Award-winning Brixton film-maker transforms lives and giving back to her community

A woman film-maker is transforming young people’s lives and helping them break into the media industry, writes Georgina Gambetta

Brixton-born, award-winning film-maker, Victoria Ijeh is giving back to her community through her organisation Iconic Steps, based in Belvedere Road.

Victoria said: “Iconic Steps aims to develop a growth mindset in young people, aged 16-25, so they can overcome barriers and take their first steps towards an iconic career.”

The young people are able to enrol on to the free academy and access various media courses, including documentary film-making, music, advertising, photography, and spoken word.

They are also given the opportunity, and paid, to create video and photography content for clients.

Most recently, the young people were the official videographers and photographers for Lambeth council’s Elevate programme, and filmed all the events taking place, including Inside out, at the Lambeth Country Show.

Companies such as ITV, Sony, and Barclays provide other job opportunities and internships.

Iconic Steps was piloted in 2012 .

What started as one production by eight young people has now produced more than 100 productions involving in excess of 100 young people – 75 per cent have gone to gain employment in the media industry.

Talat, a previous student, said: “Had it not been for this course I undertook at Iconic Steps, many of the opportunities I now have available to me, would
otherwise not been possible.”

Victoria said: “I grew up in a single parent, Nigerian household on the St Matthew’s Estate, but I was always determined.

“I noticed that when I was creating content and making stuff, I was pretty much the only person from my background doing this.

“And I realised the main difference was our mindsets.

“I want to share, push, and promote growth mindset among young people and get them to understand that they can achieve if they just work at it.”