Nadja Degen

Fundraising Fellow, Apples and Snakes

Course: MA Arts Management, Policy and Practice, Full Time, 2014-15

I applied for the MA Arts Management, Policy, and Practice with the aim to set myself up for a professional career in the arts and cultural sector. The course gave me an excellent theoretical foundation as well as relevant practical experience. The modules Arts Management and Cultural Policy introduced me to key questions surrounding audience research, impact evaluation, urban and rural arts, sustainability, resilience and more. The insights won back then continue to inform my thinking today.

The practice-based modules Business Strategies and Creative Learning offered significant first-hand experiences. We met inspirational arts leaders from a range of organisations and made on-site visits to cultural venues in Manchester and beyond. Above all, it was my work placement in the Development Department of the Royal Exchange Theatre that set the direction for my professional future. I was able to explore trends in Corporate Fundraising, speak to major corporate donors and non-profit experts and work closely with Senior Development Professionals.

As a result, I was awarded an Arts Fundraising Fellowship. The Fellowship is a partnership initiative between Cause4 and the DARE Fundraising Academy with the aim to create the next generation of leading Development Directors. As Fundraising Fellow for the performance poetry organisation Apples and Snakes, I am responsible for developing fundraising proposals and budgets, developing and managing relationships with trusts and individual donors, researching and identifying new sources of funding, maintaining administrative systems and providing excellent communications.

The Fellowship also comprises an extensive training programme, starting with the week-long National Arts Fundraising School by the Management Centre and followed by the Fundraising Training Courses by Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy in such areas as digital fundraising, sponsorship, evaluation, networking, data management and more. On top of all of this, I have the unique opportunity to meet influential arts leaders for informal Q&As, from Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, to Leo Sharrock, Head of Data Strategy at the Audience Agency.

My experience as a Fundraising Fellow has been a steep learning curve and I can say with conviction that the MA Arts Management, Policy, and Practice opened up these opportunities for me and equipped me with essential skills and knowledge to meet the challenges.