Arts Management student Olivia Harris has become the first recipient of a bursary from Cardiff Business Club in recognition of her entrepreneurship and business skills. Olivia Harris is in the second year of a part-time MA in Arts Management at RWCMD and works full time Development Officer for Arts Council Wales.
Here, she tells about about combining her studies here at RWCMD with a career in the arts.
“For the last five years, I’ve been working at Arts Council of Wales, doing various different roles. At the moment I’m working as a development officer, primarily looking at theatre and dance – which I love – it’s a great job. Alongside that, I’ve started producing for a few different companies. I’ve worked on Made in Roath Festival, for a theatre company called Likely Story, and Kitsch ‘N’ Sync (pictured above).
I wanted to develop the skills that I’d learnt through working in the arts for a few years, and this course felt like the best place to do that. I also wanted to tap into a peer network of other arts managers. I knew of some of the tutors and really respected the work that they are doing in their fields.
“Being a part-time student can be difficult, but I think it’s a really strong way to learn, because I can apply what I’m learning here in a really practical way to producing and to the work I do at the Arts Council, and that can only really strengthen my professional practice.
The job and the course really compliment each other. The things I’m learning about on the course – advocacy, support, funding, business governance, best practice – are the things I’m doing in my job. The college has a really attractive offer in terms of arts management, and I hope it’ll give me a competitive edge going forward. ”
The award marks Olivia as ‘one to watch’ in the arts sector – we look forward to seeing where her career takes her next.
Share on Twitter
Share on Facebook