Firstly, I just want to begin with how lucky I am to have become a Young Producer in the first place, it’s such an incredible experience and opportunity! I’ve worked on a multitude of different kinds of projects and learnt and enhanced numerous different skills both personally and professionally.
I remember how nervous I was for my interview but I shouldn’t have been! Straight away I was made to feel at ease, and I still remember discussing feminist art during it. I still remember that very first meeting, almost two years ago, I was so excited but also nervous and didn’t know what to expect or what exactly being a Young Producer entailed entirely. Firstly, it began with the Year Twos telling us a bit about the programme and the kind of achievements they’ve made during their time, then we learnt about all of the exciting things and opportunities we could participate in.
There have been numerous different projects and extra things to get involved with during my time as a Young Producer, from being a project director on my own historical research project, to working in partnership with the Taskmaster team on the English Heritage’s Taskmaster collaboration, to planning and developing the Past Present and Future Weekender Festival in partnership with Oxford University..
Additionally I’ve travelled all over the country from various parts of London, to Birmingham, to Oxford and beyond. I’ve also completed oral history training for the JW Evans oral history project and project management training, in addition to sitting on an interview panel for an English Heritage Director’s role! I’ve volunteered with the Conservation In Action van, learning about Heritage Conservation and interacting with the general public; attended the amazing residential; read and rated funding applications for Reverberate; and many more incredible opportunities that I can’t fit in this blog post, including planning and creating social media content. Not to mention, all of the extra talks from professionals and ex Young Producers, allowing us to network and learn about different pathways and careers within the Arts and Heritage industry.
But it’s not just about all of the amazing opportunities that come with being a Young Producer professionally, but also personally. I mean, if you’d told me even a year ago that I would be working collaboratively with a group of people on multiple different projects both online and in person I would have told you that you’re crazy! Or the fact I would be travelling all over the country, staying in hotels alone and then travelling to places alone, there’s not a chance I would have believed you.
The programme has been so supportive and flexible to my needs and has been so invaluable both professionally and personally, as it has massively increased my confidence and pushed me out of my comfort zone in a good way! It has impacted me as an individual to explore and develop my confidence, help figure out a rough future plan, learn about working both individually and collaboratively, discover new passions and also dislikes!
The programme has taught me so much about all the facets of the heritage industry and inside knowledge. It has helped me massively, as it’s enabling me to learn more about the sector I want to work in and how I can get there. Additionally, it’s helping shape my interests and also discovering what I don’t want to do too! As previously mentioned I’ve learnt so many skills both professionally and personally and it’s helping me to network and build connections within the future industry I hope to work within in!
Overall, the Young Producers programme is just fantastic and an amazing experience and opportunity for any young person who either wants a career within the arts and heritage sector or who is just interested in heritage! I would highly recommend it to anyone. Everyone from English Heritage are so supportive and encouraging!
Interviewing a previous English Heritage Project Manager as part of the JW Evans Oral History project
At the 2025 residential
Working on my History of Care research project – creating the visual guide at the Foundling Museum