New magazine to look at interns within the creative industries

I have mixed feelings about internships within the Creative Industries.

The Summer after graduating from from Glasgow School of Art with a first class Hons Degree, was spent job hunting. Job hunting is a full time job in itself and my thoughts go out to everyone who is job hunting at the moment as it is an utterly tedious, demoralising and time-consuming task.

After months of searching, I was fortunate enough to be chosen for an internship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios. The internship was managed by Project Scotland, an organisation that provided a range of internship opportunities in different fields.

The internship lasted 6 months, and I worked 4 full days per week. I was paid £55 per week from Project Scotland (equivalent to job seekers allowance at the time).

I strongly believe that the internship helped me in many ways, and I do not think I would have got to where I am today without that experience. However, I also remember how much of a struggle it was to survive financially. Having just graduated, I needed to earn in order to be able to pay the rent and stay in Glasgow. I got an evening and weekend job whilst working at GSS, and so was pretty much working 7 days a week, leaving my flat at 8:30am and not getting back until after 10pm.

I am concerned that interns are being used as 'free staff', and that it is almost expected of Art graduates to undertake an internship before they are considered for paid work.

Alec Dudson is launching a publication tackling this inflammatory issue.

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/intern-magazine