Mimm Studios' Amy Williams Chats Representation in the Creative Industry and Her Upcoming Event

Being in the creative industry was always designer and social activist Amy Williams' goal, but after working in retail and realising it wasn’t what she expected, she decided to study Fashion Communication and Promotion at Nottingham Trent University - and her passion for creativity became something much more.  

Growing up in Leicester and with the majority of her friends and peers being black, mixed race or of South Asian descent, Amy never considered that her university experience would be a lot different. "Coming to uni was a massive culture shock," she says. "It's overwhelming how much of a minority I am, and if you don’t have a lot of confidence, it can make you feel like an imposter."

While researching her dissertation, Amy realised that the lack of diversity in the creative industry was a serious problem - and one that she wanted not only to address, but try and make a difference to as well. "I realised that I’m not just at uni to get my degree at this point, I’m here for something else: to contribute to a bigger conversation," she muses. 

From organic conversations with others, it became clear to Amy that this was a systemic problem. "At the time, there were a lot of black models coming out and talking about the lack of diversity in the industry. They weren’t being treated with the same sort of compassion as other models; models would go on set and there wouldn’t be anyone who knew how to work with black hair, and when they did it was rushed, and a lot of the models felt like a burden." 

When the opportunity for an internship at Mimm Studios - an open collaborative space for creatives, based in Hockley - came up, Amy didn’t think twice about applying. During the application process, Amy decided to pitch to Nathaniel Coltrane Wilson (Nate, as she affectionately calls him) a networking event to help encourage more underground, underprivileged, and unrecognised creatives into the industry. 

Nate, also an events organiser, loved the idea and Amy secured the internship - and her dream of encouraging and inspiring others became a reality. When asked about the upcoming event, Amy explains what she hopes others gain from it: “The desired impact I want this to have is truly empowerment. I think people underestimate how powerful a conversation can really be. There’s so much you can draw from that.” With exciting guests on the panel including Amy herself and Nottingham-born artist and designer Mac Collins, there will be plenty of opportunity for emerging creatives to ask questions and be inspired. 

The main purpose of the event is to celebrate creativity in Nottingham and for people to share their own experiences of their journey into the industry. Amy stresses that she hopes those that attend are ready and eager to share in conversations with others, as they never know what it could lead to. “It’s a safe space, a space for people to get out of it as much as they put in.” With a variety of people expected to attend, there will be plenty of chance for open conversation, empowerment, and potential collaboration. 

Taking place at Mimm Studios from 7pm, Saturday 4 March, things will kick off with a welcome reception for an hour, a panel talk from 8pm before a Q&A from the audience, and an opportunity to network from 9pm. Tickets are almost sold out but can be found online.