by Eileen Kerr
For the last 6 years I have worked as a Project Manager within the arts sector, after graduating with Film and Media from the University of Stirling. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a wide range of artists practising various art forms, from visual artists, musicians, physical theatre performers, circus artists, dancers and pyrotechnics to name a few. I’ve programmed and managed in both outdoor and indoor venues across Scotland, England and Europe. I’ve been involved in every aspect of event management you can imagine. Planning, logistics, funding applications, producing, production / technical management, stage management, volunteer & crew co-ordinator, so I understand all the processes involved in making something happen! My passion is for supporting artists wherever I can so that they can work unhindered by red tape and boring admin. I also love helping artists create work that connects with and delights audiences. Seeing the connections with audiences and the differences art can make is amazing to me and I genuinely love that my job is to facilitate that. For the last 6 years I have worked as a Project Manager within the arts sector, after graduating with Film and Media from the University of Stirling. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a wide range of artists practising various art forms, from visual artists, musicians, physical theatre performers, circus artists, dancers and pyrotechnics to name a few. I’ve programmed and managed in both outdoor and indoor venues across Scotland, England and Europe. I’ve been involved in every aspect of event management you can imagine. Planning, logistics, funding applications, producing, production / technical management, stage management, volunteer & crew co-ordinator, so I understand all the processes involved in making something happen! My passion is for supporting artists wherever I can so that they can work unhindered by red tape and boring admin. I also love helping artists create work that connects with and delights audiences. Seeing the connections with audiences and the differences art can make is amazing to me and I genuinely love that my job is to facilitate that.
My role with Arran Theatre and Arts Trust has various layers. Supporting the arts community, managing one-off and longer term arts projects, building up a pool of arts professionals on the island, writing funding applications and managing budgets, offering advice and support to community groups on fundraising and forming projects, and building a stronger link between the arts on Arran and the mainland. In addition to helping support new projects, I am keen to develop the Arts Trail on the island, and develop the programming of the McLellan Festival. I am also keen to introduce a funded residency programme for artists to work on the island and an exchange onto the mainland. I think it’s also very important for the arts on the island to get the younger generation involved; I’ll seek to get their help on events, nurture their skills in festival and events.My role is currently part time, two days a week for two years so part of my job generally is managing expectations. It’s important to be ambitious but it’s also important to be realistic! Having said that, I am very committed to this role, and ideally I will get to a point when this is a full time role.
I’m really excited to be working on Arran, and am thankful to the Arran Theatre and Arts Trust for this amazing opportunity. I want to help strengthen Arran’s connections to the wider arts world so that Arran becomes known as ‘The Arts Island’ – a title it deserves.