Recently I have had the most wonderful opportunity to work with Rich Mix and thirteen other fabulous young people on the New Creatives programme.
Rich Mix give us the chance to learn from industry professionals, employ all our artistic ability and channel it into an event that we can be proud of.
Sounds easy, right? So, so wrong. I had literally NO IDEA of the level of work that goes into putting together an event, especially when they appear to play out so seamlessly from an audience perspective.
I can guarantee this: every creative event you have ever gone to was ultimately a product of a lot of stress, a lot of laughs, SO many emails, and a lot of arty people using every inch of their brain power. You can also expect this from the New Creative Programme – emphasis on the laughs and the arty people, though.
So, because of how blindly I went into this experience thinking I was unstoppable, I’m going to share my tips on how to successfully put on an event when you’re a young person who also has a job, goes to university, and still needs to have somewhat of a social life:
- Accept and appreciate the work of others.
It is often too easy in the creative industries to fully believe your ideas are the best.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of confidence – in fact, I often wish I doubted myself less! Saying that, do not be afraid to place your trust in others.
The team I have been working with over the past five months are incredible, and I have learnt more from listening to them than I ever would have if I had only accepted my ideas and concepts.
Get inspired by people the same age as yourself doing totally admirable things, as it will only help you in elevating your stance in the creative world.
- Do not even think about leaving things last minute!
Fundamental. Cannot stress this one enough.
I guess it’s a self-explanatory tip, but coming directly from someone who continually extended the artist deadline on a call-out, because they left the editing of the document to the last minute, I wouldn’t recommend it. The anxiety is real.
Also, if you, like me, have tons of university deadlines and bills to pay, being organised when it comes to fitting in time for your event is key.
There will ALWAYS be time to sort out important aspects of life; it’s just about prioritising and sticking to a schedule (as best you can – we’re all human!).
- Be comfortable talking to, and taking advice from, those who have done this before you.
A lot of the aspects of Event Managing that we learnt were, naturally, from those generous enough to pass on their wisdom on to us. I cannot thank these individuals enough.
Speaking to the experts proved utterly priceless in orchestrating FIRSTS, and I truly believe what they taught me will stick with me in later life.
From Rich Mix’s own CEO Eddie Berg, to regular Rich Mix artist and curator Jasmine Kahlia (Road Gals), all of our guests provided different outlooks and advice that gave us a pretty well-rounded idea of how much persistence it takes to be successful in such a competitive and always-moving industry.
- See as many artistic events relating to yours as possible!
It may seem like a simple tip, but honestly, view as many varied artistic events as possible!
Doing this will force you to investigate the aspects of an event that you wouldn’t usually think about as a passive audience member – i.e. lighting design, stage management, and general organisation of the evening. Take it all in and on board.
Earlier this year, two of the New Creative girls and I went to the ‘Dirty Feet’ poetry progress evening at The Roundhouse, after which I really felt our event had to be just as informal in order to create a level of comfortability at FIRSTS.
Taking inspiration from other events is fundamental; much like point 3, learning from others who manage creative events is going to massively improve your event.
- Document EVERYTHING!
This is of utmost importance. Whether it is in blog form, journals, voice notes, vlogs – literally any format – just document every step of your journey!
Not only does it help you refresh your memory and reflect upon decisions you made, but it’s also been hugely beneficial, personally, to be able to send my blog to:
1) inform people of the event and all the effort put into it
2) have the opportunity to get critique on not only on the event itself, but also on my writing style and technique.
Logging week by week meant I could keep track of all the ideas and discussions that occurred in our meetings at Rich Mix. And honestly, I cannot recommend doing this enough. It will help you in numerous ways.
Final words…
I hope this post is useful for any young people wanting to take on the challenge of orchestrating their own event, or take part in the Rich Mix New Creative programme (which I would seriously recommend, by the way!).
If you did find this helpful, I urge you to come to our event FIRSTS, the culmination of this amazing experience with Rich Mix.
FIRSTS is a multidisciplinary performance based around people’s firsts – from the first time they made a coffee to the first time they put on a hijab.
The evening will be a celebration of the human experience, and the acceptance that we all make mistakes!
Happening on the 15 Feb in Rich Mix’s Main Space, we invite you to come along to hear hilarious and moving firsts – and maybe even share a few of your own!
Thanks for reading!
Grace Kirk
Follow the journey of a New Creative Team through my eyes here!: https://gracekirkblog.wordpress.com/
Grace is a 20 year old English and History student from ‘up north’, who wants to be successful in the arts as a writer, actor, and mainly a teacher to those who (wrongly) believe they cannot have an active role in the creative industries due to societal factors or pressures.
She will be performing an original piece at FIRSTS.
