Caroline Hambly

Wanting to pivot my career from fashion retail management to working in the events industry, I was certain Goldsmiths was a great place to start that journey. I was eager to join a university that held innovation at its heart, and I was looking for a course heavily centred around the arts and creative practice. I was not disappointed when I entered university life and found the environment at Goldsmiths to my liking.

I chose the Masters in Events and Experience Management within The Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. It contained theoretical and practical elements, mostly taught in lectures and seminars, with additional class excursions. We had many guest lectures from people in different areas of the events industry. Speakers ranged from smaller enterprises such as Mimbre Acrobats and The Twin Peaks UK Festival to larger companies such as Time Out, London & Partners and Broadwick Live. Being exposed to many high-quality employers gave ample opportunity to network. Connecting with one of the guest speakers, I have continued to work with her on various projects since I have left university.

The assignments were a mix of essays and group work, reflecting the course’s content of theory and practice. The practical tasks designed, gave us a true-to-life experience, and mimicked the world of work as closely as possible. One example was when we presented our group work to the events team at The National Gallery, a beneficial and useful exercise.

In addition to my core lectures, I also took up the opportunity to audit various subjects. I sat in on classes from tourism, cultural policy, social media, arts administration, and music. I found the level of teaching particularly high and both lecturers and administration staff were incredibly supportive. Our MA class included students from many countries. It was fantastic to work with and learn from so many nationalities.

Goldsmiths gave me many opportunities. I set up student events and was graciously awarded funding from the university to do so. I also had the opportunity to undertake two internships alongside my studies. I worked with The Imperial War Museum to conduct research into their audience visits and worked on the sponsorship conference, Think!Sponsorship, which has led to a lasting relationship both in business and friendship.

One of the most significant aspects of the course was the opportunity to collaborate with fellow students. I was involved in many projects throughout my time at Goldsmiths that taught me a lot about staging events and engaging with others. I now live with one of my fellow classmates, continuing to inspire each other; we started a podcast during the Coronavirus pandemic that focusses on female interest stories, alongside running online art workshops.

The opportunities from Goldsmiths have given me a great starting block for my career. I know when I apply for new jobs, my CV stands out with all the activity I undertook whilst at university, and I have gained many freelance roles through the connections I have made at Goldsmiths.