The Creative Industries face significant barriers to entry. Access to creative roles often depends on personal networks or having the financial means to work for free. This limits opportunities for those without existing connections or resources and narrows the range of backgrounds which are creating and innovating in the sector.
Aimed at those from under-represented backgrounds, the MyWorld Scholarship programme supported students developing careers in the creative industries by combining financial support with access to industry opportunities and networks. Hazel Travers, an MA Composition of Music for Film and TV student at the University of Bristol, was one of the scholars supported through the programme.
The MyWorld Scholarship provided Hazel with a £5,000 fee waiver, allowing her to focus more fully on her studies and portfolio development. Additionally, through MyWorld’s network, Hazel took part in immersive audio training, VR research projects, industry networking opportunities and a collaboration with award-winning visual effects company Lux Aeterna.
"As a mature student, I greatly appreciated the fee waiver of £5,000 for my course. It allowed me to spend less time worrying about the financial implications of being at University so that I could focus all my attention on engaging with my course."
Through the scholarship, Hazel gained hands-on experience with immersive technologies, expanded her professional network, and strengthened her portfolio as an aspiring media composer. For Hazel, the MyWorld Scholarship was a gateway into the region’s creative technology ecosystem, providing valuable experience, connections, and opportunities to develop a career in the creative industries.
"To me, MyWorld is so much more than financial aid; it’s about giving people like me the opportunity to make connections with local creative industries. It’s helped me to get my foot in the door of places I wouldn’t have otherwise known how to approach or even know existed! It’s been an honour to be a scholar and I encourage anyone to apply and to make the most of the opportunities it has to offer."