Running out of good intros, but whatever, it’s Matt!
Ignore that title, its a *bit* bad.
So, today it’s time to talk about my overall time at QUAD, what I most enjoyed, what I didn’t, what I learnt, and wether it’s inspired me to go onto a creative job.
What have I enjoyed the most?
Overall, I would say that the single thing I have enjoyed the most during my 4 days of work experience here at QUAD was -insert drum roll- the curating task from Tuesday! I feel like it has been the most creative activity we did, and it was quite fun discussing with Henry the various ways we could arrange the photos (colour, subject, style etc.), and then using our ideas to create an exhibit unique to us, and then getting really good feedback from the curators (Beth and Laura)! I also really enjoyed giving my feedback to QUAD so that they can hopefully use it to get more younger people; such as myself and Henry; interested in QUAD’s youth workshops, especially DigisQUAD and Youth Advocates.
What didn’t I enjoy so much?
Honestly, it was quite hard to think of something that I didn’t enjoy as much, but I think in the end that (sorry Sandra) it was the day for Education Curating. I just think that it was a bit to heavy on the use of the macs to research as much, and as such it became a bit to monotonous and “samey”, it just wasn’t varied enough to really interest me. However the same does not go for the research and reflection tasks at the end of each day, as it was much shorter, and was more interesting, and possibly more relevant to someone such as myself, who still doesn’t quite know what they are going to do, getting insight into different jobs is really helpful.
What new things have I learnt about QUAD and the people who work here?
I’ve learnt lots of things about QUAD as a company, and the people who work here. The main thing that I have learned is that QUAD is not just a cinema, it is also a registered charity, and has a lot to offer for young people: in the form of lots of skills workshops. I’ve also met a lot of the staff here, and they’ve all been very kind and welcoming, improving my experience even more, and have all been eager to help in any way they can, and answer all my questions. They are all very creative individuals, and thats what they are individuals they all have their own personalities and traits, which is what makes QUAD such a great organisation.
What new skills have I learnt/developed, and how could it help me make decisions in the future?
I would say that the main skills I have improved during my time at QUAD are my communication and my teamworking skills. I have to communicate with lots of different people, who I didn’t know before, which has also increased my confidence consequently. I have also worked a lot with my partner, Henry, and as such I think my teamworking skills have also improved somewhat, and this also improved my communication.
As far as making decisions goes, I think these will help, as they will no doubt open up new opportunities that I was not previously aware of, which could potentially have a massive impact on my life.
Have I been inspired to pursue a career in the arts?
It has definitely strengthened my desire to go into the world of art (visual or digital) as a career, I have always considered it as my primary prospect (I have others, food science for example). I am already strongly considering doing both art and graphic design at A-Level standard, so that I am able to pursue a career in it. However, now that I am more motivated I will be doing some more volunteering in the arts world (I also volunteer at QUAD in the youth sessions).
Well, that blog turned out longer than I was expecting, but it definitely covers all the important stuff, so it can be forgiven. Anyway I’ll be writing another blog later today, so I’ll see you then.