My name is Jess, I’m a University of Birmingham student, and I have just completed a 20 day B-Experienced internship, working as a Producing Assistant for China Plate. This experience has been an amazing insight into the arts industry and a brilliant first step towards an arts-producing career.
During the internship, I primarily worked on the Neighbourhood Creatives project with Producer Abbie. I was lucky enough to witness the project’s journey from initial brainstorming through to first-stage delivery. Throughout this process, I have been inspired by the quick-thinking, creative, and can-do attitude that Abbie and the wider China Plate team consistently demonstrate.
When I first joined the team in August, I had so many questions surrounding the term “co-creation” and what it means to produce in alignment with community goals, wishes and beliefs. By accompanying Abbie to meetings with partner organisations and artists, I saw how to collaborate fairly and productively in the arts. Through administrative tasks on planning, risk, budgets and contracts, I discovered the breadth of work that goes towards any production, show or arts programme. I learnt through observation what it takes to be the person to knit everything together: the producer.
I also collaborated closely with Digital & Data manager, Sarah, to establish the project’s branding and evaluation methods ahead of its launch. I researched pre-existing branding in the area and made a mood board of all the themes that were key to the Neighbourhood Creatives project. I was thrilled when my research, opinions and images were then presented as part of the brief that local designer Katherine Tromans, used to create the final branding and logo artworks.
I also took initiative in developing evaluation methods for the first half-term community workshops. With Abbie and Sarah’s guidance, I gained a deeper understanding of how to balance effective data collection with respect for people’s privacy. We eventually decided on a more interactive feedback system, using coloured tokens to represent sub-postcodes and a letterbox for participants to ‘post’ their responses.
My last week on the team was filled with attending and running the ‘Art in the Park’ workshops with our partner the Washwood Heath Adaption & Sustainability Hub (WASH). I had an amazing experience hearing stories from the community, colouring with local children and guiding everyone through the data collection methods. I was thrilled by the amount of responses we gained in just two half day sessions.
My experience with China Plate has inspired me to explore different producing roles in the arts and hopefully pursue a career in the field. The team has been incredibly welcoming, supportive, and insightful. From discussing budgets with Paul and policies with Chloe to learning about the company’s background from Ed, I’ve gained invaluable insight into the sector. Watching Abbie, Sarah, and Kristina in their roles has been especially inspiring, and I’ve loved getting to know them all.
Thank you, China Plate!