My Internship at Dash Arts
Our wonderful intern Alysha Matthews has just finished her internship with us. Alysha has been an invaluable addition to the team. She has supported the communications and marketing of the company and made some much needed improvements to our website. Alysha has written a blog post about her time with us and reflected on her personal and professional growth.
February 1st. It’s cold, but the sun is out. I’ve just stumbled out of the Aldgate East tube station. I keep glancing between the city around me and the navigation on my phone. I’m also switching between Citymapper and an email from Veronica with directions to the office. I have 10min to find the office, but none of the buildings say Toynbee Hall. Or maybe I can’t read, who knows? I wandered up and down the street, eventually stopping into the reception area of a different office building to ask for some help. He directed me next door. Veronica met me at the door of the building (I had been emailing her frantically in confusion since exiting the tube station), and she showed me where the office, kitchen, and bathroom was. I finally got to the office and settled in.
My home school, Furman University in Greenville, SC, USA, had arranged for 15 students and I to stay in London until April, take three classes, and spend 18-20 hours a week as an intern at any office of our choice. I had chosen Dash Arts. At Furman, I am studying English (with a focus on writing) and Theatre Arts. Working at a theatre production company made the most sense. On that day I was given a task that was accompanied by a question: How should Dash talk about Dash? I was being asked to look at the website’s current language and adjust it to fit what Dash was now. I was helping rebrand, if you will.
I had some experience with marketing through other jobs and leadership positions I held at school, but using those skills for a professional company felt intimidating to say the least. I didn’t know anything much about Dash, so learning more about this company was the best way to start. I was able to absorb enough information to rewrite a page of the website. I started with the About page. Finishing that page felt exhilarating. The confidence I gained from that propelled me through the many other edits and rewrites.
I’m writing this on April 13th, my last day in the office. I fly home at the end of next week. I’ve worked jobs before, desk jobs at school and other short-term things, but I’ve never worked a 10 to 6 office job before. Through this I have learned much about myself as a professional, a person, and a morphing thespian.
I’ve learned how to communicate more effectively and efficiently. Though I believe, like writing, communication is something one never stops learning how to do. I’ve also built more confidence in my ability to create good work and to teach myself anything. I better understand what is expected of me in professional spaces, and I have a firmer grasp on the structure of them.
I’ve become more confident as a person. I know better what I need and how to say what I need. I’ve grown in my ability to problem solve and how confident I am in my abilities. I’ve become more independent. That might also be part of learning how to live in London away from friends and family, but I choose to give most of the credit to this experience.
I’ve acted, designed, stage managed, and I’ve even written my own play. Now I can say I’ve seen a different side of the theatre: the production side. I’ll be honest, aspects of this still elude me, but I do understand the gist of it! Seeing this side did increase my appreciation for the theatre and helped me further understand the behind the scenes.
I have learned so much from working with these wonderful people! I want to thank them for being so kind and so patient with me these past few months. The knowledge and wisdom you’ve given me is invaluable and will be applied to everything I do from here on out. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!