INTERN INSIGHTS: Where are they now?

So, here we are in July! Usually, Turner Sims is abuzz with activity at this time of year, readying for a steady stream of graduation ceremonies, the campus filled with excited, bright young people in caps and gowns, our team working away in the offices to the soundtrack of organ music and applause. 

Our thoughts have turned to some of the brilliant University of Southampton students who have completed internships at Turner Sims and are nowfinishing their degrees or are graduates making their way out in the world. In the first of what we hope to be a series of ‘Where are they now?’ blogs, we catch up with 2018/19 Programme and Marketing Intern Lauren Hoven and recent Concert Promotions Intern Rosie Sewell, to see how their experiences at university and with us have prepared them for what they have gone on to do next…

 

Lauren Hoven

 

 

I was a Programmes and Marketing Intern at Turner Sims from October 2018 until March 2019, in the first semester of my third year at the University of Southampton. I studied English, graduating in July 2019, and I can’t help but feel that the experience I gained from my internship was every bit as important as my 2:1.

I am currently a Communications Assistant at the Port of London Authority, the organisation that manages the Thames. And I love it. Admittedly, when I started university it was never a dream of mine to work for this company, or to even work in communications- I fell into it really. I’ve been working here for six months now, and I can remember the directors (one of whom had studied at Southampton and remembered Turner Sims fondly) asking me about my internship during my interview. They wanted to know far more about my experiences in a workplace than they did about the modules I studied or what I wrote my dissertation on.

My six-month internship really was invaluable. I still do some freelance video editing work for Turner Sims – I love being involved in the arts. It really is a great place to work and it allowed me to be involved in the day-to-day running of an arts venue while gaining experience in video editing, social media, and review writing.

My current role is providing me with many opportunities to better myself, and I certainly owe a lot to the internship programme at Turner Sims for acting as a brilliant steppingstone in my career. I’m aiming to move into a career in the arts, doing communications or marketing.

 

Rosie Sewell

 

 

I am going into my 3rd year of a BA Music degree, and I worked at Turner Sims as a Concert Promotions Intern over the past year.

Throughout my internship I learnt a lot about writing copy, interviewing and reviewing, and I realised this was something I really loved doing. Prior to working at Turner Sims, I ran my own blog called The Rosie Word, but after coming out of the internship I have dedicated some time to renovating and improving the blog! I now post reviews and opinion pieces, as well as interviews with musicians from a range of genres.

While at Turner Sims I curated the ‘Quick Questions’ series, where we asked upcoming artists 5 questions about their musical inspirations, their performances and any exciting projects. I am now publishing a series on The Rosie Word called ‘Musical Chats’ where I am developing this series and continuing to interview artists and creatives. I absolutely love interviewing, and it’s fascinating to talk to such a variety of artists and see how creativity differs across genres.

Aside from my blog, I’m finishing off the 2nd year of my degree online, and doing an online qualification for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I can’t wait to get back to Southampton, and hopefully go and see a live concert at Turner Sims as soon as possible!