Purplefish creates opportunities for young people

Bristol agency Purplefish, a Better Business member, has brought together a team of young Bristolians to support its 2019 campaign for St Paul’s Carnival.

The communications consultancy is working to promote Bristol’s iconic celebration of African-Caribbean culture for the second year running, after a hugely successful 50th anniversary carnival in 2018.

Purplefish has created three new roles, including two internships, to help on the project as well as pulling together a team to oversee media relations on the day of the event itself.

Tyreke Morgan joined Purplefish’s team through youth employment organisation Babbasa and has been working in a part-time administrative post at the agency for six months during a gap year between college and starting a psychology course at the University of Bristol.

UWE graduate Jonathan Adams and University of Bristol student Joe Boyd have joined the team as summer interns, helping out across all aspects of the business for month-long stints.

All three have been instrumental in helping managing director Joanna Randall and her team manage the media relations in the run up to St Pauls Carnival on Saturday 06 July, acting as a press office and running the social media channels.

They will also be part of the Purplefish street team present on the day to answer and direct any queries from the media and others and provide general support.

Joanna said: “We’re always looking for ways to open up new opportunities for talented youngsters in Bristol who want to break into the creative industries. Getting that first foot in the door is the hardest bit.

“Carnival is an amazing campaign to work on because it is an event so close to Bristolians’ hearts. Like any big public event, it also requires a massive amount of work so we were thrilled to bring in Tyreke, Jonathan and Joe to support our team on this campaign and we hope it will put them in a really strong position for their next role.”

The carnival theme for this year is ‘Our journey’, chosen in response to the well documented journey of the Windrush generation who came to England from the 1940s onwards.

The Our Journey theme pays homage to the generation who came together in Bristol and set up organisations and groups to support their new lives in the UK. The theme will be brought to life across every aspect of the event from dance, music and poetry to songs, the procession and the schools’ programme.

Purplefish will be working with local schools to capture their journey as they prepare to take part in the procession, profiling musicians and performers, food traders and behind the scenes volunteers who make the event what it is.

The Carnival team is also asking businesses and individuals to support this not for profit organisation through crowdfunding donations, sponsorship and support in the form of volunteering or providing time and skills to various aspects of the event management and production. If you are able to offer time or donate and want to know more about the benefits in return please get in touch with us or contact: admin@stpaulscarnival.org.uk

For further information please contact:

Joanna.Randall@purplefish.agency

James.grice@purplefish.agency

Tel: 0117 925 1358 / 07538 914018

Purplefish are a Better Business member; an initiative encouraging a more collaborative approach to creating social and environmental impact. To find out more about Better Business, visit b247.staging.proword.press/betterbusiness