01 / Practice Area · Media Training, Newsrooms & Speaking

Media training, festival newsrooms & youth voice consultancy.

Building a creative career outside major metropolitan hubs taught me how quickly institutional and geographic barriers lock out emerging talent. For over a decade, I have designed and delivered practical media training, directed high-intensity pop-up newsrooms at international festivals, and spoken at national cultural institutions on youth participation and digital media.

Having started my own journey in media after achieving a Gold Arts Award at 17 and serving as an Arts Award Youth Network Leader, I’ve gone on as Associate Director at Voice Magazine / Upstart Projects to mentor over 150 early-career writers and manage accredited DWP Kickstart journalism placements.

Enquire about training, speaking or residencies →

Edinburgh Festival Fringe residency & press team

Voice Magazine · Edinburgh, Scotland
7+ day schedules for 6 reporters · 150+ artist interviews · 150+ shows reviewed

Every August, I led Voice Magazine’s on-the-ground newsroom at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Months ahead of the festival, I liaised with dozens of PR agencies and venue press offices to arrange over 150 artist interviews and press tickets. On the ground, I built and managed the interlocking seven-day schedules for a team of six young reviewers – coordinating transport, accommodation, complex daily ticketing logistics, and rapid editorial turnarounds to publish 150+ reviews in a single week, opening the doors of the world’s largest arts festival to emerging critics who would otherwise have been priced out.

  • PR & press office liaison across dozens of Fringe venues and publicists
  • Master scheduling for six reporters across 150+ shows in seven days
  • End-to-end logistics, ticketing, travel, accommodation & pastoral care
  • Live daily sub-editing and rapid-turnaround festival publishing

Brighton Fringe partnership & Newcomer Award

Voice Magazine · Brighton, Sussex
Official Youth Media Partner · Award adjudication · Regional reviewer mentoring

With Voice Magazine serving as the Official Youth Media Partner of Brighton Fringe – England’s largest curated open-access arts festival – I oversaw the annual planning and delivery of our festival coverage, recruiting and mentoring local young reviewers and interviewing artists across the programme. Alongside our live editorial coverage, I managed the adjudication of the Brighton Fringe Newcomer Award, recognising standout debut work at the festival.

  • Annual media partnership planning & editorial delivery
  • Recruiting, training & mentoring emerging reviewers across Sussex
  • Managing adjudication of the Brighton Fringe Newcomer Award
  • Artist interviews, festival previews & live review coverage

Mozilla Festival (MozFest) newsroom, workshops & panels

MozFest · London & Amsterdam
Pop-up festival newsroom · Workshop facilitation · Panel speaking

Across multiple editions of MozFest, I ran a pop-up festival newsroom coordinating young reporters to cover live sessions, interview technologists, and test emerging digital demos on the festival floor. Alongside leading our editorial team, I facilitated workshops and spoke on panels exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, internet health, and independent journalism – equipping emerging commentators to navigate polarised online spaces and misinformation.

  • Directed live pop-up newsroom covering sessions, tech demos & interviews
  • Workshop: Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence
  • Workshop: Young and opinionated? How to thrive as a commentator in an era of fake news
  • Panellist: Is technology holding journalism hostage?

1. Practical journalism & podcasting workshops

Curriculum design & facilitation
Reviewing · Feature writing · Opinion columns · Interviewing · Podcast production

I developed and delivered a suite of practical, hands-on workshops designed for young people and beginners getting started in media – stripping away industry gatekeeping to teach the core mechanics of arts reviewing, feature writing, opinion columns, interviewing techniques, and podcast production.

2. DWP Kickstart scheme & contributor mentoring

Upstart Projects / Voice Magazine · Accredited workplace training
24 six-month Kickstart placements · 150+ writers mentored

Alongside mentoring over 150 regular Voice contributors, I managed our six-month DWP Kickstart employment programme for 24 young people facing long-term unemployment. I oversaw their day-to-day editorial training, commissioning, and pastoral support. Over half of the cohort progressed directly into further employment and others into further education, with programme and contributor alumni going on to roles at Sky Sports, in the AI sector, and in senior communications leadership within a UK central government department.

3. Public speaking & youth voice delivery

Tate Modern · Southbank Centre · Royal Opera House Bridge
Keynote & panel speaking · Institutional workshop delivery

I have spoken at events and panels for major cultural institutions – including Tate Modern and Southbank Centre – on youth participation, digital storytelling, and opening up the arts sector, as well as helping deliver institutional workshops on embedding authentic youth voice into professional practice with partners including Royal Opera House Bridge.

Available for practical media and podcasting workshops, festival newsroom direction, university guest lectures, and panel speaking. Based in Suffolk and delivering sessions in London, Edinburgh, and across the UK.