Third Angel’s paid internship programme is one of my favourite things of all we’ve been able to do since becoming a National Portfolio Organisation in 2015. It’s also one of the most bittersweet. We routinely get 40+ applications from passionate, articulate, capable people wanting to get into arts admin and producing, and we can only hire one. As a very small team, we get to know our intern really well, see them challenged by some things, excel at others, learn, grow, gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, discover love for things they never thought they’d enjoy, which is all SO brilliant to be part of. And then, after 18 months, we have to say goodbye and start all over again!
And it’s that time again. We’re delighted to be able to introduce you to our wonderful 2019-20 intern Sam Turner.
I’m Sam, and I’m delighted to introduce myself as Third Angel’s fourth Intern.
I’ve followed Third Angel’s work since moving to Sheffield in 2014 and I’ve greatly valued volunteering with the company to support my development as a theatre-maker; I’ve got stuck into various creative projects and roles – from stage management to painting a giant map of the world.
A little about me:
I’ve enjoyed making a range of creative work in Sheffield’s diverse art scene and involving myself with theatres, festivals and artists. I enjoy contemporary performance, supporting fun projects and encouraging others to engage with creativity. I love logistics, creative discussion and drinking a lot of coffee in the process. I’ve supported new writing and produced work for venues and festivals across the country – from Edinburgh to an outdoor production at a beer festival in rural Suffolk.
Since graduating in English and Theatre last July, I have enjoyed working hard as Theatre Deli’s Front of House Manager and managing creative projects freelance; my last endeavour was an immersive production of A Christmas Carol which included a two-course meal.
The Administration and Production Internship appealed to me for offering an opportunity to develop my skills and confidence within arts management – a rare opening. I’m looking forward to working with a small (but mighty) team to support important creative work and develop a multitude of skills. I’m thankful for the opportunity to find my pathway and pursue my career ambitions, with support from the Third Angel team. Working with Sarah has given me an insight into the attributes I can develop and has revealed how integral the Intern role is to Third Angel’s smooth running. I feel ready for the challenge and I wish Sarah the very best with her next adventure.
I’ve enjoyed my first few weeks in the office and I’m looking forward to undertaking many exciting challenges over the next eighteen months. I’ll be working part-time hours with Third Angel and I’m actively looking for other interesting projects to engage with, in Sheffield and beyond.”
And now to bid a very fond farewell to the equally marvellous Sarah Webb, who’s seen us through some exciting and challenging times, in particular shouldering big responsibilities on our large-scale show with young people, Inherited Cites, and taking our free workshop programme Future Makers to new heights. And we wish her all the very best for the future, which we know will be stellar.
“Well, that was a busy 18 months. I might need another 18 to attempt to summarise them. This has been an internship of blood (don’t worry, just paper cuts and the like), sweat, tears and laughter - and I wouldn’t change a thing! The experience has been a highly active springboard to developing new (and underused) skills, and ultimately setting me up for the next step in arts management. And now that’s what I’m about to do. The time has come for me to (reluctantly) leave the Third Angel team, but lucky me, I’m moving over to yet another great arts organisation. I’ll soon be starting as Unlimited Theatre’s General and Finance Administrator. On top of this, I’ll also be working with Harland Works on an exciting new project, and if that wasn’t enough, I’m lending a hand on the opening tour of S.H.E.D. this summer!
Before I go, I just want to say the BIGGEST thank you to Third Angel for welcoming me to the family. What sets this internship out from the rest (though there’s not many out there for aspiring arts managers) is the amount of time and energy that that each member of the team invested into ensuring my time with them was as varied, enlightening, rewarding and challenging as possible. I’m eternally grateful and vow to make it worth their while! I hope they don’t miss the sound of me crunching away on packs of crisps in the office too much…”
Nope, nothing in my eye, probably just early hayfever…
Hilary