Somerset House logo

Creative Industry Placements

Now in its fifth year, the Upgrade Yourself: Creative Industry Placements programme is open for five young people aged 18 to 24 from underrepresented backgrounds to be part of a paid 1-year placement specifically designed to develop, nurture and grow emerging talent

Archived Event

Part of

This one-year professional programme will give participants an insight into how a creative business is run, from day-to-day management through to programming and operations.

For this year's programme, we are offering a two-phase (two x 6-months) placement for 4 participants within two arts organisations and a one phase (one x 12-months) placement for 1 participant on placement with Somerset House Studios. Split over two 6-month phases, or one 12-month phase for the Studios Placement, participants will have hands-on experience of working within two different arts organisations and have opportunities to connect with trailblazing creatives within Somerset House and our resident community.

In addition to being an employee within a creative team, time on the programme will be dedicated to in-depth wraparound training, off-site trips, workshops and mentoring to support your personal and professional development and to facilitate connection with other young professionals.

“Having been introduced to impactful organisations and people both within and outside Somerset House has really helped to form my experience working within the creative industry.”

Previous Creative Industry Placement Participant

All placements take place at Somerset House and participants are paid the London Living Wage of £25,624 per annum.

Two placement places will be awarded to applicants living in one of the nine beneficiaries of John Lyon’s Charity: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and the Cities of London and Westminster.

Who are the host organisations?
Each year, we work with a variety of incredible creative companies as placement hosts. For this reason, each placement programme is unique. This year, we’re excited to be working with these organisations with the following roles available: Phase One Exhibitions, Somerset House Trust Exhibitions Administrator Greenspace Studio & Communications Assistant Live Events, Somerset House Trust Production Assistant Mind the Film Editing & Production Assistant Phase Two Art Explora Community Programme Assistant Everyone’s a Singer Communications Assistant PR, Somerset House Trust Press Assistant Somerset House Trust Exchange, Somerset House Trust Exchange Community Host
Upgrade Yourself: Creative Industry Placements at Somerset House Studios
For this year’s programme, we are delighted that Somerset House Studios will host a one-phase (one x 12 month) placement for 1 participant.
Timeline for Phase Placements
Monday 26 February 2024 Participant applications launch. Monday 18 March 2024 Participant applications close. Tuesday 16 April 2024 Participant recruitment day. Thursday 09 / Friday 10 May 2024 Placement induction days. Monday 13 May 2024 PHASE 1 placement starts. Monday 11 November 2024 PHASE 2 placement starts. Friday 9 May 2025 Placement ends.
What does it mean to be a creative industry placement participant?
Being a Creative Industry Placement participant means taking on paid work with two different organisations, six months with each, over the course of one year. It means having the opportunity to be part of a team as well as to learn and develop skills from your colleagues, guest speakers, your peers and the wider Somerset House community. Time spent on the programme will be divided as follows: Two x paid 6-month placements (one x 12-month placement for Somerset House Studios Placements). Twelve monthly Prepare & Promote workshops, delivered by trailblazing industry professionals. Three off-site trips to arts organisations who host other internships and placement programmes. Monthly mentoring sessions. End of placement Celebration Event curation.
How does being a participant benefit you?
By taking part in the Upgrade Yourself Creative Industries Placements programme, you will be supported in developing a broad range of personal and professional skills including confidence in the workplace, administrative skills, working in a team, day-to-day office management and planning your next steps. As a participant, you will be able to contribute to the running of an arts organisation, bringing your own opinions and a fresh perspective. You’ll be paid the London Living Wage and have the opportunity to connect with other young people taking part in placement/internship programmes in other arts organisations. The benefits of being a participant include pastoral care and professional support from Somerset House, mentoring and wrap around training. You will also receive all employee benefits from Somerset House trust. These include: Discounts & Offers The list is endless, and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other London Heritage sites including free access to a number of other galleries and museums. Invitations to private Somerset House events. Discounts in Somerset House cafes and restaurants. Discount to local leisure centres. One-year membership to the Exchange co-working space. Holiday Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro rata). Birthday leave – An additional day leave on or within a week of your birthday. Festive day – An additional discretionary day off around the Christmas period.
Who are the creative industry placements for?
The Upgrade Yourself Creative Industry Placements programme is for people aged between 18 to 24 who identify as belonging to a community that is underrepresented within the cultural sector,* and who are interested in learning about creative industries through an entry level role in the arts. Please do not apply if this does not apply to you. The Inclusive Talent Engagement Team values talent, potential and willingness over experience. We are interested in the challenges that young people face, their goals, and how we can help them to achieve them. We want to discover untapped talent and potential. The programme doesn’t require any prerequisites, but an enthusiasm for the arts and willingness to learn is important. * The Inclusive Talent Engagement team at Somerset House acknowledges that particular people are underrepresented in the British creative sector, particularly those who are: Ethnically diverse and/or Global majority. Differently abled or Living with a disability. Working class and/or from a lower socio-economic background. * We also acknowledge the underrepresentation of those who self-identify as: LGBTQIA+ and/or non-binary Neurodivergent We also acknowledge that people face barriers in many ways not mentioned above, and we are open to hearing from anyone who considers themselves to be underrepresented in the creative sector. * Some questions that might help define lower socio-economic background: Were you on free school meals? Did your parents receive income benefits for a long period? Did your parents go to university?
How much do creative industry placement participants get paid?
Somerset House pays all of the participants the London Living Wage (£13.15 per hour / £25,624.50 per annum). Participants are paid monthly through the Somerset House payroll.
How long can I be a participant for?
This is a full time, 12-month programme.
How many days per week do placements work?
The Creative Industry Placements programme offers full-time work (37.5 hours) to all participants. This is broken down into five full working days a week (usually from Monday to Friday). This time is split between working in the offices at Somerset House (3 days) and working from home (2 days).

Somerset House has worked with industry leading professional Dr Nicola Sim to produce a pioneering sector report, which uses the knowledge gained from two years of our Creative Industry Placements (formally Creative Careers and Upgrade Yourself: Kickstart) to offer insights into how we can move towards a more diverse and inclusive industry.

Download our Creative Careers Academy Playbook