How RicNic’s Creative Careers Coaching Helps Young Creatives Get Unstuck
If you’ve ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or simply unsure about your next steps in the creative industries, you’re not alone, and you’re exactly who RicNic Chats is designed for.
Creative career paths rarely follow a straight line. They veer off course, go off on tangents, and next steps often aren’t obvious. That’s why we created RicNic Chats; affordable, friendly, one-to-one coaching sessions for 16–25-year-olds navigating their next steps. Whether you’re applying for drama school, considering roles in fashion, exploring a freelance career as a designer, looking to publish your first novel, or simply trying to figure out what jobs actually exist, our mentors are here to help you breathe, focus, and move forward across the creative industries.
After completing a mentoring session:
- 90% of participants rated the session “useful” or “very useful”.
- Average confidence in career plans jumped from 2.3/5 to 3.55/5.
For a single, free 30–45 minute chat, that’s a huge impact, and exactly why we run this programme.
What Participants Found Most Valuable
Every participant brings a different challenge, and every session is tailored to the individual. Here’s what young creatives told us they valued most
- Creative portfolio advice
- Learning practical techniques—networking, tailoring CVs, improving applications
- Getting industry insights from someone who knows what works
- Discovering new organisations and how to craft a strong cover letter
- Thinking ahead and planning realistic career steps
- Simply having someone to talk through worries and uncertainties
- Helpful follow-up links and support connections
- Clear next steps broken down into small, manageable actions
Why It Works
Our Creative Careers Mentoring is built around three principles:
1. Personalised, real-world guidance
Every mentor works actively within the creative industries; from theatre and design to producing and technical roles. They bring lived experience, current knowledge, and practical advice, and contacts across the UK.
2. Time to reflect and plan
Sometimes, the hardest part is figuring out the first step. Your mentor helps you break big ambitions into manageable actions.
3. Follow-up resources
Every session includes links, contacts, suggestions, and next steps so you can keep moving after the chat ends.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
Whether you’re trying to break into the creative world, make sense of your options, or simply want someone to talk things through with, RicNic is here for you.
From 2026, sessions will cost £10 for a 30–45 minute chat, including follow-up resources and signposting. This helps us cover our costs, but we don’t want payment to be a barrier to access.
Sessions are free for:
- Anyone aged under 18
- Anyone for whom the cost would be a barrier
- Anyone based in Walsall, Burton upon Trent, or surrounding areas