1. Hi Steph and Claire, can you both tell us a bit about yourselves?
Steph:
I’m Steph, I’m 17 years old and I live in the Wirral. My main interest is illustration and animation which I do in my spare time. I’m self-taught and have learned skills as I’ve gone along.
Claire:
I’m Claire, I’m a Liverpool-based animator having studied animation at university. I have around 15 years experience working in motion graphics for a variety of industries including advertising and film.
2. Steph, what were you doing when you applied for an Arts Emergency mentor?
S: I was in the sixth form at school when teachers told us about the Arts Emergency mentoring programme and I thought it was an opportunity I could get a lot out of.
I was already confident in my drawing abilities but I lacked knowledge about the animation industry and the realities of getting a job in it.
3. Claire, what made you apply to be a mentor? Is it your first time?
C: I applied to be an Arts Emergency mentor because I believe in giving back. I’ve had a few ‘accidental’ mentors over the years and I honestly don't know where I’d be without them. My boss in my first job out of university really guided me and helped me progress in my career so I know the impact it can have.
This is the 2nd time I’ve volunteered to be an Arts Emergency mentor in Merseyside. I like the long-term commitment of 12 months because it gives us the chance to come out with tangible outcomes.
I applied to be an Arts Emergency mentor because I believe in giving back
Claire, mentor
4. Can you both tell us a bit about your first meeting?
S: We first met at the Mentoring Introduction Event at the Liverpool Museum. We had a chat about what we’re both interested in and what we want from this experience. We also met some of the other mentees and mentors in the 2025 cohort and it gave a really nice sense of being part of the AE community.
5. Where have you been meeting and what have you been doing together?
C: Our second meeting was in a coffee shop. I looked over some of Steph’s work and got a sense of what they’re after from this programme and what tips and insights would be most useful for them.
Since then we’ve been meeting in my studio space every month. Freelancing can be lonely so it's nice to have a nice space shared with other creatives and I was glad to share this with Steph.
S: I hadn’t spent time in a creative studio before so it’s been really nice to experience that.
6. Did you make a plan together for your mentoring year?
S: Things got a bit complicated because between the introduction meeting and our first 1-on-1 meeting I had to drop out of school, so the plan we initially talked through was thrown out the window! But in our 2nd meeting I brought some of my work with me and Claire gave me feedback and gave me ideas of how I could get freelance jobs, for example by looking at sites like Creative Commissions, to fill the time before going back to school. I’ve managed to make a lot of progress and have been spending time doing self-motivated projects like creating an animation for a music band I like - I'm hoping it will bring some attention to them.
Claire has been working in the animation industry for a long time so she has lots of experience and has been able to give lots of advice. She also gave me real-life work experience by inviting me to work on a commercial project
Steph, mentee
7. Steph, what makes Claire a good mentor for you?
S: Claire has been working in the animation industry for a long time so she has lots of experience and has been able to give lots of advice. She also gave me real-life work experience by inviting me to work on a commercial project. It felt like a real collaborative working relationship and I got to work with a client, getting feedback from them and adapting ideas to their needs. This gave me a sense of what working on real projects is like and gave me skills that come from having experience rather than being taught.
8. Claire, what makes Steph a good mentee for you?
C: Well, importantly we share a love for animation! Steph is really ambitious and has the foresight in thinking about how they can turn their passion into a viable career. They ask the right questions and are curious about the realities of working in the industry.
Steph is already using industry level software like Toon Boom Harmony, so we can talk about technical aspects of animation as well as general ideas.
9. Steph, before participating in the mentoring programme, did you have anyone you could talk to about your plans for the future?
S: I would talk to my parents, they’re supportive and have helped me get materials to do animation and my friends are all creative too, but none of them know anything about actually working in the industry or the pathway to get there.
C: I relate to this because I had very supportive parents - which is really important - but they had no idea how to support my ambitions practically. Connections really help in creative industries and Arts Emergency’s mentoring programme is great at giving connections when people don’t have them.
10. Steph, has having Claire as a mentor helped give you a clearer idea of the path you would like to take and if so how?
S: Definitely! I know I want to study animation and I’m also exploring gaming too. When I brought up my interest in doing games design and how when I return to school in September I would be doing a course in 'games design, animation and vfx' Claire organised a meeting with someone who has worked at Playstation. They gave me some inside information about how things work in the industry. As well as this Claire gave me some real-life experience working on an animation for an advert for one of her clients. Knowing that my work is going to be used in a public advert is so cool! This really helped me feel more confident about the route I’m following. I’m hoping to go to a Liverpool-based university when I finish college and plan to pick up some freelance work over the summer holidays and continue animating for my own projects.
You never stop suffering from imposter syndrome so it’s been a good reminder to myself that I do know stuff and have insights to share.
Claire, mentor
11. Claire, what have you gained during your time so far as a mentor?
C: I’ve gained confidence in my knowledge and my experience. Looking back at my journey from school to now makes me realise how far I’ve come. You never stop suffering from imposter syndrome so it’s been a good reminder to myself that I do know stuff and have insights to share.
It gives me a lot of joy to see Steph’s progression and their confidence grow. They’re incredibly talented and their work is beyond their years which is something that school might not recognise. They’re a testament that despite not fitting ‘the mould’ you can still thrive if you’re given a platform… and Arts Emergency gives that platform.
Working with people, particularly young people, and having to navigate challenges that I didn’t have to face like AI, is good because it's forced me to think about how I would approach getting into the industry now.
12. Steph, what’s been your favourite part of mentoring so far?
S: I’ve really enjoyed meeting up with Claire and working with her on the animation for the commercial project. I’ve also developed an interest in game design and although Claire doesn’t have much experience with this she was able to ask Arts Emergency to connect us to someone in the Network who works for Playstation and could answer some of my questions. This was great because they’re based in Liverpool which helped me feel like not everything is in London!
I think it’s important for people working in creative organisations to be mindful of how people from different backgrounds may not have access to the same opportunities and make a conscious effort to open doors to make it a more inclusive sector
Claire, mentor
13. Claire, what do you think are the barriers that young people are facing in your industry? And what can organisations do to help?
C: I don’t want to sound too negative but it feels like nepotism in the creative industry is getting worse. And getting jobs and opportunities from having the ‘right’ connections is the norm. Around 10 years ago there seemed to be more of a positive drive to help underrepresented young people access creative pathways but these have been cut and opportunities are squeezed. Getting jobs should be based on the quality of work not ‘who you know’.
If you have a safety blanket of financial security you have more freedom to work on your personal portfolio and apply for opportunities or do unpaid internships etc, so you can get your foot in the door.
I think it’s important for people working in creative organisations to be mindful of how people from different backgrounds may not have access to the same opportunities and make a conscious effort to open doors to make it a more inclusive sector.