Cohort
Session Details
Wednesday 17th February 2021
We launched programme nine with a hugely talented cohort of mentors and mentees. Taking place entirely on Zoom, we introduced the programme, the mentors and mentees and then allowed each pairing to break away from the team to get to know each other. This was a 45 minute introductory chat where mentors and mentees became acquainted with each other and mentees were given a chance to build on the goals they had set in the recruitment phase of the programme. When the group came back together, we heard from Edem Wornoo, who was once a mentee on the programme. He talked us through his career so far, including highlights like directing Fredo's Money Talks music video and making the most out of the stillness of lockdown in 2020.
Wednesday 24th March 2021
Our mentors and mentees came together for the second session of programme nine. We kicked off the Zoom session with one-to-one catchups & followed up with a whole group check in reflecting on the last five weeks. Creative partnerships are blossoming and we heard how mentees have accessed opportunities from working on shoots to jobs at agencies like Ogilvy & Adam & Eve, as well as paid placements at the Face, bespoke advice on film scripts, treatments, advice on audio voice tapes & even collaborations on a long list pitch film for Netflix. The evening ended with an incredible exchange between two directors Koby Adom & Edem Wornoo. Edem interviewed the director of Haircut, Noughts & Crosses and most recently the forthcoming series of Top Boy who shared his top tips as a director and a writer talking about the importance of using your unique voice in storytelling & why it’s best to leave your ego at the door on shoots.
Wednesday 14th April 2021
We started our third session of programme nine with one-to-one catchups, with the mentors and mentees updating each other on what they'd been up to in the last four weeks. This was followed by a check in as a group, recounting wins, opportunities and moments of growth since the second session. The session concluded with a discussion between curator Bianca Manu and one of London's leading street culture photographers, Vicky Grout. They discussed London's cultural and creative scene and some of Vicky's most iconic photos.
Wednesday 12th May 2021
We kicked off our last session of programme nine off with our one-to-one catchups between the mentors and mentees. The pairings broke out to discuss the goals set at the beginning of the programme and what they'd achieved and learnt in the last four months. The group came back together and reflected on the programme as well as their mentoring partnerships as a group. The cohort then broke until groups for a networking-type task called 'How To Be Less Humble'. Then final session ended with a talk by the hosts of Brown Girls Do It Too podcast, Rubina Pabani and Poppy Jay.
