My Dash Arts Spring Internship
I came to work for Dash Arts in early January 2024, and reflecting on my 3 ½ month internship I see the deep wealth of knowledge I gained on Dash as an organisation, the complex London theatre ecosystem, and working in the arts. My time with the organisation was a short burst, yet I enjoyed a meaningful slice of work experience and London life.
I am a rising senior at Oberlin College in Ohio, studying History with a concentration in Arts Administration and Leadership. While taking a semester away from my college courses to pursue this study abroad internship program, I was still in student mode: determined to listen and learn. My first Wednesday in the office was exhausting; I was just ears, working to understand how they operated and how to conduct myself in this new environment.
Over the weeks, I kept writing down one question in my marble notebook: how do we support the making of art? How do we support it sustainably, justly, and authentically? I have always loved the arts, and from a young age, I wanted to work in its ecosystem, so this question was always on my mind. However, at Dash, I could understand how arts professionals grappled with this question in many small and large ways. This underpinned all the questions we asked about proposed projects, the challenges we solved in the office, and the wins we celebrated over successful campaigns. I saw this central question in how we built the production of shows, measured impact and evaluation, wrote funding applications, and created budgets. In some ways, it felt like a rolling machine working its way up an incline; we were always juggling through various cycles of marketing, production, funding, and budgeting of multiple complex projects.
“Over the weeks, I kept writing down one question in my marble notebook: how do we support the making of art?”
One of the most interesting conversations I participated in was the discussion of producing new Dash Cafes: re-imaging a celebrated, retired Dash program into a new generative production for the organisation. I had always wondered how ideas were born and how they were produced. Watching this proposal, I learned all team members can make these suggestions-- one of the most beautiful things about a smaller organisation. We conducted meetings and evaluations on the viability of this project, discussing the history, goals, and challenges-- a helpful study on how to develop a program. Again, I saw how in each stitch, we were working towards building a stronger organisation.
Working at Dash Arts was a meaningful study of London and the nation’s art ecosystem. Doing development and prospect research, I learned about the unique funding challenges facing all arts organisations, reading about the effects of the 2010 financial crisis and the pandemic on local funding. I read many statements from small and mid-sized theatre companies on the consequences of this cut funding. I would attend performances in other theatres, which more and more were directly addressing the audience with this very real question of support. At the Park Theatre, the artistic director came out at the end of the performance and discussed the consequences of a funding proposal by the council on London theatres. As an American from a system with historically lower government arts funding, arts funding was always a captivating question for me. Closely watching Dash and their peers grapple with this question of funding was awakening. My new knowledge followed me into all tendrils of my London life. I would attend not only other live performances, but any arts, cultural, and national event with a new attentiveness, knowing the deeper layers of its context and tensions. This study and so much more I am taking back to the States with me and my future career.
I enjoyed my time in the office. Everyone I worked with was so generous with their time, kindness, and most valuably, knowledge. Dash Arts is also a truly unique arts organisation. Amongst many other strengths, lies their depth of study and commitment to researching their current projects. I admire their fellow student-like drive to investigate, never skimming on the top but taking years to ask questions, build connections, and develop these works of art. I hope to see a Dash Arts production on a future trip to the city.
To any future Dash intern, please, please ask questions: big and small. Your colleagues and their life experience is such a unique resource and one I wish I had taken advantage of more. Second, take the bus whenever you can. Not only is it cheaper than the tube, but it allows you to watch the city you live in. Sitting on the top, you can stitch together all of London’s neighbourhoods. Third, there is a vintage market every Thursday in Spitalfields market, in walking distance from the office. I found some great stuff there.
Lastly, soak in your time in this city; it is such a special episode.