Happy Birthday Debut!

Debut Contemporary celebrated its 4^th birthday last month. Curators, artists and art-lovers gathered in Noting Hill to sip their bellinis, listen to the sounds of a professional DJ and talk -what else? But of course- art, while celebrating the opening of Debut, 4 years ago.  For that night only, we had the chance to admire the best pieces generated by the artists that Samir, CEO of the Gallery, has been mentoring all these years. Daniela Raytchev and Marina Ard are only two of them and they have a special message for our readers.

“I can’t even stress how it helps artists to grow when you buy their art, in early stages of their career. The support is invaluable”, says Daniela.

Daniela was always drawing and painting, but she actually studied fashion design at the London College of Fashion and continued her studies in Central Saint Martins. After graduation, she went through various phases and needed a break from London. She decided then to go to South Africa for a year.

There, she realized that painting is what she wants to do; what makes her express herself in the best way. Daniela started by selling a few postcards and surprisingly, she had a really good response.

When she came back to London, in the beginning of 2014, she came across Debut and started painting to express social stigma. She has been doing this since then.

Daniela is currently working on a project with the support of the Center of Addiction, collaborating at the same time with the Eating Disorders Charity. She is preparing her solo exhibition, where she is going to demonstrate a series of portraits of people who have been through addictions, like food, drugs and sex. Through her paintings, she is trying to pass a positive message and show that recovery is possible for everyone. She would like from people to not be ashamed of this subject anymore, she wants her art to be discussed and analyzed. She looks full of hope as she reveals her vision.

I interviewed Daniela in her studio in Vauxhall. She calls it messy but I just found it cozy and colorful. 

“People should buy art because art it’s beautiful”, believes Daniela and encourages you to spend your money on her, and not only. She asks you to support young artists like her, by buying their art. Art is the reflection of the society. Different people connect to different pieces. It describes what’s going on around, and what people are focusing on more, at a specific time. When you connect to a piece of art, you actually feel more connected to the outside world, as she believes.

“Art is investment. Catching emerging artists is what you should look for when buying art in a young age. You can either resell it or just pride yourself for being the owner of a beautiful piece of art”, agrees with her, Marina. Marina started as a fashion model but she is now well known for her dynamic and contemporary abstract prints. She is devoted to her art but also to her role as a mommy. Something her friend Daniela admires her for.

The two met in Debut, where Samir runs weekly interesting and insightful workshops for his artists.

By Yorva Tsiakara

Is age really just a number?

There is unquestionable evidence of age bias against women preventing them from promotion, according to a new Government report. Dr Ros Altmann published the results of his research, as the Business Champion for Older workers, in the beginning of March 2015. Explanation of the above phenomenon has not been found yet. Lamees Al-Haidari, senior Recruitment Consultant at Elite International joins our research for the real reason that keeps this age barrier going, for so long.

 

Lamees has been working as a recruiter since 2013. Still, it is not completely clear to her either, what is driving this age barrier, which strikes women at the ridiculously young age of around 45.

In terms of female employability, sometimes companies will tell her, off the record, if whether they are looking for a male or a female candidate, for each particular position. Usually, if a position requires more travelling, they will be seeking a male rather than a female, because males are believed to be more flexible with mobility. In the sector of finance, and specifically corporate finance, again male professionals are preferred.

“Especially women of young age should try to understand why they have been rejected for a position they applied to. They should always investigate the reasons, in order to get better results next time”, she advises.

Female workers, on the other side, are more favored when it comes to the human resources field. Also, they would easily be hired as part of the administration staff of any company.

“When you declare single, the company knows you will be devoted more to your work. But when you are almost 30, you are in a phase where you have to rush to marriage or you want to have kids”, she predicts. For Lamees, it’s not only the age, but also the relationship status of woman that makes her more or less likely to be hired. Companies tend to informally look for males only, when they want to fill in a position that requires a longer commitment.

 

If you’re into finance, you shouldn’t be disappointed just yet. Lamees explained to us the process of a new “talent program”, embraced lately by more and more companies. In these programs, female population seems to have an advantage.

But hold on girls, I’m not done with the good news yet: the female candidates participating in these programs are usually recruited fresh out of their universities! Thereafter, the companies aim to develop them so they can be the future leaders.

Remember: “good things come to those who wait”. So take a seat and wait, because these programs will take some time. The process differs from one organization to another, but focusing on the banking sector, there is usually a rigorous recruitment selection process that will take up to three months. “They usually choose people from the top universities first, they wouldn’t tolerate ranking University unless few exceptions, in case of female candidates”, she warns us. Make sure you apply as soon as you can, to avoid huge periods of idleness.

By Yorva Tsiakara

Does the suit make the MP?

According to the World Bank Data website, in 2014, the number of seats held by women in the British Parliament did not exceed the 23. In the last five years, that number has varied from 22 to 23. At the top of the list is South Africa, as well as Sweden, with 45 seats occupied by women, when the number falls to zero in Qatar and only one woman is part of the Omani parliament. 

The UK has the 15th highest proportion of women MPs out of the 28 EU Member States, as stated in the parliament website. Amy Gray, candidate MP for the Conservative party, is well aware of the situation and wishes to change it soon.

After graduating from Oxford University, where she studied English, she became a teacher in the borough of Hackney. Amy was shocked with what she came across to while teaching. Her 11-year-old students couldn’t read and write. “They were functionally illiterate”, she remembers. However, it was one particular girl that made her change her career views completely.

The 12-year-old student didn’t really like studying. The little girl wouldn’t change her mind, despite all of Amy’s efforts. One day, she turned to her teacher and said: “oh Miss, school doesn’t matter, when I finish I can get pregnant and get a house from the Council”.

Amy started thinking about politics more seriously after that day. It was the Conservative Party she felt closer to. “This is where I belong in politics,” she thought. Very soon after, she decided to work for them for a couple of years, holding a bunch of different positions inside the party. Her family was always very supportive. The Conservative Women, as well as the Women to Win Organizations have also played a big role in her progress as a politician. They gave her all the information she needed, through plenty of training sessions, and even fortified her financially.

Politics is very demanding, especially if you are a woman. There are many late nights and busy weekends. But the biggest challenge for a female politician is to handle the negative attention. The attitude towards women in politics, particularly through social media, can be very unpleasant. People will comment on their appearance, or even threaten them. As a result, they deliberately choose different career paths. “I don’t blame them but it makes me sad that we are in a position now where that could be a barrier”, Amy reveals. She is running for her neighbors, for those who feel like they are not listened to.

“You will never find a party that you will agree with everything they stand for. I’m trying to vote for women that inspire me. I would like it a lot if more female voices would be heard inside our parliament”, says Dave, 53. There is a large number of British people, like him, who believe that everybody needs more women in government.

On the other hand, for too many people, a politician still looks like an old white man. Undoubtedly, there is more than one image of how should a politician look like. This is exactly why people like Amy Gray are out there showing everyone an alternative image of the politician of today.

By Yorva Tsiakara

SEXISM: IN TERMS OF CAPITALISM

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To celebrate women’s history month, we look at women struggles and why we’re still fighting equality after years of change.


The first socialist conference ever to be held was in Copenhagen in 1910, followed by an “international working women's day” in 1911, involving demos of millions across Europe. The celebration of this day was always about the struggles of working-class women and how they took it on themselves to demand a better way of life. “In 1908 women workers in the needle sweatshops in New York wanted to vote and have better pay, this month is to celebrate that women workers wanted this. It’s not about unity with the bosses at the top of society” says Amy leather, leader of Finsbury Park sexism meeting.
There have been so many changes since they founded it, from over 100 years ago, yet we are still yet to have won equality. “Women expect to be able to vote, to have access to free education and to get a safe abortion, so it’s contradictory isn’t it?” says Leather.

Sexism and the System Meeting 5th March 2015

So why is women’s oppression still alive and kicking? To understand, we must look at the role of the family. In the 50s when women were fighting sexism as a “housewife” on its own, they wanted to be able to have a career. Now this has been achieved, women are expected to be able to juggle between work and being a mother, and if they don’t they are seen as failures. There is more pressure as a woman now, as we are expected to multitask and conform to these ideals. Most women do work in Britain, but that’s because it’s expected of us. Capitalism needs workers and the drive for profit is at the heart of this.

The government and the media portray the “ideal” family. Capitalism pushes for each family to be their own separate unit and suggests that families should deal with “their own issues” privately, inside their family life. “How do we as a society bring up the next generation? If you look at many societies, childcare hasn't always been the responsibility of the individual. Particularly in the 19^th century in North America and the native Indians, childcare was a social thing.” In the family, we learn gender roles which are crucial to capitalism. “Babies aren't naturally born to love glitter, they have no conception of the world” explains Leather. Women’s oppression is routed in society and reflects the material world we live in. This isn't necessarily to say a woman who owns a big company won't attack maternity pay if she can get away with it, because that’s what profit demands – that’s how the system works.

Sexism and the system meeting, Thursday 5th March 2015 

If you want to attend the next meeting, it's on every Thursday at 7pm at The Old Fire Station

Sugar Vs Fat, the sweet side of the story

BBC’s Horizon brings to light the worst of sugar’s effects, by conducting a risky experiment. A couple of twin brothers are the main protagonists of the documentary. One of them gives up fat for a month; while the other one is trying to stay away from sugar, for the same period of time. Fat and sugar, when consumed in big amounts, are very harmful for the human body, according to the results of the trial. But does this mean that a low-fat diet helps you loose excessive weight as efficiently as a low-carb one?

“I would definitely go for a low-carb diet, especially us women, we need fat for our hormonal system to function. Without fat, vitamins A and B cannot be absorbed. It is very important to have a certain amount of fat in our bodies”, said Melinda Theore, certified fitness and personal trainer from Sydney, Australia.

Melinda came to London about 6 months ago and has been working in Grace Belgravia since then, while she still holds her position as an educator at the Australian Institute of Fitness. A balanced diet and some exercise is all it takes, as she says, for a healthy lifestyle. She found the Horizon’s documentary very informative. “It’s very important that somebody finally scratched the surface on educating about carbohydrates. Refined sugars are completely different from complex carbohydrates, that are necessary’’. You always need a certain amount of carbohydrate to feed your brain. Carbohydrates actually help your brain think clearly, function and have alertness.

The personal trainer confirms that sugar is just empty calories. When you’re having too much of it, your body thinks, at first, it’s getting all the calories it needs. However, it doesn’t get the nutrients it needs and becomes hungry for more. The unnecessary sugar restored, becomes fat.

“Try to avoid the simple sugars, not all carbohydrates”, agrees Dr. Cesar Rodriguez, Senior Doctor at A&E, in Ipswich Hospital. When you have a big amount of sugary foods, like a big bowl of pasta, you feel extremely energized but after a while you crush, your sugar levels elevate and drop again. This fluctuation is toxic for the human metabolism.”

But what do the experts advice? The progressive or the abrupt cessation of consumption of sugary foods?

Melinda thinks it depends on the person. Remember, sugar is an addiction. If you have an emotional addiction to sugar, you may need to cut it down slowly, like any other bad habit. Rather than having chocolate every day, for example, you could try and have some every other day, for a couple of weeks. Always make sure you replace with a healthier option though, rather than cutting out that snack completely.

Alternatively, you can cut it out entirely. Why not have a binge night and then cut it out completely for four weeks? Fruits are complex carbohydrates, the most suitable for diet plans.

Maybe have a fruit after dinner rather than a chocolate dessert. And make sure you think twice the next time you’re about to have your first bite of this naughty doughnut!

by Yorva Tsiakara

Sunny welcomes as at his House

Sunny is the face behind House of Sunny, the popular brand with the joyful name that has been loved by lots of twenty-something females, including myself.

I met Sunny on a sunny Monday morning, in his studio in East London.

“I had work experience in about ten different places in order to learn all about how to create a brand and then decided it was time for me to do something on my own”, Sunny remembers. He studied fashion design and business at Portsmouth University. Hackney, a creative hub as he calls it, was the perfect place to start, he thought, and has been working in this borough since then. 

“It had to be here, I couldn’t imagine my studio being anywhere else”. House of Sunny has all of its resources in Hackney, from fabrics to zips, PR agents and its customers as well.

He is extremely easy to talk to but too shy to let me take his picture. Sunny doesn’t work alone anymore, as he did in the beginning. He manages a team of twelve people, however, the person that he works really closely with is Helen, his fellow designer. She was much happier to pose for me. If the two don’t agree on the final design of every piece, this doesn’t make part of the collection.

“Our key focus is to create statement products”. House of Sunny started 7 years ago. The primal idea of its director was to try and absorb all the information he had from different areas and then sort of home it all into a branded product. And that’s what dominates in his work, until this day.

He targets on aspiring the savvy, innovative, and fashion-forward lifestyle blogger; the instagramer who looks for new ways to create a contemporary style. “Our number one goal is to inspire the customer to buy our product”, he explains.

Sunny aims on making every piece perfect, more and more wearable. He usually plays it safe by using a nude palette that makes the pieces essential. Although, his clothes can be worn every day, because of the tailor aspect, they can be dressed up very easily, always speaking from personal experience. This is what makes them innovative and transitional, suitable for every season, all kinds of weather and all different times of the day. He likes to call his clothes “universal”, and we can’t but agree with this term.

“My favorite piece from this collection is the sahara duster coat”, he says, lowering his voice. This coat is included in the new collection for the third time in a row, but this season it’s changed. It is much lighter and even more loved. “The girls buy them and their friends wear. It’s been a pretty successful piece”, Sunny says with a voice that reveals satisfaction. It’s more than obvious how flattered and proud he is he seeing his clients not only wearing his “babies” but also not actually being able to take them off.

The new collection is a quite fun one, all based on triangles, cut outs, clean lines and luxury fabrics. It is available online but you can also find a volume line at the Topshop store in Oxford Circus.

 

Birch water - Another 'super food?'

Birch water: The latest super-super food.

By Hannah Thompson

With each season comes a new ‘super food’ trend. Whether it be a new strain of kale, a variation of the chia seed or a bit of your standard coconut water, there seems to be a new kid on the block that shows up just when we think we’ve found the new ‘super super’ food.

So… What are they? Super foods are said to contain a full body of nutrients and have strong amounts of antioxidants in them. The most popular of which can sell for extraordinary prices and are purchased by people in the hope of leading a healthier lifestyle.

With things such as chlorophyll and spirulina topping the bill, which by the way we think taste like the bottom of an algae infested pond, it seems there’s a newcomer and it comes in the form of water from your bog standard birch tree.

Birch water is exactly what it says it is. It’s water that is drawn from the sap you get from a birch tree. Exotic, huh?

We didn’t think so, but apparently it has properties that reduce cellulite and detox your body to the hundredth degree. It’s also claimed that the water than can be collected from a birch tree in Spring can help flu, headaches, liver disease, dandruff and eczema. Who knew!

Sophie Stanley is a London based nutritionist that’s particularly passionate about super foods and the properties they behold. After studying nutrition for years and working as a dietician, she decided to dive into the crazy world of super foods after a trip to LA in 2012.

“To be honest the whole super food ‘thing’ is driven a lot by celebrity culture. All it takes is one celeb to be pictured holding a bottle of something for it to start flying off the shelves. I love it all though and have a habit of using a lot of these ‘super foods’.

Sophie, who is particularly fond of extra virgin coconut oil which she admits to “smothering herself in” before bed, confirms that the amount of “super powers” these foods hold are small, she says however that waters such as coconut water and birch water do contain large amounts of potassium and other detoxifying ingredients that can make a difference, if they’re drunk in the “gallons.”

“Life and diet is all about balance and if you want to live a healthy lifestyle, you don’t have to eat super foods. They are novelty items, almost luxury items which aren’t cheap. They nice to have, I love things like bee pollen, blueberries and powders like matcha and cacao.”

Nicki Newman claims she gets “obsessed” with super food trends. “I’m constantly in Wholefoods and Planet Organic looking for the next weird thing I can find. I’m an addict. I’m a super food, health-freak addict!”

The mum of 3 has passed on her ways to her children and only feeds them whole, natural and organic foods. “Every week I come home with something new and weird, they’re used to it now! My husband doesn’t even comment anymore. I win!”

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THE NEXT BIGGEST EVENT SINCE LFW: PURE LONDON

Why PURE London is a must-go to event for everyone trying to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

Sara Maggioni, Senior Editor of Retail and Buying at WGSN. Photograph by: Laura Allbones

Pure London is the UK’s biggest and most influential fashion trade show, presenting over 1,000 brands which offer authentic womenswear, innovative fashion, footwear, accessories and even childrenswear. Held twice a year, in February and August at London Olympia, Pure London continually brings over 12,000 fashion experts and buyers to each event. 65% of its brands, including urban label, Lavish Alice, Fiorelli and Birkenstock have already applied for the upcoming show in August this year.

The venue is one huge open space, built out of glass which allows light to shed onto the UK's leading trend forecasters, including WGSN. As well as five daily catwalk shows which feature a wide range of collections across the brands. WGSN’s “buying briefing” talk gathered hundreds of fashionistas, who eagerly anticipated their trend predictions for autumn 2015. Sara Maggioni, senior editor of retail and buying at WGSN gave listeners an exciting insight into the key looks, some included: the winter kimono, yeti jacket and geometric jewellery, “evoking purity at the heart of the modernist movement”, says Maggioni.
  

    

Leggy Threads, a new, luxury clothing brand, specialising in tall womenswear was one of many brands at the show earlier this year. After being a stay at home dad for the past four years, David Stoker’s wife, Sarah, decided to create Leggy. As a 6ft business woman herself, she realised there were little options in the fashion world, for women of her height. Leggy’s first ever collection features a strict colour palette of mysterious black and crisp white elegant blouses, inspired by the Victorian era, with frills, bows and lace. “It will be very exciting to see the brand develop, I’m trying to get the hang around what to fill the social media networks with and which ones best. I’ve spent the last year learning web design and building up the Leggy Threads website - quite a contrast from being a stay at home dad with twins!” says Mr Stoker.

Leggy Threads, Photograph by: Laura Allbones

There are thousands of independent brands, some well established and more recognisable than others, but that's not what buyers are there for. Trend experts, buyers and influencers are on the hunt for originality, authenticity and something a little eccentric. No matter what route in fashion you want to take, PURE London is a great opportunity to network with experts and to understand the dimensions of creating your own fashion brand.

Register to attend at or apply for a stand between the 2^nd and 4^th of August 2015 at, PURE London.

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Why should you speak to the homeless community?

Photograph of Aldgate

Homelessness statistics show a 37% increase in rough sleepers in London, compared to 7% across the rest of England. Most young people and men, who are homeless, have been kicked out by parents and for women the most common cause is domestic violence. There are a number of other reasons why people are homeless, they may be mentally ill, have lost their job, or have become alcohol dependant or even lost someone close to them. What all homeless people do have in common is, they had no support from family or friends when their crisis struck.

Rough Sleeping | Create infographics

Firstly, giving money to the homeless won’t help. As you are probably aware, most homeless people are unstable and when you give anyone money, you don’t know what they’re going to spend it on. What homeless people need is food, water, shelter and someone who cares. They need advice.

“Even when you’re middle-aged, family is a big sector of your life” explains Michael in his early 40s, who’s been sleeping rough for seven years. “It’s not just about your upbringing; your family has got to be there always.” Michael and his partner Danika, are a couple who can be found outside of Aldgate East station. Their current spot is one of the only places they can stay without being kicked out, says Michael.

Michael and Danika outside Aldgate East.

“I get embarrassed by how tourists and people walk past and look at me. I think ‘you know nothing about me’. That’s one of the reasons I get ‘off my face’, to make myself feel less embarrassed” says Michael. This is Michael and Danikas life; people walk past and are scared to talk to them. People live in fear because they don’t understand why or how they got there.

The Homelessness Act 2002 was put in place for local authorities to re-house certain homeless people. However, not everyone who’s classed as being “homeless” will qualify for accommodation. Like housing, pregnant women or women with children are at the top of the list, because of course they’re a priority. But what happens to the people who don’t even cut the list?

“People think ’why are you here like this?’, but most people have no idea because they've never had to live it” says Danika. So the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, as you don’t know what that individual has gone through. Speaking to a homeless person or anyone in need could really help. They need someone to talk to, because that’s what they really needed before they became homeless. Sit and listen for five minutes and your mind will be opened. 

Sporty fashion with a mission

Alishia Hasan combined her knowledge of texture and design to her passion to tennis.

Determined tennis enthusiast starts her own eco-fashion line

Alisha Hasan always knew she would start a fashion brand at some point in her life. As a young girl her entrepreneur spirit was known to all as she was consistently the top seller of her class competitions to raise money, and had a stall in every single school fare.

It was during her master's degree studies in London in 2013, when she won a business idea contest and got the initial seed money to buy the first batch of fabrics and the final kick to start her business.  

DREAMS & DOORS, Alisha’s business, is not just a regular central London fashion line. It is a fashion line with a mission: 

“It was definitely clear from the beginning that D&D would focus on organic and natural fibre fabrics in all of the garments - uncompromisingly,” Alisha says. She thinks that although the ‘eco-wave' is accelerating, she caters to quite a niche audience.  

“Eco-fashion is still very 'hippie', and I'm here to change that,” Alisha says. She started her company from her tiny student accommodation room which she turned into design production studio. 

Her own background in tennis and the knowledge her mother passed on to her of textile designing, guided her to creating her first organic tennis wear collection. Today, her collections have both sporty casual garments as well as activewear pieces.

Samples of Alishia's line.

Not a ‘one garment wonder’

According to Soil Association UK, the market for ecofashion has risen 2-4% during the last year, and Alisha really feels like she is in the right place at the right time with her concept. She knows that building a brand takes time, so she is still very patient and works hard to build a firm foundation and effective supply chain. 

She doesn’t want D&D to be a “one garment wonder”.

“D&D is for ambitious and active people, who want to change the world,” Alisha explains. 

Her menswear collection has attracted much wanted attention. “It was a conscious choice to have a men's collection from the beginning, although I was discouraged to do this due to resources, because men are so deprived of fashion, especially ecofashion.”

Alisha’s most popular men's products are worn by young men working in banking in the City area in London. 

“The feedback I've received is that they don't sweat as much when wearing organic cotton shirts and tops and that the Gatsby-inspired polo is easy and comfortable to wear under a suit jacket and takes you from work to after work.”

Our potential is greater than we think

From a young age, Alisha’s personal goals in life have been very present. Over the years, her friends have known her of being a very hardworking, determined and open-minded.

“Alisha believes in her friends probably more than they believe in themselves. She is always pushing us forward with our dreams and goals,” says Mirja Vainio, who has known Alisha for many years.   

“Often, during my moments of doubt, she has told me that my true potential is greater than I think. I am so proud of her that even many people doubted her when she started her fashion line, she is now taking of and doing well.”

Alisha does come a cross as a person, who is not afraid of other people’s fortune, rather she drives from it. And she is neither afraid of what other people might think or say - that is what her brand is all about - building your own success. 

Find out more about Dreams and Doors on their website, or click to take a look at Alisha's fashion line for 2015.

We want to know would you buy eco-friendly products? Has the "eco-wawe" gotten the hold of you?

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Want to find out more about eco-fashion? No problem, here are some facts and links to get you started:



By: Ida Ääri

Power-woman behind a theatre company

Power-woman behind a theatre company

“I went to university thinking I wanted to do acting. At that time I thought drama was just acting,” Charlotte Bennett says, sitting in a cafe right around the corner of the theatre where Carole King’s musical Beautiful is playing. That’s where the office of her theatre production company is based. 

“I started to get interested in other things when I realised I was very bad at acting, I couldn’t get into any plays so I just sat at home bored. I thought I’ll just direct a play then, even when I didn’t really know what that meant.”

Charlotte feels she was very lucky going to university knowing what she wanted to do, not trying to figure it out like the rest of us. Poppy Melzack, her room mate from university has an idea on how determined Charlotte is:

"It's so inspiring see someone follow their dream. Watching Charlotte go from sitting in the living room deciding to direct a play at uni to watching her work in the National Theatre is amazing. 

“It's more than just innate skill (which she has), she's the most driven, dedicated and persuasive person I know."

The Forward Theatre

Charlotte’s company, The Forward Theatre project, produced its first play for York Theatre. After that they have done around two productions a year. 

“The transition from assisting director to a director is really hard and I don’t know how I would have done it without starting my own business,” Charlotte says adding that the contacts she made before starting her company helped her to take off. 

Her proudest moment was when the  she directed a play to the National Theatre, a one man’s dialogue show from David Bradley, called ‘On The Harmful Effects of Tobacco/Can Cause Death’.  

“At the time and remembers thinking ‘how on earth have I done this’,” she says.

The play was on for one night only and it was sold out, but for Charlotte, the best part was being able to work with such a prolific actor. Bradley also happens to be known for his performance in the Harry Potter movie series.

“My biggest relief in the first day of rehearsals was, because I was thinking that he is so amazing, how an earth.. you know.. what am I going to do here. 

“But actually, when we worked together, we really found that we got a lot from each other. It felt great.”

Unpaid internships

What Charlotte realised very soon, was that if she wanted to direct for a living, she needed to get as much experience as she could while still on student loan. She did several unpaid internships as an assistant editor, something Charlotte won’t tolerate easily in her own company.

“I had some really good times and some really bad times. I was sometimes paid ten pounds a week, living in London thinking ‘what am I doing, I have a degree’, but I learned from it. 

“Every single one of those jobs was paid of in some way. It either led to other work, or meeting somebody who was really exciting and I could work with, and it was all just really exciting.”

At the moment, Forward Theatre is working on a play called the Bird & Bay, which Charlotte is currently pitching to festivals for next summer. She is dividing her time between her own business and a company called Rush Tash, where she does freelance directing. They are currently working on a radical feminist play for the National Theatre. 

Find out more about The Forward Theatre Project, here.

Find out more about Charlotte:

-  Charlotte talking about the start of her career and how she got into directing:

- The story behind the Forward Theatre project and its future plans:

- Knowing what she knows now, what would Charlotte do differently and why her company will not work with unpaid people:

Find the trailer for 'On The Harmful Effects of Tobacco/Can Cause Death’ here:

Have your say: Is it beneficial to work for free or just free work force for companies to be able to not hire real people? Would you like to learn more about unpaid internships? Leave us a comment and we'll find out for you.

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More on the internship conversation.


By: Ida Aari