Martha Bramwell - Intern at Junction Arts

My name is Martha, and I am delighted to be interning with Junction Arts.

Before now, I have been fortunate enough to work in, and alongside, creative businesses across Chesterfield and the Peak District and I’ve had some amazing experiences meeting fantastic artists and makers. As a student at Chesterfield College, I got the opportunity to take part in West Studios project the Young Contemporaries. This was a collective group of young creatives who curated a contemporary exhibition exhibiting their individual work. From this, I developed the confidence to pursue a career in art and got the opportunity to rent a student studio space at West Studios.

So, at 16 years old I began my own small business running creative workshops and selling my handcrafted ceramic and mixed media pieces from my new studio in Chesterfield. I have since hosted and supported workshops for lots of local groups including the National Trust, local community groups, and kids’ clubs. I have got these opportunities by joining in with networking events run by West Studios, other Chesterfield networking groups and talking to people in my local community.

I love creating pieces that are each unique and special, which I have the opportunity to do as part of my Level 4 in Art and Design qualification at Chesterfield College. However, I feel motivated and inspired to continue my work in community arts and working with people to create meaningful experience and offering them the opportunity to explore their individual creativity in a safe, nurturing space.

Junction Arts is a fantastic match for me, we share the same values, goals and ambition for our community. This year long Internship will give me the chance to get hands-on experience across the charity from project development and coordination, to marketing and fundraising. I am hopeful that this time will give me the knowledge and skills to build a lifelong career in the community arts industry.

At 19 years old, I feel so grateful that my days are filled with creativity, exciting projects and great people. When I do have time to myself, I can be found lambing in the Derbyshire countryside, exploring new places with my gorgeous dog Nellie, or just enjoying a good cup of tea with my best friend Meg.

If you’d like to find out more about my work, and my experience as an intern, please pop me an email at Intern@junctionarts.org.