Rohan's story...
Why did you apply for a mentor with Arts Emergency?
I applied to have a point of contact in the industry with extensive experience and to have someone to discuss my plans and current path with in order to help curate an even better plan for myself! Lastly, I wished to use the mentorship program as an opportunity to make a connection and friend that will carry on past the programme and our careers
What was the most surprising thing about your mentoring experience?
The most surprising aspect of the whole programme was how well Arts Emergency matched my requests to my mentor. Freddy Carter was exactly the type of mentor I had hoped to receive and I was therefore very pleasantly surprised.
What was the best part about working with your mentor?
Whilst the opportunities the mentorship has opened up for me have been great, I would have to say the best part has to be the connection I have built with Freddy over the past year. Knowing that this is a connection that will continue to grow and develop is the best part of the programme for me.
How did your mentor help you achieve your goals?
Freddy helped find and provide rehearsal spaces for me whilst using his experiences as an actor to help me make choices and help develop my scenes. I found that his advice was easy to digest given the position he is in, allowing me to build up confidence within myself for certain interviews/auditions which otherwise would have seemed fairly daunting.
What are your next steps after your mentoring year?
Having secured representation by one of the biggest agencies as well as a place with the Almeida Young Company and Originate course, I intend to try and land paid roles whilst continuing to develop my craft.
What would you say to a young person thinking of applying for a mentor?
Be very specific about what you want to achieve with your mentor, and have an idea of who you want to be your mentor. Also - use your mentor! They are there to help you so take that opportunity and make the most of it. Set yourself some goals and convey those to your mentor, be open with them and tell them what it is you want from your career. You are capable of a lot more than you may originally think so set goals you can only dream of and if you put the effort into them, you will achieve them.
Is there anything else about your experience that you would like to comment on?
I’d just like to express how grateful I am to Freddy. His advice and guidance over the past year has been much more than helpful. The care and support he has shown to me and my career has been greatly received and appreciated, especially when I didn’t really have anyone to ask for advice. With Freddy I have managed to develop at a greater rate in the past year than I had initially anticipated, so for that I can only say a very very very big thank you to Freddy, and to Arts Emergency for listening to what I wanted and pairing me with him.
I don’t think I realised until I started mentoring just how useful a resource I could be. I took for granted how valuable my knowledge and experience of the acting industry could be to someone who is just starting out.
Freddy
Freddy's story...
Why did you sign up to mentor with Arts Emergency?
I had heard of Arts Emergency a few times from friends and colleagues who had been mentors before, and when I looked into the work they do to help young people break into the tricky and often gate-kept creative industries, I really wanted to get involved and help in a tangible and practical way.
What was the most surprising thing about your mentoring experience?
I knew when I first met Rohan that he was incredibly driven and passionate about reaching his goals but seeing just how far he’s come in the last 12 months has been surprising and really incredible. To have set such ambitious goals together and to have achieved them is really special, I’m very proud of him and his hard work. I also didn’t expect to be so inspired by Rohan’s appetite to learn and get better - it’s been a real shot in the arm for my own creativity.
How were you able to help your mentee pursue their goals?
I think that from the outside looking in, creative industries can seem daunting, inaccessible and unobtainable. I hope that being able to share my experience of the industry, to speak honestly about the highs, the lows and the reality of what a career in the arts looks like has helped in some way.
What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a mentor?
Do it!! I don’t think I realised until I started mentoring just how useful a resource I could be. I took for granted how valuable my knowledge and experience of the acting industry could be to someone who is just starting out.
Is there anything else about your experience that you would like to comment on?
Unsurprisingly, Arts Emergency have been amazing every step of the way. The idea of mentoring a young person was slightly daunting at the start but they have helped and encouraged me every step of the way, allowing both Rohan and I to really get the most out of this year.
I found that his advice was easy to digest given the position he is in, allowing me to build up confidence within myself for certain interviews/auditions which otherwise would have seemed fairly daunting.
Rohan