Meet Mia - “Using creativity to make a positive difference”.
Talking Performing Arts pathways backstage at The Crucible!
I’m Mia and I’m one of the new Children’s Capital of Culture Trainees at Skills Street!
I’m passionate about the arts, creative industries and education, so I’m thrilled to be co-designing Skills Street’s ‘Creative and Cultural’ zone with Samantha (she’s here). This zone will demonstrate the different roles and routes into creative and cultural careers, the skills people need and how these skills develop at an earlier age alongside the school curriculum. I’m also helping to build marketing strategies and support business development across the wider Skills Street C.I.C.
Before joining Skills Street, I studied English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall at The University of Oxford (the first college to admit women into the university, and to create a Foundation Year!). During my time at Oxford, when I wasn’t writing an essay at 2am, I was involved in lots of student theatre productions and was junior editor for the identity section of a student newspaper. I was elected as an Arts Officer for my college, where I created a programme of creative events across the academic year, including open mics, art exhibitions and crafty welfare teas. I’m currently continuing my studies, finishing my master’s degree in English at the University of York.
Outside of university, I have interned as a publishing assistant at And Other Stories, a Sheffield – based, non-for-profit publisher of contemporary, global literature. While at Wath Sixth form I also volunteered as a story mentor at literary charity Grimm & Co and wrote creatively with Rotherham Young Writers. I love seeing creativity in my region.
I never really knew what career I wanted to do when I was at school - I adored writing, languages, acting, art – and maths quite literally made me cry. My dream job at eleven was to write my own books, illustrate them, and get them turned into films I could act in. Leaving school, all I really knew was that I wanted to use my creativity to make a positive difference around me.
I joined Skills Street because I think it’s vital that pupils recognise the value of all careers, school subjects and deconstruct the idea that less typically ‘academic’ subjects are less valuable. When choosing my own GCSE options, I was so frustrated at feeling pushed to sacrifice my favourite subjects for ‘more academic’ ones – but I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t committed to the subjects I loved. Creating a careers-based learning environment in hand with real businesses and brands will allow young people to fully visualise the vast number of possibilities and pathways in each industry. I am keen to play my part and inspire the next generation to consider jobs they haven't known before – something especially vital for the media, arts, culture and heritage careers where access into the creative subjects and industries are declining.
It’s a real privilege that the Skills Street site is being built in my hometown Rotherham. I think lots of people going into their first career job, especially graduates, think the best opportunities are exclusive to the capital, so it’s so valuable to showcase organisations local to the region, and to be able to provide careers-based learning to children and young people who need it the most.
No day of my traineeship so far has been the same – I’ve met new business partners, redesigned a website, and been backstage in The Crucible – and my office is based at Gulliver’s Valley theme park! It’s so exciting and rewarding to be an active part of Skills Street’s construction, and I can’t wait for everyone to see us open next year!
Connect with me on LinkedIn here and follow our updates as we work towards an informed future for Rotherham, Childrens’ Capital of Culture 2025👋