Failed Supporting Statement - New Writing North, Nov 2021

I was delighted to learn of this exciting new programme assistant post with your organisation as it is just the opportunity I have been seeking for some time. As a creative freelancer and researcher based in Newcastle, I am keen to help facilitate the city and region’s cultural life while maintaining my own practice, and this part-time role offers the ideal chance to do so. As a podcaster and published author myself, I understand many of the challenges and tasks involved in the role as shown in my CV and detailed further in this statement.

While the job specification lists no required or desired qualifications, I would like to point out the ways my tertiary qualifications have given me excellent training for the programme assistant role. Firstly, on a personal note, I am from a working-class background and my university attendance hinged on being awarded scholarships and bursaries due to my economically underprivileged upbringing. This has afforded me a high-quality arts and humanities education, the benefits of which I am keen to pass onto others. My studies are also in relevant fields, particularly my undergraduate degree in which I undertook many modules in English and Irish literature that continue to underpin my academic research and broader interests in film and visual culture.

During my postgraduate studies and employment as a university lecturer, I worked with a wide range of people and gained extensive experience in organising and hosting conferences and seminar series with guest speakers. My subsequent research has led to experience with all stages and types of academic publishing and I am used to working with editors, commissioning editors, typesetters, marketers and authors. My teaching roles and my current self-employment necessitate undertaking various administrative duties that require accurate attention to detail, for example, when inputting students’ marks and monitoring their progress across their degree. In working for myself I manage my own diary, deadlines and finances, and collaborate with a diverse array of people, including podcast guests, representatives, clients and contractors. I pride myself in keeping accurate filing systems and an up-to-date diary to keep track of the different people I work with and for, and the tasks I need to complete to meet deadlines.

The podcast in particular has varying demands. As producer, I book and communicate with guests and oversee the production schedule. As host, I research topics, write dialogue and prepare questions. As marketer, I design and generate promotional materials in a range of media, including images, audiograms, videos, audio, and social media campaigns. As editor, I have developed skills in enhancing audio quality and improving listener experience. As sound engineer I ensure the smooth process of recording sessions. In the pandemic, I have become proficient in the optimal use of video call programs, namely Skype, Zoom, Teams and Discord, and am quick to find workarounds when these inevitably go wrong from time to time. I also designed and maintain the show’s WordPress website, and I am familiar with other content management systems for webpage editing and the range of tools that can be used to make pages engaging and user-friendly. This and writing the episode descriptions and social media posts – along with prior experience working on cinema programmes and module design – has helped me develop a concise yet informative approach to copy-editing, which, importantly today, is enhanced by my knowledge of search engine optimisation.

While my freelance work means I mostly work alone and to my own schedule, I do often work with clients to meet their needs and deadlines, often at short notice. I am flexible and manage my workload so I am always ahead and can pre-empt or shift to new demands as they arise. From this and from my years in academic teaching I have a wealth of experience in professional conduct with clients, collaborators, students and colleagues. Additionally, as indicated by the volunteering detailed in my CV, I am passionate about working with vulnerable members of society and am always learning better ways of making spaces and situations inclusive and accessible. For example, the challenges presented by language barriers when working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through Action Foundation, and communicating with people experiencing deafness or living with dementia, Parkinson’s or other debilitating conditions at the Abbeyfield residential care homes, have helped me develop greater patience and creative approaches to understanding and being understood, for instance, through gesture, body language and facial expression.

Being self-employed necessitates planning, motivation and flexibility, all of which I possess in abundance. The PhD was a fertile training ground for this, requiring managing, creating and delivering a significant and original piece of work within a set time-frame, and in my case to meet a funding deadline. When freelancing, I move between different kinds of client and job; sometimes this involves writing, followed by a proofreading or indexing job, then furthering self-managed projects if demand goes quiet. During my studies and writing for publication, I have always met deadlines to a high standard, and I always map out approaches to snags when they arise. As a keen puzzler, I know there is always a solution, and I will declutter the easier parts of a task to clear space to think through anything more complicated.

I always welcome opportunities to develop new skills and update my training. I have undertaken safeguarding training before to ensure mine and others’ safety in my volunteering work and I am happy to update this. I also look forward to becoming aware of and using different systems. I am very happy to undergo updated DBS checks, take a first-aid course, and I would appreciate support in furthering my personal and professional development.

Finally, I welcome the blended approach this role currently involves. I thrive in environments with varied tasks and I feel ready and enthusiastic about returning to in-person work and events while also having the support to work from home when possible. The part-time nature of this post will also enable me to continue my own practice, and likely enhance it with reduced stress from no longer having to hustle for contracts. I do hope to convey this enthusiasm and the skills I can offer to New Writing North further at interview. Many thanks for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

North Sea at Tynemouth Sands, March 2016