Creative Career Coalition
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Creative Career Coalition *
CREATIVE CAREERS FOR BROOKlyn’s next generation
VISIBLE. EQUITABLE. CONNECTED
Join a growing network committed to expanding access and opportunity for Brooklyn's next generation of creative professionals.
NYC’s CREATIVE ECONOMY.
BROOKLYN’S PLACE IN IT.
New York City’s creative economy supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across music, film, fashion, design, gaming, and more. Brooklyn is central to that story, home to influential artists, creative businesses, and cultural institutions that shape what the world watches, hears, and experiences.
These industries offer opportunities far beyond performing or making art. They also depend on sound engineers, designers, marketers, technicians, business professionals, and countless others working behind the scenes.
Brooklyn’s young people should be able to see a future for themselves in this economy and have access to the opportunities that make that future possible.
Talent is everywhere.
Opportunity is not.
Creative talent and ambition are only the beginning. Building a sustainable career also takes information, training, professional relationships, and a way to get started. Too many young Brooklynites face barriers to those resources.
Building Beats works to close that gap by equipping young people with technical, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills through music and technology. Our programs connect creative learning with mentorship, career exploration, and paid opportunities.
But we cannot do this work alone. A young person’s journey from discovering an interest to building a career extends across schools, training programs, colleges, community organizations, and employers. Stronger connections among them can make that journey easier to navigate.
That is why we are creating the Creative Career Coalition, bringing these partners together to expand access for Brooklyn’s young people.
WHO GETS ACCESS TO CREATIVE CAREERS?
The creative economy’s influence does not mean its opportunities are equally accessible. Black and Latinx workers remain underrepresented in NYC’s creative industries compared with their share of the city’s overall workforce.
For young people from historically underrepresented and economically marginalized communities, the distance between creative interest and professional opportunity can be especially difficult to navigate.
A young person may love music without knowing about careers in sound engineering or entertainment law. They may finish a training program without a connection to an employer or a clear next step. The educator guiding them may want to help but lack current industry information or professional contacts.
Expanding access means addressing both who gets opportunities and how young people find their way to them.
Why the Coalition Matters
Schools, community organizations, colleges, training providers, and employers each contribute to a young person’s future. The coalition will strengthen the connections between their work so young people can better understand their options and move toward them with support.
VISIBLE
Show young people what’s possible, from careers in the spotlight to the technical, business, and behind-the-scenes roles they may never have considered.
EQUITABLE
Expand access to the training, tools, relationships, and paid experiences young people need, so their futures aren’t limited by income, background, or who they know.
CONNECTED
Build stronger links between schools, training programs, and employers so each experience leads to a clearer next step toward a creative career.
Members will shape expertise, resources, and relationships to help young Brooklynites discover careers, prepare for their next steps, and connect with opportunities beyond any one program or institution
WHAT THE COALITION WILL DO TOGETHER
Coalition members will help establish shared priorities and turn them into practical action:
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Strengthen partnerships across education, community organizations, and creative industries so career information and opportunities reach more young people.
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Identify creative careers, education and training programs, qualifications, and entry points to help young people understand how to get started and what comes next.
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Give educators, counselors, and workforce practitioners practical tools and current industry knowledge to help young people explore their options.
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Identify gaps in access and develop collaborative solutions, including policies and practices that expand access to creative education, professional networks, and employment.
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Collaborate with other like-minded organizations on a borough-wide event where young people can explore careers, meet professionals, and connect with employers, colleges, and training providers.
WHO SHOULD JOIN?
We welcome organizations and institutions based in Brooklyn or serving a significant population of Brooklyn young people, including:
Schools, colleges, and college access organizations
Youth-serving nonprofits and workforce development providers
Creative employers, professionals, and cultural institutions
Funders and government agencies
Whether you help young people discover their interests, develop their skills, continue their education, or enter the workforce, your perspective can help strengthen the connections between those experiences.
Help Build the Coalition
Our inaugural meeting in January 2027 will bring members together to build relationships, establish shared priorities, and identify opportunities to collaborate. Members will also have opportunities to shape the Creative Career Summit, planned for November 2027.
The future of Brooklyn’s creative economy should reflect the talent of Brooklyn. Join us in building the connections that can make that possible.
Complete our interest form for meeting information, coalition updates, and opportunities to get involved.
Complete our interest form to receive information about the January 2027 inaugural meeting, Coalition updates, and opportunities to collaborate.