Writing this piece makes me think about how fast time flies by, which is something I keep getting reminded of a lot these days. First when I attended my graduation last week, I thought “I've just moved to Cardiff to start Uni, how am I a graduate already…”.
I had six weeks on this placement, and when Carys, my supervisor, told me I'll be writing this article at the end of it I thought it's so far away, yet here I am. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to do a placement at the end of my degree, and the fact that it has been with Creative Cardiff makes it even better. Even though I wish I could just hold onto these good times, I'm also happy to reflect on them and think about the journey that led here.
In a way, it makes sense that I ended up working with the creative sectors since it comes so naturally to me. As a child I used to spend a lot of time studying art and music. My afternoons after school were usually full with piano classes, music theory and art school. Then during high school years I developed an interest in fashion. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take classes run by a fashion journalist back in Budapest, which focused on the sustainable aspects of the industry. Inspired by my teacher, I came to Cardiff to study Media Journalism and Culture. I'm so glad I choose to do this course, I learned so much about news and the media, and had some amazing lecturers throughout the three years who encouraged me to pursue my interests. I also got to gain some experience with the student media such as writing and magazine design, which are my primary interests now. So, coming from this background, when I saw that there is a placement opportunity with Creative Cardiff, I knew I had to try applying, and I was so happy when I heard that I got it!
My work on placement
The project we worked on was a very exciting one. During the placement Devika and I- the other placement student and a good friend of mine- got to research four sectors in Cardiff: Fashion design, libraries, architecture and publishing. I focused on the first two. It started with a scoping report, looking at what Creative Cardiff has done and what are the potentials based on the creative community in Cardiff. I got to talk to some interesting people both from the libraries and the fashion sector, which I found was extremely helpful since I could learn a lot from them.
The second stage of the project included coming up with an action plan to engage with the sectors, and then executing it. Among all the ideas we had I decided to go with a social media campaign, which was focusing on the fashion industry. During my research I saw how many talented people work in the fashion sector in Cardiff, and wanted to come up with a way we can spotlight them. I contacted designers and stylists and put together some content that included their profiles and work. The final campaign, which we tilted Focus on Fashion, ran for two weeks. It included me posting on Creative Cardiff's Instagram stories, and also an Instagram takeover by one of our participants. As well as this, we're also planning an event, which we hope will take place in autumn.
As well as the main project we also got to do some other things, such as our own Instagram takeover showcasing some creative places in Cardiff. We also helped the team during ClwstwrVerse at the beginning of July which was very interesting and possibly the best introduction as to what Clwswr and Creative Cardiff can do for the creative sectors here.
If I had to choose one thing about this placement I enjoyed the most it would be getting out of my comfort zone and talking to so many different people! I feel like that taught me a lot about the creative community in Cardiff, and also all the opportunities there. Additionally, I enjoyed doing all the research and campaign planning. Though I had some experience with social media marketing before, this was the first time I got to come up with my own idea and have the creative freedom to execute it too, which was very exciting.
There were, of course, some challenges as well, perhaps one of the biggest one being the limited time we had here. In order to use it the best way possible it was important to keep to our schedule to make sure we can complete what we planned. However, thanks to all the support we received we could successfully deliver the results and campaigns on time.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the team we were surrounded by, who I'm were grateful for! I felt so comfortable working with everyone in Creative Cardiff and the wider Creative Economy Team. They were all very welcoming and helpful and made me feel like I was part of the team- at least for this short time! I think this made my work a lot easier to do, so I’m very thankful for all of it.
Overall, I feel like one of the most important things we can take away from this placement regarding creativity in Cardiff is that there is so much more than we would think! After having the opportunity to take part in events, research and talk to people, I've come to believe Cardiff is a hidden gem for creatives. Maybe not as well-known as other big cities, but it has a thriving and amazing community and so much support for those who want to start a creative career. While Cardiff is already a great place for creativity, with numerous hubs and creative spaces, I think with the help of Creative Cardiff, and with all the information we gathered during this placement, it could become even better. I have lots of ideas of what to do next, and while I won't be here to execute the plans, I know they are in good hands. I'm excited to come back in the future and see how the creative community evolved!
My next steps
So, what's next after finishing this placement? Most importantly, I want to continue studying and do a postgrad degree. I also haven’t given up on my dream of writing, so I'm always looking for opportunities to get more experience. I´m especially interested in magazines, both the writing and design side of it. In a way, doing this placement made me more certain about the direction I want to go into, and I feel motivated to learn and grow in the future.
