Meet the Ideas Makers: Naomi

How did you first get involved with Ideas Foundation?

When I was in year 10 I found out about an Ideas Foundation Creativity Scholarship through my Graphic Design teacher and I applied. I was successful and achieved a two-week work experience placement. In the first week we deigned a souvenir for the Design Museum and in the second week I had the opportunity to work at RWD magazine.

Tell us about your journey with Ideas Foundation.

Shortly after the Creativity Scholarship I took part in a Creative Media Camp that Ideas Foundation were leading. We had the opportunity to work on a live brief for Global Hand Washing Day. After this experience, I showed more interest in activities the charity was conducting to support young creatives and I was fortunate enough to be selected as a
Creative Scholar and be a youth representation on the Trustee Board. Since then I have mentored and assisted on several of the I AM CREATIVE programmes, and I even had the opportunity to speak at an Ideas Foundation event at Downing Street.

How did you first get involved with Ideas Foundation?

When I was in year 10 I found out about an Ideas Foundation Creativity Scholarship through my Graphic Design teacher and I applied. I was successful and achieved a two-week work experience placement. In the first week we deigned a souvenir for the Design Museum and in the second week I had the opportunity to work at RWD magazine.

Tell us about your journey with Ideas Foundation.

Shortly after the Creativity Scholarship I took part in a Creative Media Camp that Ideas Foundation were leading. We had the opportunity to work on a live brief for Global Hand Washing Day. After this experience, I showed more interest in activities the charity was conducting to support young creatives and I was fortunate enough to be selected as a
Creative Scholar and be a youth representation on the Trustee Board. Since then I have mentored and assisted on several of the I AM CREATIVE programmes, and I even had the opportunity to speak at an Ideas Foundation event at Downing Street.

How has Ideas Foundation benefitted you?

Ideas Foundation has helped me understand that a creative interest can be transformed into a successful career with a lot of hard work! The organisation has given me access to real life industry environments to get a real sense of how the creative industries operate.

How has Ideas Foundation helped you with industry contacts?

As a Creative Scholar I was able to visit various agencies around London, meet agency employees and get to know what they do. I’ve also had the opportunity to attend many networking events.

How has your experience with Ideas Foundation helped you with your current role?

One of the agencies I got to meet as a Creative Scholar was Dare. I listened to their Experience Planning Director speak and his talk really interested me. I spoke to him more at the end of the event and had the opportunity to visit Dare on another day, this time with my portfolio. I initially received a 2-week work placement, that then turned into a full-time job.

I’m still there over 3 years later! If it wasn’t for IF, I would not have made that connection. It is also worth saying that the first work experience I did with IF (the one where we designed a souvenir for the Design Museum) was at London College of Communication, UAL. I later on went to University there to study Graphic Design. I had never heard of that University before that experience with Ideas Foundation, so they have been with me every step of the way.

Ideas Foundation has helped me understand that a creative interest can be transformed into a successful career with a lot of hard work! The organisation has given me access to real life industry environments to get a real sense of how the creative industries operate.

How has Ideas Foundation helped you with industry contacts?

As a Creative Scholar I was able to visit various agencies around London, meet agency employees and get to know what they do. I’ve also had the opportunity to attend many networking events.

How has your experience with Ideas Foundation helped you with your current role?

One of the agencies I got to meet as a Creative Scholar was Dare. I listened to their Experience Planning Director speak and his talk really interested me. I spoke to him more at the end of the event and had the opportunity to visit Dare on another day, this time with my portfolio. I initially received a 2-week work placement, that then turned into a full-time job.

I’m still there over 3 years later! If it wasn’t for IF, I would not have made that connection. It is also worth saying that the first work experience I did with IF (the one where we designed a souvenir for the Design Museum) was at London College of Communication, UAL. I later on went to University there to study Graphic Design. I had never heard of that University before that experience with Ideas Foundation, so they have been with me every step of the way.

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