Mentoring and the cultural and creative industries: modalities, literacies, ecosystems
Mentoring and the cultural and creative industries: modalities, literacies, ecosystems
This article suggests distinct ways that freelance creative practitioners (FCPs) in the cultural and creative industries conceptualise and describe informal mentoring process. It considers the ways mentoring has been understood in the sector, and reviews the existing academic literature on the topic, noting the limitations in the ways formal mentoring schemes are evaluated. It goes on to examine a new data set, including interviews of 8 FCPs emerging from a wider project on creative networks, commissioning, and networking. It argues for a distinct mentoring literacy for FCPs, noting their expansive understanding of the modalities and capacities of mentoring, and emphasises the ecosystems and spaces within which they can visualise and reflect on their own mentoring journeys. It outlines using creative practice to support FCPs with their reflections and contribute to the analysis of insights and themes from these reflections. It concludes by arguing for the need for more specific languages to describe freelance mentoring in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI).
mentoring, cultural industries, creative industries
May, Will
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Ashton, Daniel
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Jahan, Aiysha
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May, Will
f41afa4c-1ccc-4ac6-83b6-9f5d9aad0f67
Ashton, Daniel
b267eae4-7bdb-4fe3-9267-5ebad36e86f7
Jahan, Aiysha
c3464e01-ba69-43e1-b688-989833ba470e
May, Will, Ashton, Daniel and Jahan, Aiysha
(2026)
Mentoring and the cultural and creative industries: modalities, literacies, ecosystems.
Creative Industries Journal.
Abstract
This article suggests distinct ways that freelance creative practitioners (FCPs) in the cultural and creative industries conceptualise and describe informal mentoring process. It considers the ways mentoring has been understood in the sector, and reviews the existing academic literature on the topic, noting the limitations in the ways formal mentoring schemes are evaluated. It goes on to examine a new data set, including interviews of 8 FCPs emerging from a wider project on creative networks, commissioning, and networking. It argues for a distinct mentoring literacy for FCPs, noting their expansive understanding of the modalities and capacities of mentoring, and emphasises the ecosystems and spaces within which they can visualise and reflect on their own mentoring journeys. It outlines using creative practice to support FCPs with their reflections and contribute to the analysis of insights and themes from these reflections. It concludes by arguing for the need for more specific languages to describe freelance mentoring in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI).
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In preparation date: 1 March 2026
Keywords:
mentoring, cultural industries, creative industries
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Local EPrints ID: 511410
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/511410
ISSN: 1751-0694
PURE UUID: d8f0c8f2-05ac-452c-a6e6-82d7408d2d86
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Date deposited: 14 May 2026 16:30
Last modified: 15 May 2026 01:48
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Author:
Aiysha Jahan
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