This panel explores how mentorship can support under represented youth beyond first participation, and help build confidence, skills, networks and longer-term pathways in the cultural field. Bringing together perspectives from community music, creative technology and youth leadership, the session looks at what meaningful support can look like in practice — and how organisations can create more sustainable and inclusive routes into creative work.

Speakers:

Moderator: Zubeida Haji Hassan is a social scientist and programme manager working at the association Balansekunst/The Art of Balance, a Norwegian association of 70 arts and culture institutions working to promote equality and diversity within the arts.

Karin Grönkvist / Spark the Noise (London, UK) is a musician and community music practitioner originally from Sweden. She has led community music programmes for young people and adults in London and Sweden for eight years, with a strong focus on access, participation and intersectional equity in music. Through her position with Spark the Noise, whe is currently working with Pathways, a paid traineeship that supports women, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming young people into behind-the-scenes music industry roles.

Laura Lee / Not Clean Creative (UK) is a producer, creative technologist, guitarist, performer and academic working across music, arts and interdisciplinary collaboration. With a background in both higher education and creative practice, she is passionate about mentoring artists and building bridges between academia, the creative industries and the arts. Her work explores new approaches to music technology, performance and participation.