As a Creative Mentor, John Bernard supports artists, writers, and performers in finding and focusing on their voice, shaping their ideas into powerful, authentic work. He works across schools, youth clubs, alternative provisions, youth prisons, colleges, and universities, creating spaces where creativity can be explored safely and confidently.

A leading UK advocate for youth empowerment, John’s authenticity is rooted in his lived experience. Entering foster care at the age of 11, he navigated the challenges of gang culture and life circumstances that could have taken him down a very different path. It was the intervention of youth mentors who supported and guided him that helped change his trajectory.

Now, John is committed to replicating that same support; using creativity as a tool to give young people a chance to be heard, to grow in confidence, and to choose a different path for themselves.