My Intern Experience at Radiate Arts

Hi! I’m Elise and I was given the chance to intern as an ‘artist in residence’ at Radiate Arts this Winter, starting in January and following through to mid-February.

My first time delivering a workshop I designed!

I finished my English Literature degree studying at the University of Chester last year and had just moved to Liverpool with a friend when I was sent an advertisement for the Radiate Arts internship by the University job alerts.

I didn’t study art past a GCSE level so I was a little nervous when applying, but I had always considered art and creativity some of my greatest passions, picking up my sketchbook whenever I found free time in my degree, (or whenever a class was particularly slow), so I decided to take a chance and apply for the internship.

I was so excited when I was offered an interview, but knew it was face to face speaking that would make me the most nervous as I wasn’t too good at selling myself…

I immediately felt welcomed by Radiate Arts however, Pam and Alex did their best to make me feel at ease, conversing with me casually and telling me which of my skills they were intrigued by; I left the interview feeling like, for the first time, I had done pretty well and immediately had to call my family and friends to tell them how proud I was of myself.

My first day at the studio I was thrown into things, being introduced to the Hidden Histories project and given the task of designing the layout of the book which I had a blast messing around with. I had made my own book in college, and it felt eerily familiar to pick out fun shapes and layouts to make the book exciting for the reader. It was great getting to read peoples life stories and noticing the things that stood out the most to them – for many, art, creativity, and dance were big parts of their lives that they looked on fondly, even if they didn’t consider themselves the most creative! It was really heart-warming to read about all these people's long lives and all the things they had accomplished and were proud of.

That same first day I participated in Teatime Tuesday in which we made a vegan stir fry – complete with a jackfruit replica of duck in hoisin sauce. One of my favourite things to do is challenge myself with a new flavour of something – music, art, food, whatever, and Teatime Tuesday gave me the perfect opportunity to find new flavours I could easily become obsessed with. It was great to meet the regulars and have a laugh, I adore cooking with others, and it was a great way to get to know people with no pressure.

I was lucky enough to help facilitate another Teatime Tuesday in February, it was a little scary at first but by this time I had become familiar with many of the regulars which took a lot of the pressure off for me. I hadn’t expected to find taking pictures of our workshops so much fun, but once I started, I really couldn’t stop, loving the chance to capture the fun people were having together.

Some of my talented camera work

I also did some work with Art for Living Well, working primarily with the Deaf & Sensory Network (DSN) in Northwich and the Proud and Sober group at VIA Cheshire West and Chester at the Chester hub. These workshops were incredible to attend, with participants being extremely candid about their experiences, there was clearly a lot of love and respect in these spaces, with everyone feeling comfortable with one another and being excited to take part in the crafts we offered.

Some of the art I did alongside VIA participants

I was given the opportunity to take on one of the workshops myself towards the end of my internship, the Welcoming Creative Space was a great way to slowly allow myself to take on the role of facilitator when I previously had been more of an observer; though I had begun to come out of my shell more during the workshops, this opportunity pushed me to be more confident in myself and my abilities, meeting new people and making sure they were comfortable enough around me to do their own thing without feeling awkward – it was a really great experience.

Artwork from a member of the Welcoming Creative Space

I’ve had a truly fantastic time working at Radiate Arts and feel as though it has taught me a lot about working for a non-profit organisation, how to create successful promotional material, and how to trust in my skills more. I have met so many amazing people whilst interning here, people that have made me feel safe and proud of who I am. I may be biased, but I would recommend the space to anyone who would love to meet some really great people or learn some new skills as I think getting involved with Radiate Arts can really change your life.