Talent Works gives London College of Communication and Camberwell College of Arts students paid work with local charities, social enterprises and community groups across a wide range of creative and communications projects.
Over seven years, over 200 students have worked with more than 120 organisations. Thanks to our partners and funders, all of our clients received the work at no cost.
What we've done
To date, the Talent Works initiative has developed websites, run social media campaigns, created new branding, made films, taken photographs, designed print and digital materials, and written stories.
In 2017, we added training for the students, prototyping with 12 students that was then scaled up in 2018. 51 students were trained in web design, build and publishing, and client management, before being matched to 25 organisations who needed a new website.
In December 2018, March 2019 and July 2019, a multi-disciplinary team of around 30 students worked intensively on up to 18 briefs. They made films and animations, built websites, designed print materials, created social media assets, and advised on strategy.
In 2020, Trust for London awarded funding from their Stronger Voices programme for a new Talent Works initiative. Connecting 50 students with 16 community groups designed to address poverty and inequality, the initiative also had a particular focus on groups who may have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2023, LCC partnered with Wix, a leading website development platform, to support local community-driven organisations to create or update their websites. Students worked with the Wix Playground team to develop their skills in web design, pitching, project management and client communication, to design and build brand new websites that will help the community groups amplify their message and impact, promote their work, and reach the right people.
Why develop Talent Works?
We discovered that local social enterprises, charities and community groups find it difficult to access high-quality communications talent to help them grow. Students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, can experience challenges around securing their first paid work opportunity – the job that may kick-start their career.
Talent Works is designed to address these two challenges.
Partnerships
Talent Works has helped a wide range of organisations - both large and small, new and established, and mostly based in Southwark and Lambeth.
We’ve been supported by Wix.com, Trust for London, The Wakefield and Tetley Trust, Bermondsey Square Community Fund and Workspace Group, and have worked closely with Community Southwark, United St Saviours and Hatch Enterprise.
Get involved
Talent Works wouldn’t be possible without the support of our external partners and industry volunteers. Together, we can continue to build on our successes and provide more opportunities for our students to help local organisations grow.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the programme and the ways to get involved, please get in touch:
Talent Works at LCC
Project work
Working with Talent Works
Students tell us about their experiences working on different projects as part of Talent Works.
Elevated Minds x LCC
BA (Hons) Animation and BA (Hons) Photography students from LCC worked on a film for Elevated Minds CIC, a Southwark-based organisation that helps transform the lives of children excluded or at risk of exclusion from education.
Plan Zheroes x LCC | Animation
An animation by LCC students Jade Nicklin, Dasha Marsh and Azraa Ahmed, for Plan Zheroes, a food donation platform, helping food businesses to easily and safely donate their surplus food to nearby charities and community groups who can use it.
Bridges for Children X LCC
LCC students Aleksandra Mucha and Sophia Leung made an animation for Bridges for Children, a not-for-profit social enterprise providing educational and psychological services to children and young people with disabilities and social, emotional and learning needs. They needed help to communicate what they do as educational psychologists in easy and accessible language, appealing to schools, local authorities and organisations.
Superarts Academy
Project gallery
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Website and logo designs by Megan Firmstone, Elliott Highmore, Kelly Jones for The Anti-Racist Educators Network (TAREN).
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Website and logo designs by Megan Firmstone, Elliott Highmore, Kelly Jones for The Anti-Racist Educators Network (TAREN).
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Website design by Autumn Byam, Ryan Chowdhury and Dendzi Ntambwe for the community organisation, Black Connection, the UK’s first social network aimed at Black, Queer men aged 50+.
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UK flyer for Reach Dem UK by Samia Ali, Omair Malik and Atiyyah Ntiamoah-Addo.
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Social media development and website redesign for Reach Dem UK by Samia Ali, Omair Malik and Atiyyah Ntiamoah-Addo.
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Website posts designed by Beatriz Rodrigues Coelho, Anna Ketre and Elle Keogh for Voades UK, a voluntary non-profit organisation.
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Social media posts designed by Beatriz Rodrigues Coelho, Anna Ketre and Elle Keogh for Voades UK, a voluntary non-profit organisation.
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The Feminist Library map, designed by Cass File, Wildat Hassan and Jodie Michaelides, London College of Communication.
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The Feminist Library illustration, designed by Cass File, Wildat Hassan and Jodie Michaelides, London College of Communication.