Six young people, aged between 16 and 25, are completing paid work placements with cultural venues, business and artists in Berwick. The Create Your Future placements, delivered by Create Berwick, support young people to build creative careers in the town.

We spoke to Amber Eden, who is half way through her six-month placement with photography studio, Pictorial Photography which is run by Sarah Jamieson.

How would you describe your experience of Create Your Future so far? And what are some of the things you’ve been working on?

So far I’ve really, really enjoyed it. I’ve helped on location shoots and branding shoots, written blog posts and used a handheld video camera to capture lots of behind-the-scenes footage which we then use on social media. I’ve helped create social media campaigns on various themes like weddings, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

It’s really exciting and I look forward to coming here because I’m not only trying new things, I’m also meeting people and learning skills that will help me in the future.

What are some of the things you have learnt?

Sarah’s been teaching me about search engine optimisation, which I didn’t know anything about before. And I’ve learnt about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into blog writing, social media posts and campaigns – it’s interesting to see how that all works, and what gets the most engagement. Sarah has a lot of experience which I’ve been learning from.

I’ve also learnt about working with clients and brands, and how you need to see things from their perspective and shape your work to suit their brand – that’s been really useful.

Can you share some favourite moments from your placement so far?

My favourite thing has definitely been going on location shoots, because I love seeing how you can turn a local background into something quite creative. My favourite location shoot was at Bamburgh Castle, where we were photographing an exhibition by Berwick sculptor, Mandy Bryson, called Tails & Tales. I helped with lighting and filming behind the scenes, and I also wrote a blog post. It was really different from anything else I’ve worked on.

Read Amber’s blog post about the Tails & Tales photoshoot here.

What kind of career are you interested in?

I’m in my second year of a degree in fashion design and marketing at Northumbria University. The course covers so much, but the part I’ve always enjoyed the most is branding and marketing, and my placement with Pictorial Photography has really solidified that.

In the future I’d like to work in the creative and cultural sector, and this placement has helped me to meet a lot of people with similar interests, working in creative spaces, who I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

What would you say to someone else thinking of applying for Create Your Future?

It’s a great opportunity to dip your toes into learning a really wide range of new things. And you get to work in a lovely, creative environment!

Create Your Future – Youth Training Fund 2026

Applications are now open for funding via Create Your Future 2026 – Create Berwick is offering grants of up to £5,000 to support projects that provide training, work experience, and creative opportunities for young people aged 16–25.

Find out more here.

(Photo above: by Sarah Jamieson, Pictorial Photography).