What Makes Us Care - A stunning exhibition

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

On my way to London today, I find no fewer than three people sleeping rough outside Central Milton Keynes train station.  This is becoming a worrying problem and the statistics don’t lie when it comes to seeing people living in almost unthinkable conditions.

Thames Reach record regular facts and figures on the homelessness and the figures are truly shocking.  6,437 people in the UK were seen sleeping rough between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.  That is an increase of almost 1,000 on the 2011/12 year, and a 43 per cent increase on 2010/11 numbers.  In the autumn of 2012, the estimated total of rough sleeping counts estimated at 2,309 people.  Autumn and winter are the most fraught parts of the year for these kinds of people, as they are totally exposed to the winter elements and are very likely to pick up nasty colds and more pressing issues such as pneumonia. 

The most common reasons for becoming homeless involve an issue of domestic violence, the breakdown of a relationship with a partner or family no longer willing to accommodate a person due to private issues such as rent payments or even a criminal conviction. 

I was appalled when reading this, but what can be done about it?  Awareness of this issue needs to be highlighted more, particularly as we are now approaching the time where temperatures drop and the nights draw rapidly in.  One individual has decided to put a unique twist on this, and the results are simply spectacular.

'What Makes Us Care is worth visiting'

‘What Makes Us Care’ is a free exhibition at St. Martin in the Fields in London near Charing Cross tube station.  The exhibition has been put together by Kathryn Prescott and the photography is simply breathtaking and stunning to witness.  I went to the viewings on Saturday, and I really felt a connection with the expression portrayed in the photos.  It might be a small collection, but it is magnificent.  Every one of the pictures on display really do tell a story.

Prescott is known for her TV work as a talented actress in the former E4 teen drama Skins, which came to an end at the start of August after seven successful years on the box.  She has managed to get stars from Skins, along with cast members from popular shows such as Glee, Waterloo Road and Shameless to be photographed in a vulnerable state.  

Her idea of putting recognised faces in dark and uncompromising scenarios is an inspired idea.  You never know what might happen – it could be one of us next.  There is a huge block of the UK population who have a settled job, are financially secure and committed in a happy and loving relationship.  However it only takes one of these aspects to disappear, and a life on the streets might not be far away.  By putting familiar faces from TV in this gallery, Kat has managed to tell a strong and powerful story and it makes ‘What Makes Us Care’ a standout exhibit.

Shot mainly around London but also in Los Angeles in the United States, the likes of Georgia Henshaw, Elliot Tittensor, Kaya Scodelario, Ollie Barbieri and Craig Roberts have been photographed for this unique show.  Kat’s partner in the on-screen ‘Naomily’ story in Skins, Lily Loveless is another who has gone under the microscope.

Graphically astute and detailed to the absolute precise detail you could imagine, it is worth going even for just an hour after work or on a free weekend.  I’m not a massive fan of art but I know when I see a stunning photograph, scenic beauty or portrayal of someone.

The pictures range from Henshaw with a graffiti background looking emotionally drained, Chuck Hittenger looking up towards the sky, but laying down in fairly uncomfortable surroundings and Megan Prescott, Kat’s sister looking lost, lonely and heartbroken on a dull London day with her arms resting against her cute but disconsolate face.

Kathryn Prescott has produced some great work

Kathryn Prescott is still only 22 years old and is remarkably multi-talented.  Her portrayal of the popular lesbian teen character Emily Fitch in series three and four of Skins, along with a brief cameo in the most recent final series won her many fans and plenty of critical acclaim.  The love story of Emily and Naomi (played by Loveless) in the show opened a door previously closed in British drama of female relationships and dealing with their sexuality.  It was a cracking portrayal of a same-sex relationship and it was about two characters falling in love rather than just a chance or drunk encounter that other shows in the past decided to focus on when putting two female characters together. 

Since Skins, Prescott has appeared in Sky One drama Bedlam, Being Human and long-running BBC medical drama Casualty.  All of these roles were packed with drama, passion and intrigue.  Not only can she act, but she has shown that she is a very skilled photographer.  It shows that young people who are often stereotyped in this country as loud, snobbish and utter failures can do some great things.  She is a shining example for those who want to make something of themselves and do something tremendous in their spare time. 

The exhibition is set in a historic location

‘What Makes Us Care’ remains open until the middle of October and A3 prints of all 20 photos taken are available to be bought online, signed by Kat herself.  All proceeds from the prints will go to The Big Issue and Centrepoint youth charities with the aim to not only help two causes, but to highlight the issues of living on the streets, sleeping rough and struggling to eat a decent meal.  This shouldn’t happen and as already highlighted, numbers are also on the increase.  By doing this the message is now out there to severely reduce these crippling figures and I hope Prescott’s hard work, along with make-up artists Summm Agnew and Krystle Gohel and the printers at Metro Imaging is rewarded with a fantastic total for two worthy charities.

I will be buying an A3 print of one of the photos to show my support and I would recommend this exhibition to anyone who is a fan of photography, the actress or Skins to come down to London and see ‘What Makes Us Care.’  The photography is masterful, the setting where it is situated is very historic and it has opened my eyes to people who don’t have the lucky breaks the majority of us have.  Many of us have access to luxuries such as 3D TV’s, clever smartphones and flashy sportscars.  Others who live rough have to battle illness, and struggle to get a decent roast dinner.  ‘What Makes Us Care’ is a real highlight and it is all for some great causes.

‘What Makes Us Care’ is open until 13 October 2013 and is free to visit. 

For more information on the exhibition and to buy a print, visit www.bigissue.org.uk/whatmakesuscare  A3 prints are £30 individually or £120 for five and all proceeds are split between the two charities, The Big Issue and Centrepoint.

To make a donation, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/whatmakesuscare

Categories: Exhibition, Georgia Henshaw, Homeless, Kathryn Prescott, London, Los Angeles, Milton Keynes, Photography, UK, What Makes Us Care

Trusting and believing in what you can do

By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

Over the last two weeks, thousands of students up and down the country, as well as Scotland and Wales have been receiving their exam results.  For some, it is the crucial A Levels that determine whether they get the place they want at Universities across the United Kingdom.  For others, it is proof that they are onto a bright future and for some unlucky ones, a nervous future might wait.  However if you didn’t get the results you were looking for, then don’t give up.  With hard work and sheer persistence, you will get to where you want to go.

I am speaking from personal experience, and will open up on a chapter of my life that I have always struggled to talk about.  I feel though that this is the right time to express my feelings on a subject that could have destroyed me, but was actually the making of where I am today.

The date was Thursday, 25 August 2005, and it was the turn of yours truly to receive my GCSE results.  At this time you believe everything your secondary school teachers say.  I was told eight months earlier that I would get eight GCSEs at A-C grade without Double Science, which was always going to be failed due to my lack of knowledge and understanding of all scientific aspects.  Others said that without Maths and English, you won’t get into University so basically your life is screwed if you don’t get these grades.  Being 16 at the time, you become naïve and believe they know what they are talking about.

Outlook and the reality

The reality was I never enjoyed the process of exams in those days.  While I wouldn’t say I was the brainiest child by some distance, I did carry strong knowledge in many subjects in the classroom, and this carried through into coursework too.  However when it came to exams, everything changed.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it – whether it was nerves, the exam hall scenario or those irritating invigilators who have a job to do, but you wish they just weren’t there to oversee things.

My tutor at the time in Year 11 had forecasted eight GCSEs, and I’d made a realistic prediction of six.  So when I left my house to take the bus to my secondary school to collect that piece of paper, I was cautiously optimistic that I had done well.

When I got to the hall, I opened the paper and felt sick.  I remember feeling lost, everything in the hall was a blur.  I had got C grades in the English subjects, as well as French and Religious Studies, but it was well below my expectations.  I felt I would get good grades in History, Maths and Drama too – with Geography and I.C.T being subjects where it could go one way or the other.  Around me, everyone was celebrating their superb results and there was I – feeling down, gutted, devastated and trying to keep my emotions in check. 

Only one of my friends came to see me and could see I was struggling to take in the shock of what I had just seen on the white paper.  She gave me some comforting words before I departed.  I just wanted to get out of the place, find a corner down the street and throw up. 

In reality, I look back and realise I didn’t work hard enough.  I had revised in all my subjects, and given it my best but I could have studied harder and put in extra hours.  Perhaps I had got complacent.  Either way as I went home, I looked into the prospect of not knowing what to do next.

It was a bribe

The school I went to was a place called Radcliffe Secondary in Milton Keynes.  The main talk of the whole year was the mess the school was in, having just entered special measures after failing an Ofsted inspection.

Therefore the temporary headteacher came in and offered all students £200 if they passed five GCSEs at A-C level.  This was no more than a filthy and ungrateful bribe.  The headteacher, who will remain unnamed also, offered £50 to every single student who took their exams.

I even appeared on Central News in May 2005, around a week before the exams started to give my feelings on the money incentive.  I remember saying: “Everyone feels happier, morale gets higher.”  When you are 16 you think it is a good thing, but growing up it doesn’t feel right and shouldn’t be encouraged in schools up and down the land today.  Something like a free day out at a top theme park or a special event at the school such as a private audience with a former pupil who has gone onto becoming a star would be more appropriate. 

What’s more, I never saw any of this money.  It was given to the successful students, but I never received the £50 for taking exams.  At the time I would have taken it without a second thought but offered now; I would take it and donate it to charity.

I never made a fuss of it – because I knew I would probably be facing a losing battle, but the whole incentive was dirty, wrong and totally unethical.  I have nothing positive to say on the 'bribe.'

Fighting back

I did get into Sixth Form because I decided to retake my Maths GCSE, and this time I got it on the second attempt of asking.  I also found out that my History paper was re-marked, because I missed out on a C grade by just one mark.  Amazingly they couldn’t find the extra mark that could have made a difference. 

When I decided in the spring of 2006 that I didn’t want to go to University, the head of the sixth form I attended wrote me off and basically decided I was a failure.  That was entirely my decision.  I believed I wasn’t ready for the Uni challenge, and after some okay AS Level results, knew I wanted to pursue a career in the media industry.

That is where Milton Keynes College came along and offered me fresh hope.  I did complete the second year at sixth form, but had decided almost at the start of that second year that college was my next destination.  I slightly regret not leaving my sixth form in the summer of 2006, as I could have made the move to University a year earlier, but I probably wouldn’t have made the network of friends I have now from the sixth form days and the people that entered my life during the University of Northampton experience. 

After two fruitful years at college where I knuckled down and stayed out of the partying to get the results I needed, I went to University.  With the UCAS points I had built up, I could have gone to a top-class University but felt Northampton was a decent home for me to set-up for three years.

Now after some time on the sidelines before having started a permanent role with Topps Europe six weeks ago, I look back on my education history with pride.  I finished with a 2:1 journalism degree, a BTEC National Diploma in Media Production, A Levels in English Literature and General Studies, and AS Levels in History, Sociology and Travel & Tourism.  And all of this came from that day in August 2005 where it felt like I had no future.

Advice to keep it up

Results day can be both the best and worst days for students

To those students who got the results they wanted and were looking for over the past fortnight, many congratulations (students pictured looking ecstatic.  I hope you go on to have a brilliant time at University; college, sixth form or even full-time employment if that’s the avenue you decide to go down.

For the people who didn’t quite get what they wanted out of these exams, the bits of advice I would offer is always have a Plan B, keep believing and don’t give up.  In my experience, giving up is the easy option but quitters never win.  Trust in what you want to do, whether you want to be a journalist, a lawyer, a teacher, even a brain surgeon if you want!  You can achieve anything if you put the hard work and dedication into your chosen field.

Categories: 2005, A Levels, Bribery, Central News, GCSEs, Maths, Milton Keynes, Scotland, Wales

New challenges and new dawns

By Simon Wright

Tomorrow begins a new chapter and a new dawn in my life, and I am glad to say that.  Almost a full year after attending my graduation ceremony, and a staggering 14 months since actually handing in my final assignment at University, I can officially say I now have a full-time job and most importantly too in the media industry.

It is where I have always wanted to be, but I really have had to work very hard for the opportunity.  The past 14 months have frankly been a nightmare, and whilst I was doing regular freelance work to keep me busy, I had to endure confidence setbacks, rejection after rejection from applications, some close interview calls that didn’t go my way and have to endure several frustrating false starts in my post-education career.

Now I know I’ve made it – at least in the short-term.  In this personal piece, I will express my satisfaction, the highs and lows and the times where it felt like my life simply was going nowhere, as well as providing advice to those who might be about to start out on a journey that is bound to have its steep drops.

The new role and local locations

The job I have is on a temporary contract until the end of October, but with a strong chance of extension as long as it all goes according to plan on both sides, that’s mine and the company I will be working for.

It is a 9-5 role in a Monday-Friday capacity.  Not only am I delighted to have my weekends still completely free from any commitment, the position is local walking distance from my home in Milton Keynes.

I was especially lucky with this.  The chances were if I was going to breakthrough into the media industry, I would probably have had to relocate.  This is something I was totally prepared to do, and would be willing to accept but it would have made settling into a new role far harder.

While I believe I would have made myself to be a success in a new area in the UK with Lancaster being a prime example from my near-miss with a job up there in February, other locations won’t have been so easy.  London is a good starting point.  I was prepared to move, but renting to stay in the capital is very expensive, and can only really been done on a high-class salary.  Also commuting might sound easy, but a 9-5 position would have been tough to do, as it probably would mean leaving at ridiculous early morning times just to beat the dreaded rush hour trains.

I don’t drive – and haven’t even attempted to in the last four years since practical test disasters, and that might count against me in the future but I’m not really thinking about it.

Northampton might not be millions of miles away from Milton Keynes, but I proved in my three years at University that I could be successful on my own, and felt comfortable relying on my independence so I would have done it.

However the local appeal does help.  I am a trainee journalist with high ambitions and top expectations, and want to be totally successful but you have to start somewhere.

The salary is good too.  I won’t reveal it in public, and only the odd person (close friend) will know this.  True, I won’t be earning £50,000 a year – but that’s stupid money unless you live in football fantasy.  The most important thing was accepting a position which would leave me in a comfortable position for the next few months and this role will provide that.

The job description doesn't play totally to all my strengths.  I love writing, and will continue to do that in a couple of freelance positions along with the book I am currently researching and writing for a planned release next year.  However the company I will be working for specialise in a sporting department, with football being one of its prime markets.  

Working with sticker albums and trading cards is among my main new role

The new position will allow be to enhance my current skill levels, and help me develop new ones which can only be a good thing for the future.  I will be working on projects around football trading cards and sticker albums (pictured) and it will be a busy time, especially with a World Cup year coming up.  However I’ve always relished a challenge that is achievable and I will look forward to what is ahead of me.

Dealing with setbacks

There is no doubt that the media industry is highly competitive, and it has certainly come under closer scrutiny since the public revelations of phone hacking at several leading newspaper titles two years ago.

The days of leaving University and walking straight into a job are so 2006.  Now you have to work especially hard to even get noticed and it isn’t easy let me assure you of that.

There was a time during final year on my journalism degree at the University of Northampton where my final degree classification was firmly in the balance.  I made a poor start to the third year and just after Christmas, the chances of getting my realistic aim of a 2:1 degree were not looking good – certainly below the 50:50 mark. 

I worked hard though, put even more extra effort in which is something I’m sure my course friends and colleagues can vouch for and ultimately got the result I wanted.  Leaving with a 2:1, I thought that classification would open up opportunities fairly quickly.  Yes I was aware it would be tough, but never could have I imagined how tough it was going to be.

I have worked in several freelance positions since May 2012.  Some roles ended in fairly acrimonious circumstances whilst others just came to their natural and mutual end.  I was used heavily, especially by two companies and it has questioned my value of trust in such a competitive sector.

I never ever wanted to be driven by money.  For me being successful and having a loving family and friends has been more of a priority than the extra elements such as excellent incomes and an unlikely love life.  I have had to change that element, especially in more latter applications where I stated I simply couldn’t work for free.  Financial circumstances and bad experiences led to this criteria.

Having officially applied for 304 jobs since December 2011, ranging from media and admin positions to marketing roles or even a short-term return to the retail sector, this is prime evidence of being determined to get my breakthrough.

Not many of them turned into interviews.  Before a few weeks ago, I’d only been offered four interviews, and lost out on all of them.  Two of them were very close calls, and I don’t feel I could have done anymore.  However, it is one of the worst feelings in the world when you feel you’ve got the job in the bag only to end up being disappointed.

I had to ask myself some questions, including whether I was good enough.  I started doubting myself after all these rejections and that is only natural I think.  I even started to wonder whether going to University had been a total waste of time.  I had already made a decision back in 2006 to delay going to Uni by two years to do an extra course at college, and have never regretted that decision.  At Uni, I made some great friends, and have lots of great memories too, but for all that student debt and struggling to find something, I was starting to regret going into further education back in 2009. 

There were times where I wondered packing it all in and giving up.  Some days, it did feel incredibly difficult to motivate myself knowing what the inevitable answer will be.  The majority of my course buddies and colleagues were already in jobs, ranging from office roles to PR and writing positions, and I was wondering why me?  What have I done to deserve all this bad luck? 

I had to consider other alternatives.  Studying a master’s course was a possibility, but eventually got ruled out due to lack of funding opportunities.  In the last few months, I’d considered travelling or even moving abroad on a permanent basis.  This is something I’d never thought about at University.  I did want to own a holiday home abroad, and maybe move to a hotter country after retirement in over 50 years’ time, but never had I considered this aspect.  That changed after writing about some travel destinations for Holiday Weather Ltd, one of my more successful and enjoyable freelance roles.  I did consider spreading my wings, as opportunities in the UK did seem limited.

It is almost a year since that glorious fortnight and the Olympics last summer in London.  The famous legacy message of ‘Inspire A Generation’ was commonly used.  What legacy?  What generation?  Not much has improved since, and it is a pretty grim world when you work so tirelessly, but don’t get the chance you feel you deserve.  Hard workers, not couch potatoes should be rewarded.

Advice to fellow graduates

Me on my graduation day almost a full year ago now

As far as I know, the majority if not all of the University of Northampton journalism course from 2011-12 have now managed to find full-time work in some form.  When we finished, I did say we’d set the standard, and ‘we did it our way.’  I do still look back at some of those times with pride, satisfaction and vindication.  Even the bad times I had still get occasionally thought about.  It makes me (pictured on graduation day last year) proud to see the people I spent three years of my education life with doing so well. 

Since then, new batches of journalism graduates have come through and that is from up and down the country.  Some Universities have already had their graduation ceremonies, with others due over the next few weeks and months.  I could be wrong, but I think the new Northampton journalism graduates from 2012-13 have their official ceremony later this week.

I say to them and everyone else to enjoy the day.  A graduation ceremony is not only the end of your education, but it is the proud ending to spend the time celebrating your hard work with close family and friends.  These days only happen once in a lifetime for the majority of us, so cherish them and treasure the photos, the moment where you get the certificate and the various congratulations from pats on the back to emotional hugs.

And this is where new adventures begin.  If there is anything I can say from my experience over the past year, it is that it could be a long journey, so be prepared for rejections.  It will happen to everyone.  Well done to anyone who has just completed a degree who has already managed to get a full-time job.  That is a mightily impressive feat, especially in this day and age. 

However by working hard, getting your name out there into a wider spectrum and taking advice on from experts – many will get the opportunity that they deserve, and so they should do.  This country always needs fresh and emerging talent.

The past 14 months have been the hardest of my life, and I hope that I never go through this experience again.  However I now have that crucial foot in the door.  I am in a secure position for the next few months at least, and look forward to a new adventure that waits over the coming weeks.

Categories: Contract, Graduation, Job, Lancaster, Media, Milton Keynes, Nightmare, Sticker Album, Trading Cards, UK

A gamble that needs to be taken

With the Christmas festivities firmly behind us, I have had to make some big decisions over my short-term future, and this means taking a risk which I feel I need to make.

Saturday's trip to the Autosport show was a refreshing break

Since my freelancing contract went down the plughole with Total Football Magazine, I have felt a sense of worry and emptiness – wondering where the next break will come.  The decision of accepting only paid work might not be helping, but that is something I won’t change.

With the job market as it is today – it means I am now 95 per cent certain of making a return to studying later in the year. 

Total frustration

With a 2:1 degree from the University of Northampton, I really believed something would have turned up by now. 

I was aware of how difficult the job market is at the moment.  There were going to be rejections, and some applications would be sent off and you wouldn’t hear anything.  Media is a competitive industry, so the days of walking into a position a decade ago are now a thing of the past.

However, having done over 100 applications in the last 12 months, at least 85 of those were media/admin based, I have become increasingly disillusioned.  I haven’t had a single interview for a media position and despite even attempting to get some income in a retail position – my qualifications rule me out of anything here. 

This means other alternatives had to be explored.  Since the middle of November, the possibility of returning to studying has been in the back of my mind, and the general insecurities I was feeling has seen this thought only get stronger during December and into January.

I think my qualifications aren’t good enough, because I have tried everything else – apart from possessive nagging, and that is not going to win you a job.

So it was time to get a plan into gear for the future.

Taking a step back

Last week, I drew up a shortlist of 10 possible courses and spent the day researching information about them, along with case studies, module guides and the type of qualification I need.

In media, if you don’t have an NCTJ accredited qualification, you are fighting a losing battle.  The only way I can do this is by doing one.  Typically, my undergraduate University course was not NCTJ accredited – one of only four I think in the entire country!

The choice has been narrowed done to three - a sports journalism MA in Sheffield, a fast-track NCTJ in Brighton or a sports PR one-year degree in Manchester.  All three have really interested me, and I’m pleased to have already narrowed my options down so quickly.

I’m not going to lie.  When I finished my BA journalism degree at UoN in May last year, I thought my studying days were over, and I had no interest in taking an MA.  Now I realise that if I don’t, the chances of making a significant breakthrough in my career could be in ruins.

It is taking a step back, but could lead to two steps forwards.  I have also decided that should this avenue not work either, and I still can’t get into the paid media world in 2015 – I will leave the country and set-up base elsewhere in the world. 

Cyprus is a place I’d love to explore and I saw a possible future in Fuerteventura when I went on holiday there in August 2011 – possibly in the property ladder. 

Formulating a plan

Some will approach life with a hands-on approach, others just want to travel and some don’t care where they end up.  At the end of the day, we all have different aims and targets.

My character means I need to be settled and have a plan for the future.  I really struggle with no stability and a lack of security.  The last six months have proved this clearly. 

Now that I have formulated a plan, I feel more relaxed and happier, knowing that I have something to aim for. 

I still need to investigate the funding requirements for a return to Uni.  It will be expensive and I’m going to need some handy financial support for this to work out.  Only when I do this research, and that will be very soon – will I definitely know that I will be going back to studying.

I haven’t quite given up on a full-time paid media position yet.  I will still apply until around May for positions of interest, in the hope that something turns up – and only one of the three courses I have on my shortlist requires a guaranteed deposit and effectively a lockdown. 

This will be a challenge for me, but in the words of racing driver Lewis Hamilton; “I don’t think in my whole life I’ve chosen the easy road, I’ve always generally gone down the hard road.”

I went to University in 2009, not 2007 because I wasn’t ready.  Two years at Milton Keynes College made me ready for that – so that was a harder route, but the right decision.

University at Northampton had its trials and tribulations and at times, I did my degree the hard way – but the results paid off with my final degree classification.  I don’t do easy.

And I believe that if you want to succeed in today’s world, then you have to either chase the dream or work really hard for it.  

Categories: Brighton, Character, Future, Media, Milton Keynes, NCTJ, PR, Security, Sheffield, University