Army of Creatives is LEAN's flagship Creative Careers project, which has run for three editions since 2022.
Posted: 29/06/2026
Category: Events
The Army of Creatives project was originally devised in response to research findings from LEAN’s Discussions on Creative Careers report in 2020 – a series of detailed consultations undertaken by LEAN as part of the New Cross & Deptford Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) initiative.
LEAN consulted with arts teachers, career leads in schools, arts organisations and young people, about their views on careers in the creative industries. Their responses highlighted the following: Schools can struggle to connect with creatives or to find useful information about creative careers Young people want to hear about creative careers from people who live in their local area and/or share their lived experience Parents and carers are often wary of creative careers and see them as unstable. These three key findings were used to inform the pilot of the project in 2021, funded by the Creative Enterprise Zone.
This initiative aims to encourage students to explore the vast array of roles in creative industries through taster workshops led by local artists.
The first edition in 2022 focused on Year 9 students. In 2024, we expanded the project to deliver a week-long creative work experience placement for a group of Year 10 students from Deptford Green School, in partnership with The Albany, Broadway Theatre, Teatro Vivo and also London Academy of Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). The next year, in 2025, we brought together two schools, Deptford Green School and Addey and Stanhope School, in the hope to provide an experience more close to real-world workplace. In partnership with The Albany & Cockpit Deptford, the forty Year 10 students discovered the worlds of both the Theatre and Visual Arts & Craft industries in an intensive week of taster experiences.
Apart from School Workshops and Work Experience Week, we have developed Creative Digital Resources that will benefit students interested in pursuing a creative career, as well as teachers and parents in supporting their young people.
Find out more about the different editions and resources:
Project pages & Resources:
2025 Army of Creatives Project Page
2025 Army of Creatives Work Experience Week
2024 Army of Creatives Project Page
2024 Army of Creative Education Resources (online videos)
2022 Army of Creatives and Resources
Reports:
2025 Army of Creatives Report
2024 Army of Creatives Report
2022 Army of Creatives Report
