Grads: Create Your Own Opportunities with Freelancing / Slasher Careers

Grads: Create Your Own Opportunities with Freelancing / Slasher Careers

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Event Details:

🗓 Date:Monday 26 October

🕒 Time: 12:30 - 1:30pmGMT

📍 Where: Microsoft Teams (link will be sent out via email the day before the day of the event)

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What does a creative career look like when there isn't one obvious job title, employer or career path?

Join the Graduate Employability team for this online session exploring how creative graduates can build careers that combine different roles, skills, projects and income streams from freelancing and commissions to employed work, creative practice and everything in between.

We’ll be joined by Chris McKay, a creative industry practitioner, who will share their career journey, including how they got started, how their work has evolved and how they have built opportunities along the way. There’ll be opportunity to ask questions and hear honest insights into the realities of building a creative career after university.

This session will explore the practical side of creating your own opportunities:

• Understand what a freelance or “slasher”/portfolio career can look like
• Identify the skills and services you could potentially offer
• Find your first freelance clients and where opportunities can come from
• Use networking to build genuine professional relationships
• Introduce yourself confidently with a short professional pitch
• Research organisations, studios, agencies and potential clients
• Make the most of your existing network, including fellow graduates and collaborators
• Build your professional online presence and portfolio
• Understand some of the practical considerations of freelancing in the UK
• Turn your ideas into achievable next steps

You’ll also have time to reflect on your own creative career toolkit and leave with a simple action plan for what you can do next.

Who is this for?

This session is for recent UAL graduates (up to 5 years) or UAL final years who are:

• Considering freelancing or self-employment
• Interested in building a portfolio or “slasher” career of many projects and disciplines
• Looking for their first clients or commissions
• Unsure how to turn their creative skills into opportunities
• Interested in combining creative work with other employment
• Curious about careers beyond a single obvious job title
• Looking to build their confidence and professional network

You do not need to already be freelancing, have a business idea or know exactly what you want to do. The session is designed to meet you wherever you are in your early career exploration.

❓Questions about the event? ❓

If there are any barriers to your participation in this event or you have access requirements you wish to discuss, please contact the Graduate Employability Support team at gradsupport@arts.ac.uk in advance, we'd be happy to talk with you.

Speakers

• Chris McKay, London College of Fashion 2013 Alum: Chris studied Fashion Design Technology Womanswear at LCF and has gone on to work and develop their skills as a machinist, pattern cutter and in product development for luxury fashion , set and costume design. Clients include H&M , Aston Martin, Jenny Packham, Alexander McQueen, Halpern, Hermione de Paula and Punch Drunk to name a few. Chris has taken on private clients for bespoke bridal wear, plus worked through recruitment agencies for a variety of companies in this field. Chris has just finished a residency with Willow Hazel - The Dreaming, where they styled and produced Costumes for several performers. Currently a part-time boutique tailor at Miu Miu, with extra projects taking them to new locations with a variety of collaborators.
• Leila Duffy-Tetzlaff, Graduate Employability Specialist at UAL Careers and Employability: I have been at UAL for 7 years, in this role for 5, but also have a freelance artist practice and jewellery business alongside. I have just completed my PG Certificate in Academic Practice, expanding my pedagogical practice within my teaching of employability.

Image credit: Creative Business by Daniel Ioannou