Apply now to attend our Inclusive Media Development Lab

Inclusive Journalism Cymru wants to build a more inclusive and representative journalism sector, but that won’t mean anything if we don’t have an industry to work in.

To ensure a healthy future for the journalism and media industries in Wales, we need to build a critical mass of people from marginalised backgrounds and/or identities, and also people with the business and design skills to help drive the transformation we need.

That’s why we’re launching our Inclusive Media Development Lab – a programme providing training, interactive workshops and follow-up support for anyone wanting to learn more about how you can supercharge your media career with a range of entrepreneurship, business, R&D and product design skills.

The Lab is being developed and run in partnership with Startup Migrants, Media Cymru, PDR, and the Institute of Welsh Affairs. It will be an opportunity to connect with media innovators from across Wales, the UK and Europe, to learn about opportunities for further development and funding, and to become part of a network of people working towards a better media future. 

• Friday 22nd September (1600 – 1930)
• Saturday 23rd September (0930 – 1730)
• Sunday 24th September (1000 – 1600) 

You will need to be available to attend all the sessions.

PDR
Excelsior Road
Cardiff
CF14 3AT

Accessibility: PDR’s building has twin door access to the ground floor main entrance, canteen area, user centred design lab and research room. All activities will take place on the ground floor. There is an accessible WC / shower room within the main entrance area. There are fire escapes via the main entrance or canteen area and the canteen fire escape has ramped access leading to the emergency fire point. There is parking available at the building, including accessible parking bays.

The Lab will be a mix of talks and training from a range of media innovators and entrepreneurs, alongside opportunities to develop skills and experience through a series of interactive challenges where you’ll work on ideas for more inclusive media.

The programme will be led by Nicolai Strøm-Olsen and Maria Amelie from Startup Migrants, and Professor Andrew Walters and Jo Ward from PDR – who between them bring a wealth of experience across entrepreneurship, business development, product thinking and design.

Confirmed guests include:

Nafisa Bakkar: Co-Founder and CEO of Amaliah, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of Muslim Women. Nafisa is also the author of the book “How to Make Money: An Honest Guide to Going from an Idea to a Six-Figure Business”.

Gary Rogers: Senior Newsroom Strategy Consultant at Fathm, previously co-founder of the groundbreaking automated news agency RADAR AI and senior editor at the BBC and ITN.

Manjiri Carey: News Editor at BBC News Labs, leading the team of journalists in the BBC’s innovation incubator. Manjiri previously worked at the Western Mail, BBC Wales and Sky News.

Tchiyiwe Chihana, Sara Hill and James Lock: Directors of Opus Independents, a multi-disciplinary social enterprise working to build innovative solutions to systemic social problems. Their projects include Now Then Magazine, Festival of Debate and the UBI Lab Network.

Gill Wildman: Director of Upstarter Incubator, which uses design to support rapid prototyping of business startups as well as new products and services.

Laoulu Alatise: Assistant R&D Producer at Media Cymru, supporting the planning and delivery of media production and research projects and the pathway into the Media Cymru innovation pipeline.

There will also be the opportunity to access tailored follow-up support if you’d like bespoke advice or guidance in the months following the Lab.

The Lab will be delivered in the medium of English.

We’d love you to apply if you’re in or from Wales and working in journalism or media (or are training to) and would like to learn more about how to create sustainable businesses and products. You’ll learn a range of transferable skills and get to meet and work with an incredible group of entrepreneurs and innovators.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelancer or creator, a journalism or media student, or you have a job in the industry. The programme’s been designed to support you in whatever role you have, and we’ll be aiming for a roughly 50:50 mix between freelancers/students and those working for organisations.

The programme is only open to members of Inclusive Journalism Cymru, but it’s completely free to join and you can sign up here with just your name and email address, so it’s very simple.

There’s no test to be a member – if you think you could benefit or contribute then you’re very welcome.

If you’re a freelancer or a student, you’ll get a stipend of £300 to cover your time, plus travel and accommodation for a maximum of 3 nights if you live further than 30 miles from Cardiff.

If you work for a media organisation, we expect your employer to cover your time and costs. If, for whatever reason, you think this won’t be possible, we can address this if you’re selected.

• 15th June – Applications Open
• 7th July – Applications Close at 2pm BST
• 14th July – Decisions made and applicants notified
• 1st August – Participants to ensure all travel and accommodation booked, with support from Inclusive Journalism Cymru (to ensure best value)
• 1st September – Participants will receive a joining pack with full details of the Lab
• 22nd/23rd/24th September – Inclusive Media Development Lab

You can apply over on the Startup Migrants Website. We’ve tried to make the process as simple and straightforward as possible, and you can submit a video or audio application if you’d prefer.

Do let us know (you can email silvia@inclusivejournalism.cymru) if you need any support with that or if you have any questions. We do our best, but understand that we can’t be perfect, so we are very happy to work with you to make applying as easy as possible.