Work experience


Do I take work experience students?

The answer to that is yes I do.

I do offer work experience placements within my studio, for year 11 and college portfolio level student. However spaces are extremely limited and only a small number of students are accepted each year. Placements can be arranged on either a part-time basis or as a full working week, depending on the needs of the student, the studio schedule, and availability.

All placements are arranged through Nucleus Arts, the arts centre I work under and my studio is situated. This helps support safeguarding, insurance cover, and funding requirements, while also ensuring placements are handled professionally and appropriately. Enquiries and placement arrangements are managed through the volunteer manager, Beth Atkins.

Before accepting any student, I prefer to arrange a short “go-see” or match interview. This is important for several reasons. My studio is a real working environment containing specialist tools, sharp equipment, machinery, dust, heat, and materials that require responsibility and awareness. Health and safety comes first, both for the student and for myself. I need to know a student is capable of listening, communicating clearly, and behaving safely within the space.

The interview is also there to make sure the placement is genuinely the right fit. I am looking for students who are passionate about creativity, interested in the arts as a future career path, and genuinely want to learn. Studio placements are valuable and I do not believe in wasting them on someone who has simply been pushed into attending.

I do not require CVs for work experience applications. For creative roles, a portfolio or even sketch books tells me far more. I want to see what you make, what interests you, how you think creatively, and where your current skills are. The portfolio does not need to be polished or professional — I simply want to see genuine work and enthusiasm. Casual and comfortable clothing is absolutely fine for interviews and placements; this is a working art studio, not a corporate office.

Placement activities will vary depending on the student’s abilities, confidence, interests, and the day-to-day needs of the studio. Students may experience:

  • Making and finishing creative work
  • Learning how tools and materials are used safely
  • Packaging and fulfilling customer orders
  • Customer enquiries and communication
  • Running online shops and social media
  • Preparing materials and studio organisation
  • General cleaning and maintenance tasks
  • Supporting community workshops or events
  • Observing how a self-employed creative business operates

Students may work with wood, stone, metals, paints, dust-producing materials, adhesives, heat tools, and other specialist equipment. PPE will be required for some activities and will be provided where needed.

I am DBS checked, first aid trained, and previously held a chaperone licence. I keep well-stocked first aid and burns kits on site and regularly work with young people through Nucleus Arts and community arts projects.

I am happy to consider SEN and neurodivergent students on an individual basis. The arts world is filled with neurodivergent creatives and different ways of thinking are often a strength within creative environments. What matters most to me is communication, willingness to learn, and whether the studio environment is the right fit for the individual student.

One important boundary I maintain is that I do not allow parents or guardians to sit in on match interviews or in studio during the work experience placement. I fully understand parents may wish to explain support needs, medical information, or important considerations beforehand, and I am happy to discuss those appropriately. However, the interview itself is about the student representing themselves, communicating independently, and showing me who they are. Working safely in a studio environment requires clear communication and personal responsibility. Unfortunately, if a student is unable to speak for themselves at all within that setting, my studio is unlikely to be the right placement for them.

If you are interested in arranging a placement, please get in touch with some information about yourself and examples of your creative work.