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Mentee Profile: Maya Jagger

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Maya Jagger - Mentee - shares her reflections on the final celebration and graduation session at  Fremantle UK Headquarters, Stephen Street as the group came together formally for the final time to reflect on their experiences and learnings being on the programme. 

Maya & Dermot
Maya & Dermot

“The situations that you make you feel like you’re to falling apart are actually the ones that are building you back up.”

- Andi Oliver

(Broadcaster and Learning the Ropes 2024 speaker).


Before I came to Fremantle, let me level with you, I had a really rough year. I didn’t pass my probation in a job I loved, and that was after I’d had to move from working dailies in TV as a Location Marshal because of the writers strike. I’d failed my driving test and I’d even lost half a tooth. Then, my landlord sent me a section 21 eviction notice. Great! Consequently, my confidence took a big hard knock. 


Flash forward to the final night. Many things happened between now and then. I couldn’t quite process how much everyone in this room had managed to achieve in a matter of months with the support and guidance of their mentors and the course leaders. Cressy had gotten onto an apprenticeship with Amazon. Erin landed a role as a Production Co-Ordinator. And Courtney got to work on QI! I really meant it when I looked at everyone’s faces in that room and I said “I will never forget you all” because everyone in that room has deeply impressed me.  


From day one, this was a place I felt I could truly grow, and I was right. Since starting the course I have had nothing but positive experiences. I gained a mentor who saw my grafter spirit and encouraged me to keep networking, to keep applying for jobs and to keep reaching out to employers. I met people I to aspire to be like, like Fran and Dermot, who I really wish my grandma could have had the chance to meet in person, because she’d have loved him to bits. I made new friends. I heard the most fantastic stories from industry leaders. I passed my driving test. And I got my smile back. 


Thinking back to induction day, I was so nervous that when I was helping clear up cups and saucers, I managed to trip over a row of chairs at the back of the room, sending the cup smashing to the floor and taking a fall that left a very impressive bruise the full length of my leg.  But, somehow, I still seemed to make enough of an impression that within the week I got the news that I’d got onto the course. 


I was overjoyed. Why? I felt like I was in a room with people like me, who were enthused and spurred on by passion. Not intimidated by it and not wanting to rein in my ambition or my interests. I always knew this was the right place for me, and I am so grateful that I was given that chance.




If you’re reading this and you’re wondering if this course is right for you at this stage, I say this. If you’ve had a little experience in industry or creatively already, that’s great! You don’t have to have had experience, but equally even with some projects behind you, if you keep listening and you keep an open mind, you will learn bucket loads from everyone who walks through those gigantic doors at 1 Stephen Street. Everyone is here because they want you to succeed and if you ask, they will help you achieve your goals any way they can. 


Not everyone did, because this isn’t everyone’s goal anyway, but I managed to land a contracted job in television by the end of the course. This was deeply important to me. It’s in Cardiff, as a Researcher in Factual, and I’m still there. But it doesn’t stop there, having recognised how important it is to always have a goal. I found a course by NFTS and I am training to be a Script Reader, with the goal of becoming a Script Editor, alongside writing my own work. I couldn’t have dreamt about any of this at the start of the course, but my mentor gave me the courage to take the leap and move once again. 


So I want to take a moment to acknowledge Karen Knowles, for always believing in me from day 1. Although I didn’t see her that night, I knew she was there in spirit as she had been rooting for me all along. It was an unforgettable experience journey back to London, to walk back into that building not only feeling the happiest and the most confident I’d felt in a very long time, but having newfound faith in myself. 


I wasn’t the only one deeply impacted that night. This is what my friend Derrick had to say: 


“It was lovely to celebrate how far all the mentees have come. When we started on the programme, we discussed our hopes and aspirations for the future in TV and now it’s all becoming a reality. The programme really highlighted the importance of networking in this industry not only for gaining opportunities, but also for wellbeing and finding a supportive community. It was nice to be able to lean on the support, guidance and advice of other mentees and mentors, and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for us all.”  




I wholeheartedly agree with Derrick. I loved the film he was part of, the one with Chloe, Lee and Rob about the helipads, by the way. My highlights were… Getting to watch Bilal’s film, All My Mothers Gold and hearing how well Elliot was doing in art department world, were proud moments for me. They were doing exactly what they’d set out to do from the start. Which prompts me to assure you that the mentor you will be paired with is going to invest in you and your aspirations. They will be with you even when the course is over. I also want to say that, there are no wrong answers when it comes to setting your goals. You can make them as ambitious or as bitesize, as practical or as creative as you want. You will be paired with someone that matches your energy. I advise anyone who’s considering applying for Learning the Ropes to go right ahead. If I could do it, and I felt like I’d had all the resilience knocked out of me, then so can you. I believe in you, just like I believe in them. 


When the night was over, the group went out to celebrate. I caught up with one of my friends, Rob, and he had nothing but positive reflections about that night and the course too “It was amazing to see that everyone had some really cool experiences and are a lot further into the industry and being able to hear and see everyone's projects were fantastic!” Rob and I actually met for the first time in February 2024 (almost exactly a year ago as I’m writing this), when I had arranged a meet-up for people wanting to get into film and TV, to attend the RTS Futures Careers Fair together. So to see not only how far Rob and I have come since the start of 2024, but also everyone else, here, happy and on their way to greatness, might have been the best highlight of them all. 


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