Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett offers unique festival opportunities
Through a partnership with the UK’s leading festival and event promoter, Festival Republic, Leeds Beckett’s Employability Partnerships Team has a range of placements available at leading music festivals such as Latitude and Leeds Festival.
In 2014, more than 600 Leeds Beckett students, staff and alumni successfully undertook 81 unique roles at Live at Leeds, Le tour de France, Norway’s Hove Festival, Latitude and Leeds and Reading Festivals. Every position is designed to increase a student’s employability and enhance their CV.
Patsy Robertshaw, Head of Events, Alumni and Partners explained: “Employability partnerships are a great way for our students and alumni to get one step ahead of the competition, as well providing an excellent work experience opportunity. Previous students have been able to use their experience to make vital contacts and learn more about the festival industry, at the same time as improving their CV, while those with supervisory roles have had the chance to take on responsibility and manage their peers. Several undergraduates and alumni have also gone on to gain paid work in the festival and music industries.”
In addition to the large number of employability partnerships roles onsite at the festivals, there are also some extra opportunities to work with Leeds Beckett’s partner, Festival Republic, or one of their contractors. In the last two years, students have worked in production, licensing, artist liaison and backstage, with sound and lighting companies and BBC Radio.
As well as providing an insight into the organisation and set up of a large-scale event, these opportunities prepare students for entering the career world by promoting key skills such as team work, resilience and problem solving.
Speaking about her experience undertaking an employability partnership as an artist liaison at Latitude Festival last summer, third year BA (Hons) Journalism student Carris Boast, said: “The role was not what I expected, it was better! I had so much fun and the people I worked with really helped me learn and gave me my own responsibilities which made me feel I was a real member of the team.”
Second year BA (Hons) filmmaking undergraduate Rebecca Charlton, who undertook a placement as a camera operator at Leeds Festival in 2014, added: “I think it was great we could take our own approach to the films whilst sticking within the guidelines of a client brief. I got to film a lot of things I’d never see on a daily basis.”