Almost four years in the making, our first ever intern program is underway and off to a pacey start! Working closely with Torchlight’s Creative Crew, our four new additions are certainly bringing a fresh dynamic that’ll help us to build a special event in time for September.
Managed as part of our Creative Leaders program, the internships have only been made possible this year thanks to our successful application with Arts Council England. Their support means we were able to make good on our desire to support local artists financially, offering bursaries to aid their development at a time the industry has been hard hit by the effects of the pandemic.
Committed to helping us make this year our best yet, the interns have already enjoyed time developing their skills in willow weaves and recycled materials with our craft experts Donna Campbell and Josh Simpson, creating giant features and working outside of their comfort zones to push themselves to new artistic heights.
“The internship has been a real success so far, but not only has it created paid work opportunities in the arts for young people but provided learning experiences for them working with other artists too. They have brought fresh energy to the project, upscaling projects and supporting others to get creative. It has been so inspiring for us as artists to see their enthusiasm and creativity.” Josh Simpson, Torchlight Production Manager
As mentioned above, the program has also given our interns the opportunity to collaborate, something that has been notoriously difficult to do over the past year, offering vital experience for those who are looking to start their careers in community arts. However, this experience hasn’t just been limited to ‘intern only’ workshops, our new creatives have also been key to the smooth running of ‘Carnival Café’ and ‘Curious Botanicals’ events too, which of course you can still get involved in…
Carnival Café | Curious Botanicals
For more updates on this year’s interns progress and learn more about this year’s event, you can keep up to date with us on social media by following us at the links below…