Building a Career in Arts & Culture Communications
A note on navigating the journey to communicate what you love to the world.
I get asked how I managed to build my career in heritage communications by young professionals and academics all the time. I find myself giving similar responses, sharing a bit of my story and perspective on how they too can come to work at the intersection between the kind of material that fascinates them and the craft of diffusing those stories to the public.
So here’s my humble perspective on how I got where I am. I hope that in sharing one woman’s experience navigating this much sought-after sector very very recently, I’ll be able to shed some light for those breaking into the field not far behind me.
1. Authenticity, authenticity, authenticity
Probably the most overused word in the English language at this point but true nonetheless - I truly believe that everyone will end up on the path they are meant to if they can find a way to use the gifts and natural aptitudes they have in tandem with something that really lights them up.
In my case, I’ve always been a storyteller. I could talk for England and have written journals and diaries since I was a kid. On top of that, nothing sparks my imagination like ancient secrets and the remains of immemorial time. So I find myself today working at the intersection of cultural heritage and communications.
What’s the equivalent equation for you? Try to clear away what you’ve been told you can and can’t achieve, especially in this field, because every experience and career is as unique as you are. What lights you up and what are you good at? Start there.
2. The building blocks
Alongside doing my bachelor’s and master’s degree in archaeology, I was itching to try my hand at journalism. For terms of varying lengths - some as short as a week – I served as an editorial writer, a magazine editor, a documentary filmmaker, a communications intern, a research intern, a waitress, a receptionist, a blogger, and of course, a student. In my case most of the journalism I did was for student media (read: unpaid), internships were voluntary (read: also unpaid), and the films and writing I’d create ended up seeing the light of day mostly through my own LinkedIn page (more on that later).
I worked part-time jobs that allowed me the space to work on my studies or creative projects and kill two birds with one stone. To be clear I’m not advising that doing all these things at once is the only way to progress. I just want to be transparent about how one can actually make unpaid positions work when one actually needs to earn money.
The point is that each hat you equips you not only with new skills but with a coherent portfolio, all of which communicates both your abilities and growing expertise. So my first bit of advice will always be to, piece by piece, build a portfolio that’s focused on subject of interest and will equip you for the kind of work you want to do someday by doing small versions of it now, through different posts and projects.
The journey is never over - I’m still building my portfolio this way to this day.
3. Pitching the baseball into the void
This was probably my most used phrase between 2017 and 2021. I still use and practise it.
Most young professionals in arts & culture will know and have experienced that entry-level opportunities are competitive, or that in the early days of a creative career it’s unlikely to find a post where you can be paid and supported to flesh out an idea you already have. So rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity to come about I always also suggest acting on your ideas independently and making something yourself.
Not only will you take away so much from learning by actually doing, and flexing your resourcefulness muscle by scrounging for the information you’ll need to get there, but you’ll actually have a tangible piece to add to your portfolio at the end that is all your own. It sometimes feels like pitching a baseball into a void, not knowing where all this work will end up going or who will see it, but in my experience it pays off, which leads to my final point…
4. Make yourself visible
Like it or not, we are in the height of the digital age. For those early in their careers, this is a huge asset - with only a smartphone or access to the internet, a slew of platforms that allow you to build an online presence are at your fingertips.
The reason I really believe in giving all the work you do a home online is because in my experience, it was the reason my first full-time communications job actually found me. I happened to be working at the intersection of arts & culture and communications independently already, and as per my first piece of advice I chose this niche because it felt authentic to me to communicate what I cared about in a personable and accessible voice, and doing that via my own blogging, filmmaking and research projects made me visible to my future employer.
This is probably the simplest piece of advice I can give. Set up some online profiles and slowly, over time, start to populate them with people you admire, work you’re proud of, content you’ve found interesting, whatever you like. This gives the world a snapshot of you and your thoughts, work, and interests to connect with. LinkedIn, The Dots, and Squarespace (for building your own site) are my favourites.
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Safe to say it’s been quite the journey in getting to where I am now and I am so so grateful for the significant role that luck also had to play in my great start. Although at times it was difficult, tiring, overwhelming and stressful, it was also really fun, and it can be for you too.
In closing I just want to put out there that although everyone ever seems to say that ‘it’s all about who you know’ I think there are more pieces to the puzzle than just networking. For me it was keeping my eyes and heart on what really lit me up, staying committed to creating things even when I didn’t know who’d see them and felt like I didn’t know what I was doing, honouring and trusting my authentic path that allowed me to be prepared for the moment luck would strike and someone finally saw me and my potential which got me a wonderful job at a great institution. But even that isn’t everything. It was the self confidence, friendships, and experiences - even the total and utter failures, which I’ll share someday - that have left me with an immense sense of achievement, gratitude and satisfaction.
I wish you nothing but luck on your journey, and hope my story has been in some way helpful.
With love! Issabella
New Offering – Visionary Sessions
If you’d like to spend some time on the phone with me brainstorming a project, asking for specific career advice and picking my brain about all things heritage, arts & culture, I am now offering 1:1 sessions, for a limited time on a pay-what-you-can basis. If you’re interested please don’t hesitate to get in touch!