Creative Access & Southbank Centre mentoring programme 2026

Closing date for applications: Friday 20th March 2026, 12pm midday

Mentoring programme dates: May 2026 to October 2026

Do you love the arts and culture? Are you looking to gain an insight into working at the UK's largest centre for the arts, develop confidence and build new connections? Sign up now to be matched with a mentor from the Southbank Centre.

Creative Access is excited to be partnering with the Southbank Centre to launch a virtual mentoring programme, designed to reach talent from communities currently under-represented in the creative sector. The programme aims to break down barriers and myths, and showcase the rich mix of roles and opportunities on offer within the UK’s largest centre for the arts. It is open to individuals across a range of career stages, from recently starting in a role to mid-level and beyond.

The Southbank Centre is a charity that is proud to bring millions of people together on London’s South Bank, with a mission to make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities through the variety of its programming and spaces. This virtual mentoring programme aims to provide access to the expertise of the creative professionals who work there. The Southbank Centre looks after an 11-acre site, which includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, and the Hayward Gallery. You can find Performance & Dance, Classical Music, Gigs, Exhibitions, Literature & Poetry talks across their venues, and they offer a wide-reaching events programme for the public: 40% of which is entirely free!

This year marks the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary, and they’re celebrating with an added layer of events that speak to their incredible legacy of opening up the arts to all, as well as looking to the future of the creative industries. Key events include Harry Styles' Meltdown Festival, Gary Linker’s Goalhanger Podcast Festival, Anish Kapoor’s return to the Hayward Gallery as well as a weekend exploring AI and Creative Intelligence. There are more announcements to come like the curator for the London Literature Festival in this iconic year for the Southbank centre.

This programme is designed to be an equal partnership between mentors and mentees and mutually beneficial to both. Mentees will have access to the expertise of Southbank Centre professionals and the opportunity to discuss their personal and professional development goals. Mentors will have the opportunity to learn from the fresh perspectives of their mentees. To help set the new relationships up for success, Creative Access will provide training at an initial meet and greet session to both mentors and mentees.

How does the programme work?

Through the programme, Creative Access will find and match 10 people with mentors from a range of roles and levels from across the Southbank Centre. Where possible, mentees will be matched with a mentor working in the area in which they would like to work or progress their career in. The mentoring programme is designed for individuals over 18 from under-represented communities who want to pursue or progress their careers in the creative sector.

The mentoring partnerships will run for six months, from May 2026 to October 2026, beginning with an initial Meet and Greet session facilitated by Creative Access, taking place on Monday 18th May, 5pm - 6.30pm via Zoom. Mentees will have the opportunity to meet with their mentor once a month, virtually, for approximately an hour.

What do you need to apply?

• An interest in the arts, culture, and a desire to gain insight into working at the UK’s largest centre for the arts.
• An aim to gain employment in a relevant role in the future or a desire to secure support with progressing your career within the industry.
• A willingness to engage positively with a mentor on a monthly basis for six months.
• A commitment to attend a virtual Meet & Greet session on Monday 18th May, 5pm - 6.30pm via Zoon. The Meet & Greet is a group training session designed to set you and your mentor up with everything you need to get off to a great start.

Plus, you'll need to:

• Be able to participate in 6 monthly virtual sessions with your mentor between May ‘26 and October ‘26.
• Be over the age of 18.
• Identify as being from a group that is under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, or people of any ethnicity who belong to the following under-represented groups: disabled people, people with the characteristic of gender reassignment, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, carers and asylum seekers.

To apply:

• Log in to your Creative Access account or register today to apply for this opportunity.
• Click the apply button to complete an application form for the mentoring programme.
• Once submitted, applications are final so please review carefully.

The deadline for applications is Friday 20th March, 12pm midday.

If you require any access support while completing the application form, or would prefer to submit your application in an alternative format (e.g. video or audio recording), please email richard@creativeaccess.org.uk to discuss further.

Questions?

For any queries or for further information, please contact Richard Clarke on richard@creativeaccess.org.uk. All enquiries related to this programme are handled by Creative Access, so please do not contact the Southbank Centre.