ENNY Leads New Mentorship Programme to Empower Young People Wanting to Make it in Music
New music industry mentorship scheme launches, backed by Relentless, as research reveals that lack of mentorship is holding young people back from entering the sector
Created in Collaboration with UK Arts Organisation Small Green Shoots, Programme Helps Young Creatives Break Industry Barriers and Offers £10K Creative Fund
Applications Now Open:
https://www.relentlessfreeform.com/
Relentless has opened applications for its new Freeform Forum mentorship programme, aimed at addressing the barriers felt by young creators looking to carve a new path in music; as new research reveals that 1 in 5 (20 per cent) of young Brits (18-30) would like to work in music, but industry barriers are holding them back.
Spearheading the initiative are South London rapper ENNY, J Hus’ Producer TSB, Burna Boy’s speed dial photographer Elliot Hensford and Super Bowl ad co-creator Tajana Tokyo. They will be working with Relentless and UK arts organisation Small Green Shoots to search for 12 mentees between the ages of 18-25 with a live creative project. Those selected will be offered one-to-one industry guidance, opportunity for financial assistance and help with realising their creative visions in production, photography or film making; all to help opening gate-kept opportunities within the creative industry.
The mentorship program builds on a new national youth study, commissioned by Relentless, that found half of young Brits aged 18-30 (53 per cent) believe they have untapped creative potential. One in three Brits aged 18-30 would like a job in the creative industries but only 1 in 10 (10 per cent) have managed to secure a full-time role.
The research revealed that those aged 18-21 are the most likely to covet creative careers (36 per cent), with young talent more likely to be looking to land jobs within Fashion, Music and Art than more traditional pathways such as Law, Medicine and Accountancy. Under 21s were also revealed to be the least likely to be money motivated when it comes to choosing their job hunt with only a third (38 per cent) indicating that an earning potential is important to them, instead identifying non-financial elements such as being able to express themselves (34 per cent) and having creative freedom (27 per cent) amongst their top priorities.
Despite the overwhelming interest in the creative field, the study showed that concerns around industry gatekeeping and workplace culture are putting young Brits off; with fears around not being taken seriously (37 per cent), not having connections (27 per cent) and working with people who don’t understand you (23 per cent) identified as the things most likely to prevent under 30s pursuing their creative ambitions. Over a third (36 per cent) felt they had been held back by a lack of guidance or mentorship.
Designed to help combat some of these creative challenges, Relentless’ new mentor programme aims to form new opportunities and empower progressive, underrepresented artists wanting to break into the industry outside of the conventional creative pathways.
To front the mentorship scheme Relentless and Small Green Shoots have enlisted four creative trailblazers, ENNY, TSB, Tajana Tokyo and Elliot Hensford, known for their pioneering work within the music industry to lead the 6-week programme.
These mentors will guide and inspire the next generation of non-conformist creatives rejecting the typical career path, through individual sessions and IRL networking events. There, these future stars will come together to meet like-minded individuals who are on the same journey and exchange ideas on how to break the barriers in the music industry. One of the 12 young creatives chosen to take part stands a chance to secure a £10,000 fund to propel their visionary music project forward, with the help of one mentor across music photography, video or production.
Beyond the mentorship, and for those looking to hone their creative skills, each mentor has shared their tips and tricks on their practices as part of a “Mentor Hub” live on the Freeform Forum website. On the hub, creators will find tips on everything from perfecting the art of capturing strobe lights through a lens to reworking an anime sample into the coldest trap beat.
The initiative comes as part of Relentless’ new platform, Freeform, that aims to inspire the next generation of disruptive creatives and will launch next year.
For more information about the Freeform Forum and to submit your application before the 10th of November, please visit www.relentlessfreeform.com.
*Research conducted by Censuswide with 2005 18-30 year olds in the UK (13.10.2023 - 17.10.2023)
About Freeform Forum
Freeform Forum is an accessible initiative designed to help non-traditional creatives succeed in their chosen paths by connecting them with established industry disruptors offering guidance, industry tips and a chance to secure a £10K grant towards their idea. The programme aims to help break down the barriers to success faced by boundary pushing talent - by equipping them with tools, tips & tricks all from one central hub, helping them overcome creative restrictions, so that they are free to create without limits.
Under 25s pursuing careers in the creative industries and who have a live-working project will be able to connect with and learn from their Mentor, via a range of free one-to-one mentorship sessions across a range of creative disciplines.
Applications for the 12 mentee slots are open via the website from the 25th of October until the 10th of November. The programme runs both virtually and in person throughout November and early December.
At the conclusion of the programme, one mentee will be selected as the recipient of a £10K project fund and the chance to gain experience working on a live project with Complex.
For more information about the Freeform Forum and to submit your application, please visit www.relentlessfreeform.com.
About Relentless
Over the last decade, Relentless Energy Drink has cemented itself as a leading voice in UK music and youth culture. They've authentically supported the UK music scene from grassroots to mainstream level - through their legendary No5 studio in Soho, late night stage at Leeds festival, club series with Keep Hush, ongoing partnership with Boomtown Festival and its recent stage takeover at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival. Relentless has worked with some of the biggest names from the UK charts, notably Stormzy and Aitch as the most recent brand ambassadors.
Relentless is available in Origin, Passion Punch, Cherry, Apple & Kiwi, Zero Sugar Watermelon, Zero Sugar Peach and Zero Sugar Raspberry.
About Small Green Shoots
Small Green Shoots was founded in 2009. We are a small but mighty Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation dedicated to increasing career opportunities for underrepresented Young Adults who want a career within the music and creative industries.
With a mission to unleash potential and unlock doors in the creative industries, Small Green Shoots:
· Nurture Careers: Developing the Shoots (our name for the trainees), into highly skilled roles in the creative industries.
· Support Artists: Supporting the development of artists from their grass-roots; curating projects and assisting with sourcing funding.
· Generate Networks: Making it possible for young people to organise and take part in music and art events that expand their skills and networks.
ENNY
ENNY is a South-London born rapper, singer and songwriter best known for her single "Peng Black Girls" which was remixed by Jorja Smith, amassing 5m views, before being signed by the global star’s label ‘FAMM’ in 2020.
Surrounded by music from a very young age and taught by her father, ENNY started experimenting with instruments such as the keyboard, which resonates throughout the music she writes now. Her sound has been heavily influenced by her musical upbringing, transcending genres such as jazz, gospel and hip-hop, which she credits to the dance group joined when she was a teenager.
Elliot Hensford
Shooting global stars such as Stormzy, Burna Boy and Davido has catapulted Elliot Hensford into becoming one of the most culturally relevant and sought after photographers of our generation. Recently nominated for GUAP’s ‘Photographer of the Year’ award, Elliot is an influencer in his own right, inspiring others with his unique and engaging content, predominantly capturing musicians and live music that creates a lasting effect on the viewer. Elliot isn’t just a rising star, he’s already risen.
TSB
Having started his career over ten years ago, TSB is one of the UK’s leading music producers, establishing himself as the go-to person for artists with a story to tell, collaborating with global artists such as Headie One, J Hus, Dave, Bree Runway and AJ Tracey, to name a few.
Growing up and through education, producing was simply a side passion. Though TSB quickly realised that he wanted it to be more than that when he set up his own home-studio and started spending a lot of time at coveted Ealing Studios, where he went on to produce a track for J Hus. And the rest is history.
Tajana Tokyo
Tajana Tokyo is a Director born and raised in London with a unique style that’s resulted in her directing some of the world’s most globally-recognised projects, most famously, co-directing Rihanna’s Super Bowl advert. With her previous professional dance career supporting the likes of Beyoncé and Janelle Monáe, Tajana has an invaluable reference point having been front and centre of some of the world’s most recognised creative experiences. With this, she can often be found integrating choreography and vibrant musicality in all of her work.