A major part of our partnership with the University of Leeds saw us working with a range of students on a variety of roles throughout the festival.
We were committed to giving students an insight into the many strands of activity of this major partnership project and the direct experience of working in the creative sector. The Yorkshire Sculpture International team, together with the gallery partners, provided the students with the time and space to learn, ensuring this was tailored to the interests of the students and to the development of their future careers.
These students became an integral part of the team. Their commitment and expertise contributed so much to the festival and we were delighted to have them so closely involved in the project. Find out more about some of the students we worked with on the University of Leeds website.
We created two full time paid internship roles for University of Leeds students focusing on evaluation and public programme. The two interns selected, Lily and Chloe, became part of our team for thirteen weeks over the summer.
‘It’s been a really great team to be part of, everyone has been very supportive and it’s been exciting to learn more about public programming and what it takes to deliver a large sculpture festival…. as well as good advice about how to progress when I leave.‘ – Public Programme intern, Lily Lavorato
‘I really enjoyed the qualitative side of the evaluation; getting to interview, chat to, or hear from people who had taken part in the various YSI engagement projects, and talk about the ways the projects had benefitted them and discuss ways in which it could be improved next time. Alongside discussions of the future of YSI this aspect was very rewarding and exciting. This job has also meant I have been able to meet artists (ranging from emerging to established) and gain insight into their work, and through this I have a better understanding of how to begin establishing myself as an artist.’ – Evaluation intern, Chloe Bower
We hosted seven student placements with individuals focused on curating, engagement, evaluation and marketing for ten weeks in the run up to the festival.
‘Working with YSI has been an exciting insight into the inner workings of such an ambitious, impressive and important project. By giving me the agency to work towards my own interests, the space to take responsibility for my own projects and a solid framework of guidance and support when needed, YSI has provided me with a springboard to launch myself into the arts and cultural sector. Not only have they helped me develop my professional skillset and confidence, they have all made me feel welcome and truly one-of-the-team throughout my time at YSI. The team were all super helpful; every question about the project or the wider sector was met with a friendly face and a thorough answer. I couldn’t be more grateful to the whole team for making my placement so interesting and enjoyable.’ – Evaluation placement
We also worked with 26 students who volunteered while the festival was on. Working in a variety of roles including gallery assistant, workshop assistant, event support, talk and tours, monitoring and evaluation.
‘From the visitor assistants, or front line staff, to back room staff and learning staff, curatorial staff, it has been really nice and actually really encouraging to me, as someone who is looking for work in this sector. I’ve enjoyed my time so much that I’m staying on at Leeds and Hepworth where they have volunteer programmes.’ – YSI volunteer
Yorkshire Sculpture International has an extensive engagement programme, spanning education, community collaborations and artist support.
We explore sculpture with people of all ages, connecting them with the materials and processes used in making sculpture today and showing how sculpture can be found all around us. We are currently working with a group of 25 artists across Yorkshire as part of our 2022 Sculpture Network.
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