Maria’s Administration and Venue Placement Reflections

I had the pleasure of doing a placement at LIFT Festival, during a two-month period, as an Administration and Venue Assistant while pursuing my Master’s in History of Art with Curating. Before this, I trained at drama school and completed a Master’s in Text and Performance. I decided to apply for the placement at LIFT due to my interest in gaining practical experience that combined my passion for theatre and curating. I am thrilled to have been part of an exciting festival that champions ambitious and forward-thinking theatre and performances. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

I started my placement two weeks before the beginning of the festival, allowing me to gain invaluable insight into the extensive preparations involved in organising such a large-scale festival. During the lead-up to the festival, I provided administrative support by helping with the RSVPs for the opening night event at the Southbank Centre, handling email enquiries from ticket holders, and assisting with the coordination of the volunteer schedule.

Throughout the duration of the festival, I worked closely with the Volunteer Coordinator. I provided on-site support by welcoming the volunteers, distributing their t-shirts and lanyards and actively promoting the festival at the various locations. I also assisted at diverse meetings preceding the opening night of each show and offered support on show nights by managing guest sign-ins, scanning tickets and buying flowers for the artists. A great aspect of the placement was the ability to watch the festival performances for free. I had the chance to experience five out of the eight international performances featured in the festival’s programme. Out of the five great shows I saw, I particularly loved L’Animale and ECHO.

My experience at LIFT Festival has been nothing short of inspiring. The creative and supportive environment allowed me to hone my skills and gain valuable practical experience both in the office and on-site. I felt welcomed from the very beginning and received a lot of help and guidance from everyone at LIFT.  For instance, I was interested in learning more about funding and I had the opportunity to have a meeting with the Head of Development to ask questions and learn more about the topic. My experience at LIFT has enriched my skill set and knowledge. I have gained valuable practical experience and learned plenty about festival preparations and promotion. I have improved my organisational and communication skills and gained new IT and data archiving skills.

The responsibilities of this placement helped me immensely in my formation as an aspiring cultural administrator and artist. I am grateful for the personal and professional growth it has provided, and I am confident that I will treasure this experience on my creative and professional journey.