Imogen Durant

PhD English Literature student Imogen Durant talks about her postgraduate research placement at Manchester arts venue HOME.

The placement

In August 2017, I undertook a part-time placement with the Engagement team at HOME, an arts venue in central Manchester. 

Working alongside Sara Robinson, a freelance theatre director and coach, I was given the task of evaluating Project X.

This year-long project had been running since August 2016, when it first brought together a collective of 18 emerging artists from diverse backgrounds who specialised in a wide range of different art forms, including filmmaking, dance, spoken word, acting, visual artists, photography, music and science.

The project culminated in a month-long 'takeover' of the building in August 2017, which the collective entitled This Is Human.

During this 'takeover' period, myself and Sara carried out interviews with artists in the collective, members of staff at HOME, and audience members in order to evaluate the impact of this new project and to provide recommendations for future projects.

What I took away from the placement

The placement provided me with an invaluable insight into the structural organisation of an arts centre, and helped me to understand the issues faced by the industry.

I learnt first-hand about the work of engagement teams and where this sits within an arts organisation.

This experience has helped me to focus my career plans and will be useful when applying for jobs after completing my thesis.

Having the opportunity to work closely with Sara throughout the placement was a particular benefit, as I was able to learn from the enormous breadth of her experience in the industry.

The placement gave me the opportunity to develop new research skills in the collection and analysis of qualitative data and in report-writing, both of which my PhD in English Literature was unlikely to offer.

Not only has this placement fuelled my interest in diversity and engagement in the arts, but it has also helped me to realise that working in a team and carrying out interviews are two skills that I really enjoy and, as a result, I now hope to carry these forward in my future career.