I applied for the CACN mentoring scheme hoping to find my place in the heritage and culture sectors, and to work towards my first job. I’d spent two years volunteering in museums and running my own poetry events, but was struggling to find a way into employment. After six months of mentoring, I have now secured my first job in a museum and feel equipped and empowered to develop and deliver my own independent creative projects in the future.
My mentor was Sue McKay of Florence Arts. Sue has banks of knowledge about the local culture sector, helping me to understand local priorities, what’s on offer and some of the gaps that could be filled. We had monthly meetings in person, including two trips to local museums to discuss how the sites worked and the roles they played in their local community. I came away from both trips with a deeper understanding of what museums can do, and how I can contribute.
Thanks to these conversations, I was able to secure and settle into my first full time job in a museum. In our first meeting, we discussed an upcoming interview and Sue’s advice increased my confidence and prepared me well. Our conversations through the first few months in the role helped me find my feet and make the most of the opportunity. With my contract only for a year, I was keen to use my last few mentoring sessions to prepare for what comes next.
Sue encouraged me to investigate freelance heritage work, something I’d previously thought wasn’t for me. With Sue’s insights, however, I now have a stronger knowledge of local institutions and creatives I could work with and the different streams of funding (including Arts Council funding) I could apply for. I appreciated the chance to workshop an early idea for a freelance project with Sue, receiving feedback on practicality, how to pitch, and how to build an audience. I now feel well equipped to apply for funding later this year to deliver my own independent work next year.
Overall the mentoring scheme has been eye-opening and empowering for me. I now have a much deeper understanding of how the industry works and how to carve out a place for myself within it. I also feel more ambitious in the type of work I want to seek, and confident in my ability to make it happen.
To young creatives curious about mentoring, I’d really recommend it. Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to get to know and learn from experienced, knowledgeable people within the sector, it’s also a chance to test out your ideas, expose yourself to new influences and discover opportunities you hadn’t previously known were there. For me, it’s been exactly the kickstart I hoped.
