Las Fotos Project’s Creative Career Training Program

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Over the years, LFP has trained over 1,600 girls and gender expansive youth, equipping them with the technical photography skills and confidence for their first creative roles. Despite their preparation, many have returned to our program seeking more guidance due to microaggressions in a male-dominated field. Moreover, an increasing number of adults over 18, who haven't participated in our program, seek our support and often become volunteer mentors to stay connected with our diverse and inclusive community of creatives. Our Creative Career Training Program aims to provide mentorship and guidance for young people, especially young artists of color by breaking barriers and empowering them to thrive in the creative economy. It addresses economic disparities where women of color hold only 19% of entry-level positions, compared to 29% for white women, with fewer advancing to leadership roles.

In 2022, we developed a model for the "Creative Career Center", a comprehensive initiative to support young adult creatives. Last year we implemented the workshop, field trip, and studio visit elements of this plan to young adults (ages 19-24) which garnered enthusiastic participation. Recently, in collaboration with The Ford, Las Fotos Project hosted a day-liong Concert Photography training. Participants learned from LA Phil’s Senior Creative Director Natalie Suarez and in-house photographer Elizabeth Asher about branding, concert photography techniques, workflow processes, and more. This hands-on experience inspired participants and brought to life the daily realities of working with the LA Phil, enriching their photography skills and professional knowledge.
With the LA2050 grant, we will expand our programming beyond monthly activations, enhancing a full suite of career supports for young adults. In addition to workshops, and studio visits, the program will launch the pilot of a year-long training course engaging technical photo knowledge, leadership activities, creative productions, marketing, public speaking, mock interviews, and small business planning. Participants will work on capstone projects, such as personal websites, client contracts, gallery shows, or apprenticeships, all aimed at enhancing their job search. Additionally, the Creative Career Training Program will offer career coaching, job and internship placement, thesis projects, and creative collaborations.

Over the past decade, Las Fotos Project has delivered high-quality, hands-on photography education. We aim to forge a path for creative futures in Los Angeles by expanding our reach to include young adults on their way to launch their creative futures.
Our vision for the Creative Career Training Program includes these long-term outcomes:
1. Raising awareness of continuing socioeconomic disparities impacting Los Angeles residents, particularly BIPOC youth and young adults.
2. Expanding access to opportunities, pathways, and networks within the creative economy.
3. Boosting self-confidence and fostering positive perceptions of leadership potential.
By empowering individuals with the tools to express their unique perspectives, we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable creative workforce. We recognize that change takes time, but LFP is committed to building a pipeline of diverse, talented creative workers in Los Angeles by 2050 with each Creative Career Training cohort.

Las Fotos Project's new Creative Career Training Program is a dynamic initiative designed to empower local emerging creative talent. The program's offerings, including personalized career coaching, job and internship placements aim to tackle knowledge gaps and access barriers by providing valuable mentorship, practical skill-building, industry networking and job experience. The success of the program will be gauged by the number of participants who secure full-time and part-time jobs, secure internships, and/or establish pathways to self-employment in the creative sector. We will conduct pre & post surveys gauging participants' experience and skill development during the training program as well as hold focus groups and interviews to understand their experiences in the field within a year post completion. In the long term, we aspire to advance gender equity in the photography field through the achievements of our program participants.