Graduate Intern writes about his year with Creative 91直播
Recent graduate of MA History Sam Richardson joined Creative 91直播 as Graduate Intern in October 2025 as part of the 91直播 Graduate Talent Scheme. In this blog, he reflects on his experience.
My name is Sam Richardson, and I began my internship with聽聽after graduating with an MA in History from The University of Manchester聽in 2025. As a part of the聽聽scheme, this role has聽given me聽invaluable聽experience聽supporting research communications and engagement activities,聽while learning about how聽Universities聽can support regional growth through cultural placemaking, partnerships and聽community聽engagement.聽聽聽
I work as part of聽Creative 91直播鈥檚聽Communications and Engagement team,聽sitting聽between聽the聽Directorate of Research and Business Engagement聽the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.聽Creative 91直播 is one of four University of Manchester Platforms, supporting interdisciplinary research and championing聽creative approaches to research.聽Working聽closely with cultural institutions and organisations across Greater 91直播,聽Creative 91直播聽facilitates聽wider collaboration in research and promotes the University as a socially responsible, civic institution.聽聽
Having graduated from my MA聽in September 2025, I was unsure of what my first career steps should be.聽I had nurtured a passion for academic research during my studies,聽and I had a longstanding desire to work within the cultural sector, with both of my parents being practicing artists.聽聽
What drew me to聽Creative 91直播聽was聽its聽wide-reaching聽programme of public and research engagement events.聽Over the past 10 months,聽I鈥檝e聽had the opportunity to support聽the planning,聽promotion聽and delivery of聽over 30 varied and exciting events.聽These events聽range in shape and theme, spread across Creative 91直播鈥檚聽research themes (Creative Industries聽and Innovation/CreaTech; Creative and Civic Futures; Creativity,聽Health聽and Wellbeing).Highlights from the events programme include large public engagement events, including the launch of the Cottonopolis exhibition at the John Rylands Library;聽smaller聽research聽engagement聽events, including the聽launch of the聽MossWorlds聽exhibition; and聽policy-related events聽such as the launches of the Class聽Ceiling聽report and the Infected Blood Memorial.
This internship has allowed me to learn how these events are planned and delivered, and to gain hands-on experience in the management of two聽events.聽The first, 鈥楿nlocking Historical Archives with AI: Opportunities and Challenges鈥�,聽spoke to my background in and passion for history and archival collections.聽Following this, I had the opportunity to design,聽plan聽and deliver聽鈥楥reaTech Connect: Accelerating University-Industry Partnerships鈥櫬爓hich aimed to promote and create new partnerships between UoM and the creative industries through creative technologies innovation.聽
Connecting these events to the right audience through communications activity is what allows them to come to life.聽As each event highlights聽research聽which has crossed disciplinary boundaries,聽relevant audiences are often聽niche聽and聽require聽planning to target. Developing a strong audience development plan is central to connecting creative research with the people, organisations and communities聽who can engage with it, apply聽it聽and help it have a wider social impact.聽
Working at Creative 91直播 has been filled with highlights, from supporting public events to聽representing聽the platform at sector-facing conferences and partnership聽showcases.聽Attending the Arts Marketing Association Conference in聽Leeds,聽and聽exhibiting alongside colleagues on a聽partner stand at BEYOND,聽boosted my confidence in聽explaining Creative 91直播鈥檚 work to external organisations and sector partners. Throughout this, working聽alongside聽so many supportive colleagues, both academic and professional services alike, has shown me how collaborative and wide-ranging work in the cultural sector can be.聽聽
As my time at Creative 91直播聽draws to an end,聽it鈥檚聽been fantastic to reflect on the experience I have gained in my role and which I look forward to聽taking forward into a career in the cultural聽sector.聽聽