Last Friday morning a group of Forever Curious kids from Newport primary school visited W+K. They were here to take part in the pilot workshop for the third instalment of Forever Curious – ‘My Creative Future’.

The idea behind My Creative Future is to get everyone thinking about their creative past, present and most importantly future. These thoughts are then manifested in vibrantly decorated cards.

Our volunteers eagerly awaited the children’s arrival and when they appeared; both sides were greeted with pleased enthusiastic faces. We gathered in a circle and remembered the fun we had at the workshops and exhibition in the summer.

After some warm up games the kids and their buddies gathered around a table that was full of various postcards. Everyone had to pick three postcards from the selection on the table. One that in some way made them think of their past, present and future.

These postcards were then used to inspire the making of artwork at three different creative stations on larger cards.  The stations were themed, Black and White, Fluorescent and Primary Colours.

After much cutting, sticking, painting and drawing some dazzling work was made. The themes were individual and varied; from “clumsiness” to “tidal waves” from their past.  One child showed how music made them feel inspired in their present. Their chosen future professions inspired some of the creative future cards – doctors, policeman and teachers to name a few while others showed how they wanted to continue learning creativity from role models like mothers in their future.

After everyone had a chance to say a word about their cards we sat in a circle and said our heartfelt goodbyes.  We all had a magnificent morning and the volunteers from the agency were blown away as always, by the creativity of the children.

My name is Mark Burrell and I was lucky enough to be awarded a six-month internship at W+K through a scheme called Hackney 100. This project, set up by Hackney Council, aims to “bring the Saturday job into the 21^st century”. Hackney 100 required a personal statement and numerous interviews in order to be part of the “100” whom get interviews with companies/institutions. At this stage I was awarded an interview with W+K and thankfully a week later I received an email giving me the thumbs up for the internship. The interview wasn’t your standard “what makes you qualified for this role” structure, I was actually surprised to find how personal yet professional the interview was. The question, which stood out for me the most, was “What’s your favourite dish to cook” – I still think my answer shocked my interviewer.

As soon as I walked into W+K for my interview, I knew that I would love it here. The office is so full of life and personality – the complete opposite to a standard, white-washed office. The office seems alive with its own identity: when you walk in, a suited mannequin greets you with a blender as a head. I was shocked to see that a global company like W+K can be so diverse in itself and also allow the people who make it up to express themselves so freely; more companies should take on this approach. The moment I first ever walked into the office I saw people with vibrant hair colours, tattoos and piercings, which my school and many other people consider inappropriate in the world of work. They couldn’t be more wrong. Everyone I’ve seen and met around the office takes their work very seriously so the client receives the best work. The people here are very passionate about the work they produce and they’re not afraid to stand up for it. 

I joined W+K when I was 17 and at this age thought people here would consider me as immature or not give me much work to do. I couldn’t have been more wrong: on my very first day I was helping making Vines for a client campaign. Not once have I been treated like a “child” which I thought would happen as I’m just an intern, and I’ve been given advice and had the opportunity to meet and talk to many different people from a range of different departments, which has made my time here even more valuable.

I’ve had an amazing time working for W+K London and I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss it. The people but also the work have made this an amazing experience for me, one that I won’t forget in a hurry. My 6 months here have taught me so much about advertising as a whole but have also helped me grow in confidence and the ability to express myself more freely. I’ve been given so much advice and have even changed my university choice from geography to fine art. I honestly think that my time here gave me the confidence boost to do so. I have even considered advertisement as a career path and would love to come back to W+K in the future. Thank you for giving me this experience. My advice for anyone considering doing an internship or work placement here is DO IT! I’ve learnt so much in such a short period of time and have developed skills, which I am now able to take on with me at university and hopefully return with.