Participant Testimonials: Adam's Story
“As a LYC participant, you’re never alone. Surrounded by photographers, music producers, makeup artists, writers and beyond, getting the most out of the program is as much about supporting your peers as it is about finding your own voice.”
Having recently graduated from his BA in American studies from University of Sussex, Adam decided to apply to Lighthouse Young Creatives after attending an event showcasing the work of past alumni of the scheme. With an interest in entering the music industry, Adam had begun to learn music production and had started an experimental live event series called Search History.
He joined the 2018/19 cohort aiming to gain industry knowledge, connect with people of similar ambitions and have the opportunity to execute his own creative vision within an environment supportive of experimentation. Immediately, Adam recognised that the programme would prepare him for a professional career in the creative sectors whilst also enabling him to explore his own interests:
“From the very first session, I knew I was about to gain a rich understanding of what it means to be a creative.
“We were in the driving seat of LYC, and what it “was” was totally up to us!”
During the scheme Adam participated in a wide variety of activities, including podcast and event planning sessions, career-development classes, writing and web design workshops. Ultimately however, it was the opportunities to experiment with cross-disciplinary practices which inspired and motivated him:
“While it made sense for many other LYC participants to use the program as an opportunity to create a portfolio, film or zine, I used my time to better understand the fluidity and range of my creative-professional interests. For me, success was engaging in the process of immersion across audio and video editing, writing, concept-building and collaboration.”
“Through being a part of the Lighthouse Young Creatives program, I have taken ownership of my creativity and gained the confidence to think of myself as an artist in my own right.”
For the planned LYC showcase event Adam had devised a short performance piece that aimed to confront the fragmented, chaotic and apathetic relationship we have with digital consumption. Due to the cancellation of the event due to COVID-19 restrictions, Adam instead focused his energy on creating sketches for podcasts and radio documentaries for future production projects, as well as running his monthly Search History show on Platform B Radio.
Since LYC, Adam has completed an internship at Attitude is Everything, a charity that advocates for d/Deaf disabled and neurodivergent people in the live music industry, and is undertaking training to become an accessibility consultant to event spaces and other arts organisations. In 2021 he co-directed and directed the music for Carrying Us, a short film co-commissioned by Lighthouse and shown at the London Short Film Festival 2021. In 2022 Adam co-founded SODAA, a community developing a decentralised governance model for London music and arts venues.
