As someone who loves media, I always imagined that one day I would work for a major media organisation. I hardly considered other options. Getting involved with youth media and possibly creating a platform of my own in the future are things I only started thinking about recently.
Last Wednesday (6th August), the Youth Media Agency held its second Youth Media Summit at the BFI in London. 450 delegates attended, representing more than 150 youth media platforms and 40 mainstream media outlets.
I volunteered at the Summit, which was very hectic but heaps of fun too. I would happily do it all again. Spoken word artist Samuel King opened the event with his brilliant poem ‘Fatherless Britain’. Delegates enjoyed music and spoken word performances throughout the day, and youth and mainstream media platforms delivered insightful talks and workshops. The summit’s aims included networking and collaboration, which were strongly encouraged from start to finish. It was a pleasure to meet so many young people like myself who are interested in media.
I particularly enjoyed the ‘Careers in Media’ discussion. Three women from the BBC, Channel 4 and Creative Skillset shared their tips on how to make it in this competitive industry. During the talk, all panellists stressed the importance of having a genuine passion for something and being proactive. It’s not enough to say “I want to be a [insert dream media job here].” You need to show that you’re passionate and produce good work. Another tip from the panel: remember to share your work so people can see it. Don’t be shy!
The Youth Media Summit was an amazing experience. The event showed me how important youth media is and why it is vital for young people to create opportunities for themselves and showcase their creativity. If you’re someone who dreams of a career in media, start doing whatever it is you want to do now. Talk to like-minded people and share ideas, and never forget the value of collaboration.
Check out the tweets from the summit here.