This group emphasised how broad the arts can be, and how many opportunities are out there if you look in the right places. Tom Owens was a member of this group and made a mind-map to list the possible jobs available after graduation.
It has become clear through the groups research and my own additional research, that networking and work experience is very important when trying to earn money from your art. Developing friendships and contacts within the industry will get your work notices and could lead to future employment. Gaining work experience could also have similar effects, the more experience you have the better. When it comes to looking for jobs in the arts, and getting the latest art news, The Arts Council website is a great place to visit. Subscribing as a member will allow you to receive almost weekly newsletters, which will list art jobs and news. This is a link advised by group 1: www.artsjobs.org.uk/arts-jobs-listings/
Education:
Group two researched into what a postgraduate would need to do in order to work in education. I have gathered from researching, that you need to obtain a PGCA. This can be done at some universities and colleges, and takes one year full-time to complete, or two years part-time. Through the PGCA you can get a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is needed to teach in any state primary or secondary school. After receiving a PGCA it is possible to go on and obtain a NQT, which stands for Newly Qualified Teacher and results in being observed for a year in a school environment. This can also be completed full-time or part-time, the induction being assessed across the equivalent of three full school terms. At the end of each term, you meet with your induction tutor or head teacher for a formal assessment, which focuses on your progress. It is the head teachers job to report to the local authority (LA) or the Independent Schools Council Teacher Induction Panel (ISCtip), stating whether you have met the core professional standards. In order to become a university lecturer, you need an MA, which requires at least a 2:2 at degree level. Funding for post-graduate study is rather problematic though, an student loans are no longer offered. There are other ways of gaining the funding though, for example:
- University Scholarships - many institutes offer a few scholarships to entice people onto their courses. If these are offered the university will display as such on their website.
- Sponsorship from your Employer - if a person is working, but wants to study part-time, their employer may offer to with course fees or offer more flexible hours.
- Charities and Trusts - grants are sometimes provided by these, usually awarded to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, or students that have achieved continuous academic excellence.
- UK Research Councils - UK Research Councils do fund some research-focused Masters programmes, which then tend to carry over to a PhD. The funding usually covers course fees and a maintenance grant which is tax free.
It is also possible start your own teaching workshop business, or become employed to do so. Becoming employed usually means you need to have a degree and industry experience. If you decide to work for yourself, you need to register as self employed.
Publishing:
The are several jobs in publishing that post-graduates could try for, these just being a few:
- Editor - usually have an input in every aspect of publishing a book, from thinking of an idea all the way to writing on the book jacket.
- Designer - controls what the book will look like and feel like, most publishing houses use freelance designers rather than in house ones. The designed works with the production team to come up with every aspect of the book.
- Production department - usually deal with ordering paper, getting quotes, and negotiating prices on typesetting, printing and binding. They take a manuscript and transform it into a book, working to a strict deadline set by shops.
- Contracts department - make sure that all contract documents are correct and keep with the original agreement created with the author.
- Rights departments - take responsibility for selling rights to people who are interested in buying them – for example, an Asian company might want to translate a book into Chinese and sell it in their market. Translation, serialisation, film/TV rights and merchandising rights are usually owned by the publishing house, but can be sold on if wanted.
- Marketing and publicity - this department is in charge of generating interest in a book, by planning a campaign and producing promotional material. They try to set up promotional events (e.g. book signings) and plenty of press coverage.
Below is a list of publishers found by this group, who offer opportunities within the publishing industry:
Photo labs:
This group found a few different photo labs, but the most well known is London's Metro Imaging, which provides almost every service you could possibly want. Another photo lab found was Genesis Imaging. These both offer printing, framing, mounting, retouching, and film processing. There are several jobs on offer in photo labs:
- Forensic photographer
- Laboratory manager
- Processing machine operator
- Photographic process worker
- Film processing technician
- Photo lab assistant
Non-photographic:
The possibilities for this section are endless really, but one popular option is writing. You don't need a creative writing degree, or a degree in anything actually, many successful writers don't have degrees. Having a degree would be helpful though, and make you stand out in a group of job candidates. Creative writing and poetry are difficult areas to get into though, so journalism is seen as a better route to take. Some newspapers will offer trainee positions, which provide basic training under a training contract. Script writing is another possible path, which tend to be judged more on creativity than qualifications. Cinematography also goes under this category, including cameramen and directors of photography. This website shows a list of job opportunities in the film industry. The roles of art editor, illustrator and art director are also possible options to follow up.
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