Future Formed Programme
Connecting 16-30 year olds to Fulfilling Careers in the Creative Industries
The Future Formed programme offers young residents insight and exposure to the creative industries, as well as mentoring and professional advice. We ultimately aim to support participants into paid work placements and freelance work. We take a tailored approach, so the path you take will reflect your individual needs, availability, and ambitions.
Since January 2022, we've created paid opportunities for over 100 residents and supported 120 in further training and insight into creative industries.
Future Technicians Programme
Find out more about the next round of our Future Technicians programme taking place Summer 2024.
Check out the video below from our Future Technicians Programme where we worked with over 11 theatres across London to tackle the creative industry’s lack of diversity, and limited employment opportunities for young people.
Types of Support Provided
Mentoring
Future Formed mentors work with us to help guide and support residents in specialist areas. The sessions with a mentor can be one-off informal meetings or ongoing regular meetings to help you further build your networks and develop your creative career. Examples have been mentoring in Film and TV editing, design and animation, creative writing, and illustration.
Training
It’s hard to break into the creative industries with little or no experience. We provide training opportunities to help you build the skills and confidence you need to help you take that next step. We have offered training in everything from working on TV and Film sets, to music composition and performance, to animation, and working backstage in theatres.
Paid Work Placements
We understand that taking time out of part-time work or even just having to travel away from the borough means you are losing money. Where possible, we try and create paid work placements to give residents a chance to put into practice the skills they may have learned in some of the free training we organise. In the past year, we have worked with partners from Soho Theatre to the BBC and provided paid work placements in everything from podcasting producing to shadowing camera operators at the BBC.
Creative Engagement Opportunities
A big part of being a creative – or working in the creative industries – is developing ideas and networking with peers. We offer regular trips to galleries, theatres, and training centres, often including opportunities to talk to professionals in the field and learn about routes in.
OhPod!
Image: the OhPod! creative team. Photo Credit: Bettina Athena
Future Formed presents OhPod!, a series of award winning podcast episodes dedicated to the creative industries.
Dive into a world of captivating conversations and thought-provoking discussions with the OhPod! podcast, hosted on the Future Formed YouTube channel. Tune in to explore inspiring stories, gain valuable insights, and delve deep into the world of creativity through engaging interviews with industry experts and creative professionals. If you're passionate about the arts and seeking valuable perspectives start listening to enrich your creative journey today.
Future Technicians September cohort, Camden Peoples Theatre. Photo Credit: Mike Wornell
Recent Projects
Future Formers have used our connections and training to gain freelance employment as podcast producers, presenters, theatre technicians, stage managers, runners, performing arts workshop facilitators, and front of house staff. They have set up their own writing programmes, won awards for their work, and become board members of local film companies.
The Unspoken Universe team of musicians. Photo credit: Kyron James
Testimonials
Future Formed has opened doors to new opportunities and to try things I have never really considered before. It’s also introduced me to lots of lovely, inspiring and hardworking people who have given me confidence to believe in myself and my own capabilities!
Future Formed has opened a variety of doors for me. From film to theatre to events to podcasts, I have been fortunate to gain experience, skills and friendships from paid positions. I now have the knowledge and motivation to progress further in my life and that's all thanks to Future Formed. I recommend Future Formed to all who enjoy creativity and want to work in this field. You will have such fulfilling opportunities and the most fun all while building up your CV and earning along the way.
Future formed is a fantastic programme. I have been involved in a couple of projects with Future Formed so far and I can say that they are really open-minded! I first attended the music-making course where I discovered the steps of creating music from scratch and even writing from scratch! That course changed my vision to music and to my capabilities. I feel much more free to try different things! There are no mistakes, only tries!