Anjola Fashawe shares how Exposure changed her life and how its best years are still ahead

A young woman in a mauve t-shirt standing next to a banner — Credit – Exposure

I first walked through the doors of Exposure when I was 16, anxious and unsure I belonged in creative media. What I found was a community that told me otherwise.

Exposure has been giving young people in north London a creative space and platform to publish their work and reach a wide audience since 1996. Founder Andreas Koumi set up Exposure in a small room at the Muswell Hill Centre with a grant from Haringey Council.

No smartphones, no social media, just a belief that young people facing multiple disadvantages deserve a genuine voice. This year, the charity turns thirty, and I’m proud to be part of its story.

It has grown into a multi-award-winning youth communications charity working with over 200 young people every year, but its soul hasn’t changed. It’s still that same space where you can bring your full self, find your voice, and truly be heard.

I’m living proof. At 20, I’m a lead peer mentor supporting the next generation of young people coming through, building my journalism career through an apprenticeship at The i Paper, and profiling fellow Exposure alumna Little Simz, the north London rap artist who was awarded both the Mercury Prize and BRIT Award.

This summer marks a new chapter. Andreas is stepping back, and Fran O’Connell, who has been at the heart of Exposure for 15 years, becomes CEO in June. “Fran knows our young people. She knows what we stand for,” says Andreas. “I am handing over the baton with enormous pride.”

Fran has supported my journey at Exposure over the years and I know firsthand how much she cares about every young person she meets. Central to her vision is digital inclusion, making sure young people most at risk of being left behind have the skills and access they need.

A new partnership with the Snap Foundation connects young people to professional networks that would otherwise feel completely out of reach and there’s a real commitment to hiring leaders who come from the same communities Exposure serves.

“I’ve seen what happens when a young person finds their voice,” Fran says. “It changes everything, their confidence, their sense of what’s possible, their future. I want Exposure to reach further and make sure that opportunity is there for every young person, whatever their background.”

As it enters this new chapter, Exposure is looking for two new trustees, people who share a genuine commitment to young people and can bring expertise in fundraising, digital media, finance, charity governance or equality and inclusion. The role will entail four or five trustee meetings a year, with hybrid options available.

To find out more or express interest contact: [email protected] | exposure.org.uk

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