UWTSD alumna wins prestigious Arts and Business Cymru Creative Internship

The University is a member of Arts & Business Cymru and each year Arts students all over Wales have the opportunity to apply for a creative internship. Only two are awarded each year, and one of our Swansea College of Art alumna, Gabriella Wilde, has been successful in securing the position this year.

The internship is a paid ten-month placement within the Development department of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Gabriella will be trained by some of the best fundraisers in Wales and will receive mentoring from a senior arts fundraiser and business adviser, in order to aide her development.

Gabriella graduated in 2020 with a First Class BA (Hons) Illustration degree from UWTSD, and subsequently enrolled onto the Illustration pathway of the MA Contemporary Dialogues course which she completed in 2022. Gabriella decided to study at UWTSD after an Open Day in 2016 where she found staff to be incredibly welcoming with a strong student presence throughout the day. The rapport that Gabriella built up with the illustration team over the following five years, she felt, was instrumental to her growing confidence and ambition to succeed. Alongside this, the business knowledge gained as part of the Illustration degree was invaluable. The course offered plentiful opportunities to interact with relevant industry contacts through competitions, extracurricular activities such as a trip to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and a range of guest lectures with practicing illustrators.

As part of the MA, Gabriella enjoyed collaborating with students and deepening her skills and knowledge in other Art and Design disciplines. Gabriella said: “For me, the MA was a chance to explore diverse opportunities. I took part in lots of workshops, produced a corporate illustration for Connect, and worked on a series of short films with It’s My Shout, which led to me winning an award (The Three Cliffs Productions Award for Best Trainee 2022) and a job opportunity as an Art Department Assistant in July 2022.”

Caroline Thraves, Academic Director (Art & Media), Wales Institute of Science and Art UWTSD said: “We are delighted that BA and MA Illustration graduate Gabriella Wilde has been selected for this prestigious Arts & Business Cymru Creative Internship. Our Illustration programmes at Swansea College of Art are widely recognized for creating some of the strongest creative talents and Gabriella has demonstrated this through her success. We are confident that this opportunity will help to springboard her creative career.”

Steven Kenward Operations Manager at Arts & Business Cymru said: “A&B Cymru is delighted to support Gabriella in her internship. We are confident that her passion, creativity, and drive will help her to become a skilled arts fundraiser.  In addition to the expert support provided by the College, we are particularly pleased that one of our key business members, Jamie Falarczyk, Corporate Affairs Manager at Wales & West Utilities, has agreed to mentor Gabriella. This will ensure she gains valuable insight into the private sector and the vital role that corporates play partnering the arts in Wales.”

Gabriella was delighted to have won the internship and said: “It was amazing to find out that I had been chosen by Arts & Business Cymru for one of their two internships! As part of the Internship, I am working in the Development team with a focus on Trusts and Foundations, although I am also gaining experience across Individual Giving, Corporate, and Events. The College is full of inspiration, and it’s really exciting to be supporting its emerging talent! Arts & Business Cymru were very accommodating and supportive throughout the interview process, and I am looking forward to working with them over the next ten months.”

Gabriella's work can be seen here: https://gabriellawilde.co.uk/ 

Applications are currently being invited from students who have completed courses at UWTSD and wish to participate in the 2022-23 scheme. Please follow the link to apply: http://www.aandbcymru.org.uk/creative-internships/

Further Information

Llinos McVicar BA (Hons), MA, AFHEA, ACIM, MCIPR
Principal Communications and PR Officer Alumni
Prif Swyddog Cyfathrebu a Chysylltiadau Cyhoeddus Cyn-fyfyrwyr
Ffôn/ Phone 01792 481184  (4184) / 07850 321687                                                               
E Bost/Email: llinos.mcvicar@uwtsd.ac.uk   / alumni@uwtsd.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/uwtsd-alumni/