CREATECreative Futures 2024 Program
CFC is an opportunity ecosystem for creatives that come from underrepresented or disenfranchised backgrounds. The CFC2024 Program will take 20 Fellows through an 8 week program that will provide live and pre-recorded workshops, access to designated Mentors and guaranteed paid work experience with creative partners.
What is the primary issue area that your application will impact?
Access to tech and creative industry employment
In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative?
Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)
What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address?
Our understanding is that in the creative industries, people get their foot in the door by having connected parents or going to the right schools. We've launched our program 5 years ago as an alternative pathway for people that don't come from wealthy or connected backgrounds, and have successfully had our Fellows move from internships to full time roles with companies such as Live Nation, Nike, Kobalt, Disney, CAA, Interscope and more. Since launching in 2019 we've taken 2000 people through one of our programs globally.
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
It will support the 2024 version of our program but specifically it will enable us to pay a high stipend for the creative project that our Fellows will be working on and presenting at the end of the program. Not only will they have created something tangible to present to our partners but will also be able to add it to their CV to make them more valuable to future employers in the marketplace.
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
If we're successful, our Fellows go on to have lucrative careers in the creative industries that will provide them with a higher than average living wage, healthcare and no need to rely on the public systems. They also make a pledge to pay it forward, so that as they move up the ladder they'll provide new opportunities to the people that come after them.
What evidence do you have that this project, program, or initiative is or will be successful, and how will you define and measure success?
Post programs we run surveys to get feedback immediately but we also stay in touch with our Alumni, which is now over 1500 people, to get updates on how they're going and where they're at professionally. When opportunities present themselves we send these to our whole alumni base, regardless of the year they completed the program so as we grow so do their opportunities.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 20.0
Indirect Impact: 80.0