Gage Arneaud is Building a movement where young creatives belong

When asked to describe his Starting Up, Starting Out experience in three words, Gage chose Wonderful. Creative. Powerful. Those words capture not only the programme, but the spirit of Photographer 480 itself.

Gage Arneaud; Founder at Photographer 480

For Gage Arneaud, founder of Photographer 480, the work has always been bigger than a project.

It began with a simple but powerful question: what if every young creative had a space where they truly belonged?

As a young mixed-heritage creative and community leader with Caribbean roots, Gage has seen too many talented young people held back by a lack of access, confidence and opportunity. Through Photographer 480, he is creating spaces where young people can connect, collaborate and grow through creativity, sport and community.

The vision is clear: to build a youth-led movement that turns passion into purpose and helps young people shape their own futures.

The starting point

Before joining Starting Up, Starting Out with Southwark LAP, Gage and Photographer 480 were already doing the work. They had the vision, the community insight and the commitment. What they needed was clarity.

Gage wanted support to improve sales techniques, grow more effectively, strengthen GDPR policies, and receive an experienced second opinion on the organisation’s approach. Like many early-stage founders, he was not starting from nothing. He was building from lived experience, energy and ambition, but needed the right support to make the work more sustainable.

Photographer 480 was seeking finance and leadership training to better manage operations, funding and long-term growth. Gage also wanted access to mentors, creative industry experts and youth enterprise networks that could help refine the model, explore investment opportunities and develop a clearer roadmap.

The goal was to move from a small grassroots project into a recognised youth-led enterprise.

Creating spaces young people actually want to be in

Photographer 480 responds to a real gap in the lives of young creatives, skaters and athletes.

Too often, young people are expected to develop their ideas, skills and networks in spaces that were not designed for them. Expensive coffee shops, sterile coworking spaces and formal professional environments do not always match their energy, creativity or ambition.

Gage’s response is different.

Photographer 480 runs free and low-cost coworking, networking and social sessions in places where young people already feel comfortable: skateparks, basketball courts, community spaces, creative venues and outdoor environments. The organisation brings together sport, creativity and collaboration to create brighter futures and stronger communities.

From an early community event at Peckham Levels to detached youth sessions attracting 20–30 young people, Gage has seen the power of community, sport and creativity in changing lives.

The turning point

For Gage, one of the most transformative parts of Starting Up, Starting Out was the Critical Friends support with Kika.

Through that support, he received practical guidance on applying for grants and using funding opportunities to support growth. The sessions helped him better understand the funding process, improve his applications and think more strategically about scaling the organisation.

That learning quickly turned into action.

Using the guidance from the programme, Gage applied a more strategic approach to a Youth Music grant application and successfully secured £2,500 in funding. This was more than a financial win. It gave Photographer 480 greater confidence in its ability to access funding, plan for future growth and invest in its impact.

It is a strong example of what effective capacity building can do. It does not just give people information. It helps them apply it, test it and turn it into real progress.

Strengthening the foundations

Since completing the programme, Photographer 480 has seen several important changes.

The organisation has launched consultation services and kickstarted its London youth community, creating new opportunities for young people to engage, connect and receive support.

Gage has also strengthened the organisation’s internal foundations by formally confirming GDPR policy and safeguarding procedures for young people and young adults. These developments have improved the organisation’s professionalism, increased confidence and positioned Photographer 480 for more sustainable growth.

This matters because youth-led and lived experience-led work often grows from urgency. A founder sees a need, creates something in response, and builds while delivering. Starting Up, Starting Out gave Gage the opportunity to pause, reflect and strengthen the systems around the mission.

Growing as a young leader

The programme also had a personal impact on Gage.

As a young person leading an organisation, he described how difficult it can be to fully trust your own experience and decisions. The programme helped him recognise the value of his perspective, his strengths and his leadership.

It also helped him navigate challenges with greater confidence and resilience. Connecting with other founders and entrepreneurs was another important part of the experience, giving him the chance to learn from others and build relationships with people who understood the realities of starting and growing an organisation.

For Global Majority founders, that kind of space matters. It is not only about business development. It is about being seen, supported and encouraged to think bigger.

As Gage reflected, being part of a programme designed around the unique experiences, challenges and strengths of Black and Global Majority-led organisations meant a lot. It created a space where he felt supported, understood and motivated to grow his impact.

What comes next

Looking ahead, Gage’s goals are ambitious and grounded.

Photographer 480 is working towards securing two to three clients per month, while continuing to deliver youth events every one to three months. Gage also wants to grow the youth events programme to deliver five events each year, creating more opportunities for young people to connect, learn and thrive.

The longer-term ambition is to build a regular schedule of coworking and networking sessions for 18–25-year-olds, expand detached youth work into new areas, and lay the groundwork for a permanent creative hub.

With the support of Starting Up, Starting Out, Gage now feels better equipped to pursue those goals. The programme has given him greater strategic clarity, improved his approach to sales and business development, and helped him identify funding opportunities that can support both the organisation and the team.

Wonderful, creative and powerful

When asked to describe his Starting Up, Starting Out experience in three words, Gage chose:

Wonderful. Creative. Powerful.

Those words capture not only the programme, but the spirit of Photographer 480 itself.

Gage is building something rooted in belonging, creativity and possibility. He is showing what happens when young people are trusted to design spaces for themselves and their peers. He is turning lived experience into leadership, and leadership into community infrastructure.

At Do it Now Now, we are proud to have supported Gage and Photographer 480 through Starting Up, Starting Out with Southwark LAP.

Because when Global Majority service users are given the right tools, networks and support, they do not just grow organisations.

They build movements.