Work Based Learning provides an immersive experience for the learners where they can learn first-hand, by applying their knowledge and skills. The practical, hands-on industry experience benefits the students by enhancing and testing what they have learnt in the classroom, opening up potential pathways into the creative and cultural sector. We are proudly showcasing two stories which illustrate the value of WBL in the Live Skills project, one in Athens and one in Belfast.
- Anna Ghamaryan graduated from the Athens School of Fine Arts and obtained her Master Degree in Architecture-Space-Culture from the Technical University of Athens. After attending the Live Skills course on Arts Management at IEK AKMH she had the opportunity to undertake her Work Based Learning experience at Michalis Cacoyannis Foundation, a highly esteemed cultural institution in Athens. As part of her placement, Anna's basic tasks were administrative, like undertaking agreements between the Institution and the artists. As soon as she became more familiar with the organisation she had an idea to create a promo video using material and documentation from the history, the space and the environment of the Foundation.
"The Artist is not necessarily a manager. But there are more and more artists curating, running projects, art spaces and nonprofit organizations. Undertaking the agreements and the paperwork was like a glance at a technical report of all needs and the conditions of an artist and his artwork to be realized, to be performed. The idea of the video shot came up as a backstage process that became the stage. Like the sketches of an artwork becoming the principal concept of the project."
- Kathryn McGrane, a photography and film graduate from Northern Ireland, participated in the second round of the Digital and New Technologies pilot course in Belfast Metropolitan College. After completing four weeks of face to face learning sessions and additional online learning, she was ready to go out in the real world and apply the newly acquired knowledge. She had her Work Based Learning at Northern Ireland Opera for four weeks, and the experience was extremely positive for both sides. Kathryn had the chance to witness how Opera productions function backstage, and NI Opera gained an excellent young professional with an updated set of skills that responds to today’s sector needs. During her placement, Kathryn mostly documented rehearsals and performances through photography and recording. But the four weeks of the Live Skills placement was not the end of the collaboration between Kathryn and NI Opera, as she was commissioned to create the poster for one of their productions, The Enchantress.
"Through my Work Based Learning experience, I had an amazing time, learned a lot, met a lot of fantastic people, and through Live Skills I am being commissioned by NI Opera to design a poster for their next production!"
It is stories like these that bring to life the journey and value of the Live Skills project. Watch the video testimonies by Anna and Kathryn below!
