David

David attended the first Team East for Skills workshop in Cambridge. Having been referred by the Job Centre he was, in his own words, unsure of what to expect and wondered if this sort of approach was right for him. Having been made redundant from his role as an Administration Officer at the government press office six months previously, David was eager to now find work in his chosen field of arts administration and event coordination. He also had ambitions of working as an artist in residence.

David’s background was originally in the arts having taken a degree in illustration, he had also, more recently, taken on a number of volunteering roles in the arts. He was keen to work full time in the arts but was finding it hard to access the opportunities. Moreover, despite his efforts to find work, he was finding that companies were, at times, non responsive and unwilling to offer feedback on applications. This trend has been reported repeatedly by participants of Team East and this apparent disregard from employers could be seen as a symptom of the economic downturn stemming from the abundance of applications they are currently receiving.  However, this serves to undermine the confidence of unemployed people. Indeed, David had recently applied for a job he described as his ‘dream job’ and had not even been informed when the position had been filled.   

By the time David attended the Team East Warm-Up he confessed to feeling slightly jaded towards the whole job seeking process. However, once at the workshop he threw himself into all activities, taking part in the creative exercises and using the workshop as a chance to network. David was also very vocal about his feelings in regards to being made redundant and his consequent journey and difficulties faced. He was able to share his experiences with others and in turn help them to identify their own goals.

Working on his Action Plan with Momentum Arts, David was able to work out a plan of what he needed in regards to training. Despite his wealth of experience in his varied role at government office and many volunteering roles he felt he needed a course to consolidate his skills and give him a qualification. Follow up with the Momentum Arts team identified a beginner’s course in Arts Administration which he has since enrolled on. Having met with the tutors David is waiting to start the course in September.  David thoroughly enjoyed the course and said the following:

“Being involved in Team East for Skills has offered me the chance to bring all my skills and experience to the table with a hope to generate and discover opportunities for a career in the arts. Opportunities which may not normally be available to me without the involvement of a professional third party to guide and champion me. Having their support has really helped to improve my professional credentials and hopes to find work.”