Only 1% of children's story books feature a main character that is from a black or ethnic minority background. Sheffield Hallam alumna, Emma Jackson, aims to tackle this bleak statistic with her newly established business venture 'Story Drawing Club', and is committed to inspiring a more diverse generation of visual story tellers by developing new drawing and writing workshops and taking them into local primary schools. It is hoped that the activities will encourage young artists and writers at the start of their education to create illustrated stories that naturally represent the communities they are based within.

Emma accessed support from Sheffield Hallam University's Enterprise Team whilst setting up her new venture and was awarded a £1,200 Santander Enterprise Bursary to turn 'Story Drawing Club' into a business. She said, "The support from the Enterprise team has been invaluable and it has helped give me the direction I needed since finishing my MA in illustration, where I could have easily felt unsure where to go next."

"The careers advice, funding available, inspiring workshops and printmaking room have all played a part to the development of Story Drawing Club. The University has also given me access to a creative working space at Industry, which is so important. It helps keep me motivated and it’s good to have a space to work in outside of your home."

Emma is currently applying for funding from the Arts Council so that she can take Story Drawing Club to more schools and increase its reach and impact. She has also been shortlisted for the Hallam Enterprise Awards which will be held in October later this year.

If you are a graduate from the last five years, and aspire to start up your own business, there is a range of support available to help you achieve your ambitions. Sheffield Hallam provides free access to specialist business knowledge and resources to improve your chances of success. You will also be able to attend one-to-one meetings with a career advisor and gain crucial advice from our pool of industry-specific networks.

Make sure you update your contact details to ensure you can keep informed about the careers support you can access as a graduate of the University.