​How to…find an arts placement

At some point when taking your Gold Arts Award, it will come to Unit 1 Part B, which is all about getting involved in the Arts World.

​How to…find an arts placement

This can be very daunting and leaves you wondering where to even start…well help is here! Currently doing Gold myself I understand the difficulty with this section. I am lucky to have gained an apprenticeship at Chichester Festival Theatre, one of the country's leading regional theatres, before even starting Gold and it is already helping me develop my arts skills in ways I didn't even realise was possibly for me and this is what I am evaluating on in Part B, with added research into other arts opportunities.

I am here to share my knowledge with you and hopefully point you in the right direction. Here are some ideas of where to look.

Opportunities on Voice

First of all definitely look at http://www.artsawardvoice.com/magazine/opportunities as this is a great for checking out any new opportunities to get involved in with Arts Award. For example, I am an Arts Award Activist and am part of a group of young people who represent and promote Arts Award at events and festivals up and down the country and lead projects to ensure young people's voices are heard. This would perfect for this section and also is a great way to meet other young people who are doing or have completed their Arts Award.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a must! What a way to get involved with the arts. Apprenticeships are definitely on the rise in terms of popularity and the practical experience that you receive is invaluable. Check out your local theatres, art galleries, museums etc. as there are bound to be opportunities available, especially apprenticeships! Here are some websites to take a look at and see what interests you:

The Royal Opera House - The Royal Opera House has been providing high-quality backstage production and technical training by learning on the job

The Apprenticeship Guide - If you like a bit of drama in your life, why not consider one of the apprenticeships listed here

A New Direction - New apprenticeships scheme launched by off West End theatres

Not Going To Uni - Find art and design apprenticeship jobs and training courses in the UK.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another way to get involved. Museums and art galleries usually have plenty of roles for volunteers. This would be perfect if you are still in education and don't have a lot of time on your hands. There are so many volunteering opportunities around especially within the arts. Here are a couple of websites to take a look at.

Charity Job - Volunteer roles in the Arts, culture, and heritage

Voluntary Arts - Promotes participation in creative cultural activity across UK and Ireland

Work Experience

Work Experience is a great way to get a taste of what working in the arts is really like. It's not a huge commitment either, most work experience placements are usually only for a week or two which surpasses the minimum involvement of five days for Part B. Here is a great website that offers a range of different job roles that you can get stuck into.

Plastersine - There are a number of opportunities on Plastersine that will add colour to your CV and give you a better chance at snatching that job

I hope this gives you a push in the right direction and helps you realise how much is out there for you to get involved with.

If you apply yourself in the right way and take every opportunity that these kind of job roles offer, then if could lead to further work for you in the future. Which is a bonus!


Image courtesy of Flickr/ccbarr

Author

Shannon  Hay

Shannon Hay

I am an aspiring actor who is currently taking a year apprenticeship at Chichester Festival Theatre whilst auditioning for Drama school. I am one of the new Arts Award Activists, which I am very much enjoying and I am currently doing my Gold Arts Award.

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