Arts Emergency is 'an award-winning mentoring charity and support network'. Ashton students are currently working with industry mentors from a variety of creative backgrounds; mentors help to build commerical awareness and support students with their next steps in higher education and creative careers.

Over the past few months, not only have students have attended numerous events and workshops, they have worked with their mentors to gain expert advice, develop their CVs, create portfolio and more!

Some of the students have wrote about their experiences so far:

Rosa - interested in graphic design and illustrating:

"My mentor is a freelance designer and has recently been involved in a design project at Manchester Children's Hospital. We initially met via Zoom and then in person at Manchester Art Gallery; from the beginning she made me feel comfortable and we set clear goals for what I wanted to get out of the mentoring sessions and it was lovely to look around the exhibitions.

 

Through her network with other designers, we went on a visit to Manchester Craft Centre and spoke to a designer and screen printer and I was able to get real-life insight into the graphic design industry which is something I would have not been able to do without Arts Emergency! 

 

She helped me to explore all options and pathways into the creative industry and I am so grateful for her commitment. I have now decided what I would like to study and we plan to visit some Degree Shows together in the future to see some work from art graduates. I would definitely recommend Arts Emergency to someone who wants to get insight into where to start in creative industries!"

Kristian - interested in Dance:

My mentor (Sarah) has been so helpful and so insightful so far, she gives me new and interesting dance practitioners to research to help broaden my knowledge and to help me pin down my ‘personal style’. 

 

Recently, I went on a trip to Leeds to go and meet her in person and have a look around the university she works at to get a greater understanding of what degree level training would look like. It was so great to meet some of the BA (Hons) Dance students and see what kinds of things they are getting up to. Whilst I was in Leeds, we went on a tour of the city (as it is somewhere I am looking to study) and then watched some tech runs of the degree students and then a performance by the MA students.

 

As well as this, we had some time in the theatre to dance and Sarah was giving me corrections to make my piece that much better. We then set some tasks to help give me inspiration before creating my audition solo at the end of the year. I have to make 3, 30 second solos in the style of 3 of the practitioners we have looked at already to help me embody their styles but to also find new ways to move. I have already created one in the style of Tao Ye and Sarah has given me feedback on how I can improve it.

 

Now that I have been matched up with Sarah, I feel like I am now more confident to go to auditions and interviews because I know she is there to help me every step of the way. The programme has given me clarity into what I want to do after college, which is a career in the dance industry, and we are setting targets to ensure this is possible."

Elyse - interested in Film Production:

"My mentor is Keith Farrell, and he is a film director. So far, Keith and I have started to look at the roles and responsibilities that are available in the film industry and are looking at cultural events to attend in the area. 

 

We have just began looking at university , apprenticeships, and work placements too, seeing what the outlook from each pathway is. 

 

This programme is very helpful because it allows you to get advice from an industry professionals and work placements which are only available for people on the programme."

It's great to hear the students are enjoying the Arts Emergency programme!