One Place Creative
Raising awareness of employment opportunities in creative industries for disabled people.
One Place East is a disability services and support organisation based in Ilford. Its mission is to enable disabled people and those with health conditions in Redbridge, and across East London, to have more opportunities and improved lives.
They received £19,707 ESFA Community Training Grants funding to deliver their project ‘One Place Creative’ (OPC). OPC aims to raise awareness of employment opportunities in creative industries for disabled people, therefore addressing the barriers which keep disabled people away from this segment of the labour market. OPC has a focus on film making, digital content, photography, copywriting and production.
The project’s five objectives are:
- To recruit 22 disabled people aged 18-65 with an interest in creative and digital industries
- To raise awareness of different career and training opportunities within the creative and digital sectors
- To increase the knowledge and competency of the recruited team
- To develop the practical skills of the team by making films, podcasts and online content based on experiences
- To facilitate peer support and mentoring for less skilled team members by more experienced members
As the project is targeted towards disabled people, activities are tailored in a way that is accessible to all, giving each individual the ability to participate and engage fully. The project activities help beneficiaries on the road to employment by teaching skills required for creative industries, as well as building confidence in the workplace.
Activities include: workshops delivered by industry professionals, assessment and career plan development, practical experience, mentoring, workplace visits, and referrals for specialist advice.
Saifur Valli from One Place East said:
We were very happy with the news that we had been awarded the grant to run this project. We have so far had many positives that have come out of the project, such as participants gaining the confidence to make new friends and ‘come out of their shell’. One learner has already been successful in getting through to an interview stage of a job.
