Free and Figuring It Out
#082 | Figuring it out with Nicole Crentsil, CEO of Black Girl Festival
Nicole Crentsil is a London-based Ghanaian born cultural curator, creative consultant and entrepreneur. In 2018, Forbes listed Nicole as one of 100 women to follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. In the same year, TimeOut named Nicole as 1 of 50 Londoner’s shaping the city’s cultural landscape. Nicole is the CEO of Black Girl Festival - a creative community and arts festival for Black women, girls and non-binary people. She’s also the founder of BIG SIS, a platform dedicated to supporting the personal development of creative working women. Nicole is passionate about connecting women, young people and underrepresented groups to art, culture and events.
We discuss with Nicole…
the creative industry and potential roles available
being a Black girl and woman in the creative industry
entering an industry dominated by white men
feeling excluded when following your passion
understanding the one thing you are good at
why qualifications aren’t everything
internships and socio-economic status
being Black and discriminated against when applying for internships
the true cost of doing internships
getting into debt to afford to learn
the rich side of fashion degrees
developing side hustles
importance of mental health as a creative
bringing Black women together
the Black British experience vs the US one
Black history and school curriculums
supporting Black women in the creative industry
lockdown and its effects
Black Lives Matter rise during COVID19
Lack of Black blood donors
Lack of representation of Black women.
Resources mentioned
Find Nicole at
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Your hosts are...
Charelle Griffith, 32, is a marketing strategist for solopreneurs and founder of PropelHer, a personal development blog and book club. She lives in London, dates men and has been single for 5 years (except for a summer romance in 2018). Connect with Charelle on Instagram.
Verity Brown, 34, is a northerner and the founder of The Authentic DatA Revolution and is currently living in the Lake District, UK. She is bisexual, was single for 3.5 years and is in a relationship with a woman. Connect with Verity on Instagram.