Student Case Study – Dominika

Name of Student: Dominika

Pathway Programme: Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage

Internship Role: Arts Development and Marketing Assistant

Summary of Organisation: Somerset Art Works is a registered charity and membership organisation. It is Somerset’s only countywide agency dedicated to developing the visual arts. We want Somerset to be a place where people expect to engage with excellent visual art that is surprising and distinctive. To create an atmosphere of adventure and experimentation that inspires artists to produce and present new work and for all audiences to experience it first-hand.

Please briefly outline the project/tasks/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship.

At the beginning of my internship, I spent some time familiarising myself with the organisation, by reading sections of the website as well as having Zoom calls with my line manager, who told me more about Somerset Art Works (SAW) and its functioning.

After having learnt more about the organisation, I was mostly helping with the Open Studios Guide. SAW organises Art Weeks in late September for which they issue an about 80-90 pages long guide featuring all of the artists and venues participating. I was helping the team by proofreading the guide for this year’s Open Studios events and cross-checking whether the information in the art index is correct. I also participated in the Zoom call with Visit Somerset, where the advertising for this year’s guide was discussed and wrote a published blog post for their website about my impressions and experiences.

My line manager also took extra time to show and explain to me how SAW functions and how particular things are done, such as the Marketing Schedule or the process of drafting the email Newsletter. This enabled me to learn more about the functioning of SAW and similar organisations in the Arts and Culture sector and gave me a space to discuss my impressions and suggest possible areas of improvement to the team.

While I was mostly working remotely, I’ve had a chance to spend time in Somerset, during which I attended a team meeting and was given a tour of some of the SAW–related locations in Somerset such as the CLOSE gallery. I’ve had a chance to see the Lines of Empathy exhibition, Coates English Willow Visitor Centre as well as visit Sara Dudman’s studio and talk to her about her work.

Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, what advice would you give to other students to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience?

I’d definitely advise to get in touch with the employer before the beginning of the internship and then agree on the work schedule as soon as they start working. On the first day of my internship, I had a call with my line manager in which he told me more about the organisation and how they usually work and communicate. During that call, we also agreed on me giving him daily updates so that he always knew what I’d been working on and how I was progressing. I think effective communication really allowed me to make the most out of my time at SAW.

What advice would you give to a student who has to complete an internship via remote or hybrid working?

I’d recommend contacting your line manager right at the beginning of the internship and agreeing on channels of communication and work pattern. That way I knew how to plan my day and when to work. I’d usually have a Zoom call with my line manager every other day to catch up on what I’ve been doing, and I’d also email him with any questions I’ve had.

To stay focused while working from home, I’ve tried to limit the possible distractions by always working from the same place – that physical distinction really allowed me to focus on my work better. Finally, I always made sure to go out for a walk or to the gym before or after work so that I got some movement and fresh air.

Why would you recommend the Professional Pathways programme to other students?

My favourite thing about Professional Pathways was that it included both the training week, and a paid internship. During the training week there was a large variety of speakers who all worked in the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector and by listening to their talks and working on a project with my group I’ve learned so much about the functioning of organisations in the sector as well as some of the challenges it faces. The internship that followed made me reflect on what I’ve learned during the previous week, expand on that knowledge and definitely made me more confident about my own skills.

Moreover, as someone who still hasn’t fully decided on what I want to do after university, I feel like the experience really helped me to gain some insight into what I enjoy and can imagine myself doing in the future and made me conclude that work in the Arts and Culture sector feels extremely fulfilling to me.