The Good Clothes Network, a new platform and community initiative founded by sustainable fashion advocate and broadcaster Brett Staniland as part of The Good Clothes Show, is designed to connect independent brands, emerging creatives, and industry professionals working towards better business practices across fashion.

On Thursday 11th June, The Good Clothes Network will host its first major networking event and conference, The Business Behind Good Clothes, at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London, bringing together a series of panel talks, independent brands and pop-up shopping centred around the future of sustainable fashion. The event will also open its doors to emerging brands and creatives looking to connect with others working across sustainability, circular fashion and ethical business practices. And, for any sustainable brand owners, there’s still time to apply to exhibit your work to both the public and industry audiences throughout the day.

Access to the event is free to explore and shop, with the talk series ticketed at £20 or £10 for students, and it’s hosting an impressive array of sustainable activists and industry members:

• More Than A Logo; Branding the Right Way, with Amy Powney and Harriet Vocking

• Aligning Business Strategy with Social Advocacy, with Orsola De Castro

• The New Value Chain; Digital Product Passports and Circularity, with Jemma Tadd, Charlotte Morley and Philly Grogan

• and Mastering the Art of Influence; Building Social Media Engagement, with Aja Barber, Mikey Caunter and Danielle Graham

The talk series will be hosted by Brett, who has become one of the UK fashion industry’s most visible sustainability advocates. Since appearing on Love Island in 2021, he has consistently used social media and public appearances to criticise ultra-fast fashion practices, including brands promoting extreme discount culture and overconsumption through campaigns like “100% off” sales, and joining protests outside PrettyLittleThing’s London Fashion Week show, campaigning against wage theft and labour exploitation within the brand’s supply chain. Alongside his activism, Brett has travelled to learn more about garment production and supply chains firsthand, while continuing to speak publicly about ethical sourcing, fair wages, transparency and the structural changes needed across the fashion industry. He also writes the Substack, Fashion’s Not For Everyone.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Brett to talk about sustainable fashion’s biggest misconceptions, why emerging creatives shouldn’t obsess over finding the “perfect” ethical job, and the importance of opening up industry knowledge that too often remains inaccessible to the next generation.

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Email here to advertise roles on our platform!

BRICKS Favs:

Chopova Lowena is hiring a Brand Manager.

DIY Magazine is looking for an Associate Editor.

Good Clothes Network, hosted by Brett Staniland, is looking for Event Supporters available to help with its event on Thursday 11th June. To apply, email: Belinda@oakhamgroup.com with the subject line “Event Support Role”. You can also attend the event to see a series of insightful, sustainable fashion talks hosted by Staniland in conversation with leading industry figures, including Orsola De Castro, Amy Powney, Aja Barber and more, and they are offering £10 tickets for students. Full event info can be found here.

Paul Smith’s Foundation & Pan Macmillan are running a design competition judged by Sir Paul Smith himself. The winning designer will be commissioned to create a limited-edition proof cover design of Sir Paul’s memoir Threads: My Life in Style & will receive a £500 commission fee. Find out more here.

In memory of artist Khadija Saye, who worked as a Young Freelancer at London Transport Museum at the time of her death in Grenfell, June 2017, the museum’s Khadija Saye fellowship offers paid freelance year-long career development roles for Londoners aged 18-25. Find out more here.

Jewellery brand Haricot Vert is seeking a Studio Intern and a Design Intern in New York City.

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We’ve got tickets for 3 Learner Platform photographers to attend 'Bowie: Behind The Lens', an evening sharing untold stories from the photographers who helped capture the many personas of David Bowie.

On Tuesday 26th May at 7pm, this one-off event at Lightroom, London brings together Bowie collaborators Geoff MacCormack, Kevin Cummins, Richard Young, Denis O’Regan and Chris Duffy to share unheard stories, rare images and personal reflections from their time documenting one of pop culture’s most enduring icons. Their portraits and photography will also be projected across Lightroom’s four-storey immersive walls.

⁠To apply for a free ticket, email learnerplatform@bricksmagazine.co.uk with the subject line ‘David Bowie’ and tell us why you’d like to attend, and share your portfolio and/or Instagram with us.⁠ More info on the Lightroom immersive event can be found here.

Please note: This opportunity is open to Learner Platform members only, so please use the same email as your membership when applying. You can apply if you have an existing membership via Steady, or all new members must join via Substack.

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Deadline to apply: 9pm BST Monday 25th May.

This week, the writer, filmmaker and Rich Parents Club founder talks mentorship, gatekeeping and her new free talk series, Parental Guidance.

There are certain industries where it can feel like everyone got a head start – a trust fund here, a family friend at a production company there, maybe an uncle who “just happens” to own a gallery in Berlin. For everyone else, breaking into creative industries can feel less like well-intended networking or steadily climbing the career ladder, and more like trying to sneak into the Rich Parents Club through the back door.

That’s part of what makes Sydney Lima’s new initiative Rich Parents Club feel so necessary. The London-based writer, presenter and documentary filmmaker – whose previous clients include VICE, Channel 4 and Vogue – recently launched the platform to create more transparency, access and mentorship for working-class creatives navigating the industry. Its latest project, Parental Guidance, is a new live talk series pairing emerging talent with established names across film, media and culture.

The conversations, hosted across London and free to attend, have already welcomed Oscar-winning director Fisher Stevens, with upcoming guests including BAFTA-winning filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr., Adolescence director Philip Barantini, and award-winning writer and comedian Jack Rooke. Next up is Mia Bays, the Oscar-winning, BAFTA-nominated producer and current Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, whose decades-long career has included championing underrepresented voices across independent film. You can book your free ticket here.

Ahead of the next talk, we spoke to Sydney about mentorship, creative gatekeeping, and building an industry support system that doesn’t rely on having the right surname.

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BRICKS Favs:

i-D has re-launched its Creative Writers Competition. The competition is judged by Chris Kraus, Cat Marnell, Julio Torres, and Jeremy O Harris in the categories: fiction, non-fiction, experimental, and drama, and one winner from each category will be published in i-D’s Fall 2026 issue. Entries are open to writers aged 18 and over, located in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EMEA region. Each winner will receive a $500 USD cash prize. All submissions go through this Google Form. Deadline: 28 May 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

JW Anderson is looking for a RTW & Accessories Production Assistant.

The Institute of Digital Fashion is hiring for two roles at IoDF Platform: Head of Marketing and Content & Culture Lead.

Burberry is seeking a night shift Fabric Inspector on a one-year fixed-term contract in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

Apartamento is seeking an Editor to join its Barcelona studio. Start date ASAP & deadline: 3rd June.

Axel Arigato is looking for a Graphic Designer, a Content Producer and a Social Media Lead, as they are relocating many roles from London to Gothenburg, Sweden.

A24 Films is hiring a Music Marketer in New York City.

Vanity Fair is looking for a freelance Digital Visuals Editor in New York City. To apply, email vfphoto@condenast.com with the job title in the subject line.

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After collaborating on BRICKS Issue 15, graphic designer Yasseen Faik reflects on archives, typography, cultural work, and the realities of sustaining a career in design today.

For a generation of designers raised online, developing a recognisable, distinctive visual language can feel almost impossible. Between the constant churn of algorithmic trend cycles, our battles with comparison, and an industry increasingly shaped by speed and visibility, many creatives find themselves stuck between experimentation and employability. A lot of us, (including us at BRICKS) are trying to make work that feels personal, and that is oftentimes political and deeply personal, while of course still making rent. Yasseen Faik, know this all too well, “I’ve found that the better paid or more high-profile a project is, the less creative control you often have.”

Earlier this year, reports warning that graphic design is a role most vulnerable to AI. But perhaps the one thing machines still cannot replicate is lived experience: personal histories, subcultures, politics, our taste, identity and our instinctive human impulse to make meaning from them.

Moving between music culture, institutional design, typography and printmaking, Faik’s work sits in a space where DIY aesthetics collide with structured systems. Raised on graffiti, rave flyers, video games and punk graphics, he has built a visual language that feels emotionally charged without losing functional clarity. “My work naturally lives somewhere in the middle, experimental and expressive, but still able to function within institutional or corporate spaces,” Faik tells us.

In this conversation, he reflects on building an archive-driven creative practice, navigating underpaid creative labour, balancing artistic identity with client expectations, and why young designers need to stop waiting for permission to take themselves seriously.

Can you tell us your route into design – were you always attracted to a creative career, or was there a point where you decided to pursue it? How did you enjoy your time studying?

I grew up around art. My gran and dad were both painters, and growing up in the 90s, I was surrounded by video games, experimental music, and creativity from an early age. My siblings and I would spend loads of time painting and making things with my dad in his basement. Really fond memories when I look back on it now. As a teenager, I got into graffiti, which was probably when I became more visually aware and started figuring out what I liked artistically and what I didn’t. Around the same time, in my late teens, I discovered graphic design and realised it was something I could genuinely pursue as a career.

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Painting and traditional art felt much more inaccessible and harder to make a living from. I did a foundation course at Camberwell College of Arts, then moved to Bristol to study Graphic Design at UWE. I know a lot of people don’t necessarily enjoy university or their degree experience, but I genuinely loved mine. Bristol was cool! I made loads of friends, found my creative voice and went to lots of raves, it was mint haha! I’ve been really fortunate that my parents have always been supportive of the arts and arts education, which is rare among Arab parents. So, in that sense, I always knew I wanted to work in art, design, music, and culture. Feeling blessed that it actually happened!

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After graduating, you began working with Crack Magazine and then Tate. What drew you to these working environments, and what did you learn about your own design aesthetic through working for these institutions?

After uni, it was really difficult to find an internship or a job. It probably feels even harder now, but when I graduated in 2014, it still felt almost impossible to get a foot in the door. I was doing the usual thing, sending out dozens of emails, applying everywhere, trying to secure internships or junior roles. At that stage, I honestly wasn’t picky! I just wanted an opportunity and would’ve taken almost anything, but nothing was really coming back. I just kept persisting with it, and after about six months, I started landing a few interviews.

Eventually, I got hired by CRACK Magazine as my first design job in 2015, which felt pretty surreal at the time. After that, I worked at the Tate design studio, which was also an amazing experience but completely different from CRACK. They’re both hugely respected creative institutions in their own ways, but CRACK felt much freer, experimental, and culturally driven, whereas Tate was far more structured and focused on systems and brand guidelines. I think working between those two environments helped me understand where my own practice sits. My work naturally lives somewhere in the middle, experimental and expressive, but still able to function within institutional or corporate spaces.

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Your practice sits at the intersection of graphic design, typography and printmaking. How did that crossover develop in your work, and at what point did it start to feel like a deliberate language rather than just experimentation?

The art and printmaking side of my practice definitely comes from childhood and my teenage years spent drawing, painting, and making things. The typographic focus came later through studying Graphic Design and developing a real obsession with letters, language, and image-making through type. I’ve always loved both art and design, and early on it felt important to me to find a middle ground where I could operate as a designer while still having the output and freedom of an artist. I was interested in finding a balance between creative experimentation and commercial viability. Making work that could exist within cultural or institutional spaces while still feeling personal and expressive. It was definitely a gradual process, though.

At first, it probably just looked like experimentation and trying things out, but over time, as you keep pushing certain ideas and visual approaches, it becomes more intentional. I think it only really feels like deliberate language when people start associating a particular aesthetic or visual attitude with you. That takes time. Even then, it’s still constantly evolving. I don’t think that process ever fully stops. It’s important not to become stagnant or reliant on a single aesthetic, even if it’s unique to you.

What are the references or influences you return to consistently, and how do you actually collect and organise them? Whether that’s books, archives, screenshots or something else: what does your system for building and revisiting inspiration look like in practice?

I love this question. I’m a massive archivist, both physically and digitally. I’ve built up a pretty large collection of books, magazines, records, flyers, and printed ephemera that I constantly return to when I’m working. Alongside that, I keep a huge digital archive of images and references I find online. It’s not limited to design either. It can be art, photography, fashion, science, technology, architecture, gaming, or just anything I find visually interesting or emotionally striking. Organisation is key when you have so much folders in folders. Sometimes I’ll remember a texture, image, or feeling from something I saved years ago and go digging for it again.

A lot of my process is about making unexpected connections between references that maybe don’t obviously belong together. Balancing type, image and texture. In terms of core influences, ’90s video games, dance music culture, graffiti, and punk DIY design are probably the foundations of my visual language. A lot of that work had this raw immediacy and emotional energy that still resonates with me now.

A lot of your work operates within music and cultural ecosystems that move quickly and are often under-resourced. What have you learned about sustaining a design practice in those conditions – both creatively and financially?

I’ve found that the better paid or more high-profile a project is, the less creative control you often have. So a big part of sustaining a practice is finding a balance between the jobs that pay well and the ones that are creatively fulfilling. The projects that really push your work forward or become important portfolio pieces. Music and cultural sectors in general tend to be pretty under-resourced, and there’s often an expectation for designers to work with small budgets and very tight deadlines. Over time, I’ve learned the importance of knowing your worth and not being afraid to say no to projects that don’t feel right financially or creatively. Saying no is not always an option, though; if you need the money, it can be tricky to navigate.

For freelancers, don’t hesitate to raise your day rate if you think the client can afford it ;) At the same time, those spaces also allow for a huge amount of experimentation and creative freedom, which is why so many designers are drawn to them in the first place. Some of the most exciting and culturally impactful work comes out of those environments precisely because people are pushing things visually despite the limitations. I think the key is remembering that, as designers, we’re not tied to one specific sector or industry. Diversification is important! Both creatively and financially. Having a mix of commercial, institutional, and cultural work helps create stability while still leaving room for experimentation and personal expression.

​Over time, I realised that the most valuable thing you can bring to the table creatively is your own perspective.

When you’re approaching a new commission, what’s your process for balancing your own visual language with the needs of a publication or client? At what point do you push back versus adapt?

When approaching a new commission, I always try to understand the project’s intention first. It’s important to understand the context, the audience, and the tone of voice before jumping into visuals. Once there’s a clear conceptual direction or narrative in place, I can start building the visual systems around it. Typography, image-making, layout experimentation, and the overall graphic language. The challenge is always finding the balance between bringing an experimental or distinctive design approach while still respecting the client’s brand identity and communication goals.

In reality, though, that process is rarely straightforward. It’s usually very iterative, with a lot of back-and-forth. I think adaptability is one of the most important skills a designer can have. There’s no real room for ego when you’re collaborating with other people. At the same time, there must be a level of trust in the working relationship. I’ll push back if I genuinely think something isn’t going to work, but it’s also important to make clients feel involved and creatively invested in the process. A big part of the job is translating ideas in a way that makes people feel heard while still protecting the integrity of the work. Honestly, that’s probably one of the biggest day-to-day challenges of being a designer.

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This BRICKS cover is dedicated to Palestinian journalists who have been tragically killed while reporting from Gaza. Can you talk us through your design process and the artworks that inspired it?

The cover design was inspired by a placard project I made with Alfie Allen in 2024. We screen-printed a series of typographic protest slogans onto collaged backgrounds, creating these bold, expressive pieces that were later handed out at a Free Palestine protest in London. There was a real sense of urgency, resistance, and collective energy in those works that I wanted to carry into the BRICKS cover. Revisiting that material felt like a natural starting point, especially given the subject matter and the importance of honouring Palestinian journalists who have lost their lives reporting from Gaza. From there, I began physically reworking the original prints. Ripping, rescanning, layering, and digitally editing them to build new compositions and textures.

The process became a combination of printmaking, collage, and graphic design, which is quite reflective of how I work generally. I wanted the final cover to feel emotionally charged and visually direct. Something that communicated resistance, solidarity, and humanity without becoming overly polished or detached from the realities it was responding to. Free Palestine forever!

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What’s the most useful piece of advice you’ve received as a designer, and how has it actually shaped the way you work or make decisions?

Personally, the most useful advice I received was not to let imposter syndrome win. Being surrounded by so many talented creatives, combined with constant overstimulation online and endless comparison, it’s very easy to feel like your work isn’t good enough or that everyone else is ahead of you. I definitely struggled with that for a long time, especially earlier in my career. Over time, I realised that the most valuable thing you can bring to the table creatively is your own perspective.

You don’t have to be the most technically skilled, the most successful, or the loudest person in the room. What matters is making work that feels authentic to who you are and what you care about. That mindset has shaped my approach to design and decision-making quite a bit. I try not to chase trends or compare my path too closely to others’ anymore. True success, at least for me, is being able to stay genuine in your work and build a creative practice that actually reflects who you are.