Meet the Directors: Part 2
BY LILY ROBERTS
COMMERCIAL TEAM
MEET EVA STAROSOLSKY - Commercial Director
Why did you join FUZE?
I joined FUZE last year in the cast and I had the most amazing time walking in the show. I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and the charitable fundraising and values of FUZE drew me in. Everybody was so welcoming and friendly I couldn’t wait to get more involved this year.
What are you most excited about this year?
Our expansion across the UK! After the success of us launching in London, I am so excited to bring FUZE to Manchester this February. Seeing our community and organisation grow is amazing to watch. Anything seems possible for FUZE this year!
What has being part of the FUZE family done for you?
Being part of the FUZE family has given me the chance to work with like-minded people for social causes we all care about. Since joining FUZE I have worked on exciting projects I never thought I would have the chance to. It’s lovely to be part of a genuinely kind and caring community.
MEET AMIA WATLING - Marketing Director
What drew you to this role as director and what do you like most about it?
I studied Fashion Communication at university and while on the course I’d been involved with multiple industry campaigns across fashion, music and events. I was really interested in the marketing aspect of these and jumped at the opportunity to work on campaigns that combine all my interests and experience!
What has being part of the FUZE family done for you?
It has enabled me to work on exciting professional projects and gain valuable experience. Since joining I have been able to expand my creative portfolio and work experience, which has already enabled me to get on a new career path. I've also managed to develop a new network of inspiring and creative peers!
What advice would you give your younger self?
I’d tell myself to relax a bit and focus on what brings me joy! It’s okay to not know what you want to do with your life and constantly have a plan for the next step, allow yourself time to explore multiple pathways and you’ll find something you really love.
MEET ANDREW JONES - Social Media Manager
Why did you join FUZE?
I grew up in Abu Dhabi - I was born there and only moved to the UK when I was 18. Growing up gay in the Middle East wasn’t the best, but FUZE celebrated all the things I’d had to hide. In terms of creative expression when I was younger, I went to fashion and arts to express myself because I couldn’t be open about it. But FUZE was an organisation that expressed everything I’m interested in while still celebrating queer culture and diversity in general.
What drew you to this role as director and what do you like most about it?
I actually applied to be a Social Media Assistant. I was very interested in fashion, but I had experience in social media so thought I’d give it a go, but I don’t know I guess they saw potential. The first week I was absolutely terrified! I didn’t think I would like it because I’m one of the youngest directors and I’m not the most confident in terms of presenting. Now it’s literally second nature - I have to speak to like 20 people a week and I’m just used to it. I really like it, it’s like a family – you can tell they all care. I’m truly grateful that everyone on my team is so enthusiastic and invested.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Go for it. When I was younger, I was so scared of putting myself out there because I always thought it would be embarrassing if I tried really hard and then didn’t get it. Around the same time I applied for FUZE, I just thought f**k it, and sent the same application to Vogue, Urban, Marie Claire etc. I wish I’d had that attitude more before and just gone for it. If I had my confidence now when I was younger, it would have changed my perception on a lot of things. Even in the space of 18 months since I moved to the UK, I’m literally an entirely different person.
Andrew Jones
MEET ALEX VINCENT - Charity Director
Why did you join FUZE?
FUZE combines so many of my interests and provides a platform to explore and promote an extremely interesting intersection between the creative and the charity sectors and is reflective of how integral creative endeavours are in reforming our society. I’ve always been passionate about both sectors but have found them intimidating. FUZE for me offered a much-needed safe space to explore these passions without fear of being judged. The thought of being able to develop my interests whilst making a wider contribution in such a forward-thinking creative environment really excited me.
What drew you to this role as director and what do you like most about it?
I find my role extremely rewarding. The charities we’re working with are all causes the committee are genuinely passionate about, so being able to see first-hand FUZE’s ability to help change things through both raising funds and awareness is really exciting. I had a meeting the other day with a member of one of our charities BSWN. In the background there was construction work going on for a new office space, helping to expand their reach; he informed me this was possible due to FUZE’s support. It is really cool to be able to see the hard work we do pay off and materialise into lasting change within the community.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Looking further ahead into the future I am very interested in further developing my understanding of different perspectives of human experience and developing skills in conflict resolution. As it currently stands, I am planning on doing a postgraduate degree in Peace and Conflict studies at Sydney University and one day wish to translate my passion for social change to informing policy. I also hope to achieve an internship at the United Nations. I can see myself translating this passion on a more grassroots level, both the charity and NGO sectors have always been appealing to me too.
MEET RISHI BAGDAI - Events Director
What do you hope to achieve while you’re a FUZE director, both for your department and the organisation as a whole?
I hope to streamline the events side of FUZE and embed it within the wider FUZE story. These events aren’t just parties we throw for the sake of it, they are the physical, tangible experiences that connect our work to our audience. Months of work culminates in a singular night or even a singular moment, and that’s the kind of experience I hope to bring to FUZE and achieve with them.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
10 years is a long time, who knows where I’ll be. I have a plan for the next 1-3 years and goals for 5 years but 10… not a clue. I hope to have achieved my dream which is earning a good income doing my dream job which is music related. Maybe by then I’ll be working on international projects, maybe festivals, maybe own a venue or bar or something. I hope that I’m happy and healthy. I trust in the FUZE team that FUZE will be operating on a significant level globally.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
It gets better.
MEET ZAHRA MOALLIN - Finance Director
Why did you join FUZE?
I was particularly impressed by how much FUZE raised for charity through the Utopia show (23.5k for Black South West Network and Art Refuge). I joined in the hope that I can contribute to helping charities like these, especially after the pandemic. The core values of diversity and inclusivity are also something I am really passionate about, especially after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. FUZE is determined to break down the idea of traditional beauty standards and welcome everyone for who they are. I believe fashion should represent everyone and I really wanted to be involved in a team/brand that pushed for this.
What drew you to this role as director and what do you like most about it?
I wanted to help FUZE achieve it’s financial goals, and I wanted to use my skills to help FUZE raise even more money for charity and help expand the brand to Manchester and London. My favourite part of the role is speaking to each of the teams about their overall budgets and discussing expected expenses. I have also recently learnt how to create contracts for FUZE and potential sponsorships and cannot wait to do my first one!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be confident and always try things you are interested in. You can always pick up new skills, so don’t worry about not knowing how to do something.
MEET MAIA GYEPI-GARBRAH - Sponsorship Director
Why did you join FUZE?
I joined the FUZE cast on a whim after signing a modelling contract with Select Model Management over the Summer of 2020. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to get involved in some creative projects closer to home since I am a university student here in Bristol. I found that my academic-focused studies left my creative side neglected and I was keen to join a community of creatives to strike a balance in my life – FUZE certainly delivered!
What do you hope to achieve while you’re a FUZE director, both for your department and the organisation as a whole?
I hope to see a sizeable impact in the communities that our chosen charities support, and this will be achieved by partnering with organisations with a similar drive to ourselves. The extent of this success would not be possible without the valuable work of my team members, who after this year, I hope are able to use the personal and professional skills they’ve developed in whatever environment they find themselves in.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
As much as it seems like it, not everyone knows where they belong. It might take a bit of time to find a crowd that suits and supports you, but you will.
Maia Gyepi-Garbrah
MEET ZARA DENHAM - Zine Director
What drew you to this role as director and what do you like most about it?
I love online magazines and publications. I find them so engaging and so essential to modern popular culture, so the opportunity to apply my passion and expand the very young and new FUZE Zine was invaluable. Without a doubt, the best thing about my role is that it has allowed me to build a team of young, passionate, and incredibly talented writers who have been an absolute dream to work with.
How did your FUZE journey begin and where are you hoping it will take you?
I first joined FUZE in 2019 as Assistant Events Director, and the experience was so fulfilling and exciting that I was eager to stay on. I’m hoping to eventually work in publishing and editing, so moving to work with the zine made sense from a career perspective. Having followed it quite closely last year I knew the type of diverse and fascinating content it produced, and now being lucky enough to be a part of the behind-the-scenes team producing that content will help open my eyes to new opinions, perspectives, and philosophies over the course of the year.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To not wait for opportunity to present itself! As a very anxious child, I would rarely seek out interesting projects or groups to be a part of, and would wait for opportunity to fall in my lap before I took it. FUZE was one of the first things that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to chase, and I’m so grateful that I did. FUZE has shown me just how much I would have missed out if I hadn’t made the decision to try something different and scary, and my only regret is that I didn’t start doing it sooner.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
