Creative Life Stories is a valuable initiative aimed at supporting students who face barriers in pursuing careers within the creative and cultural industries. By demystifying these career paths, the project provides practical support and insights to under-represented students. Through short videos, blog posts, and interviews, they showcase diverse pathways from university entry to professional life.
The project also hosts Creative Life Stories Connections events, creating a platform for creatives to engage informally with fellow students. These events inspire both undergraduates and postgraduates from various backgrounds, including working-class families, the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse individuals, those with chronic illnesses, and minoritised ethnic groups. Its goal is to encourage exploration of creative and cultural careers.
One student who attended an ‘Exploring Creative Life Stories’ workshop expressed their gratitude for the experience:
“Thank you to Aimen Mahmood and the Creative Careers team at the University of Leeds for putting together a wonderful workshop. It was an empowering and eye-opening experience to discuss and network with a diverse array of individuals like myself from under-represented minority backgrounds, and to learn about the support that the arts receive from independent and local council projects... Coming away from the session, I've decided to finally start putting together my poetry portfolio, and spend the summer doing more creative projects”.
To find out more about Creative Life Stories, get in touch by emailing the Student Success Team at studentsuccess@leeds.ac.uk.