Birmingham designer Luke Tonge's "anti-placement placement" reimagines creative internships

Summary

Birmingham-based designer Luke Tonge has created an "anti-placement placement" — a two-week annual residency at his coworking space The Jointworks that rejects the traditional model of unpaid, menial student placements. Instead of free labour and coffee-fetching, the programme offers a structured experience combining bootcamp-style learning, studio visits ("studio safari"), and confidence-building masterclasses for emerging creatives. Now in its fourth year, the initiative reimagines how design students can gain meaningful industry exposure without exploitation.