Exploring a London Borough of Culture Internship - Shanti's Experience

My name is Shanti Harborne. I found out about the Wandsworth London Borough of Culture programmes through a work coach. They said: “You're creative, this sounds perfect for you.” I had no idea what it was, but I applied. 

For the internship we indicated two areas of interest. I selected music production or events organisation, and the events organisation — interning at Battersea Arts Centre — is the one I ended up getting into. Everyone there is so lovely, and I feel I really thrive in places where everyone’s a bit of a funny hipster. I love seeing the creativity.

I really love people and all types of expression. My intentions for this internship was to find out how I can turn that joy into some kind of career that brings me pride as well as money. I tend to feel a bit down if I'm not expressing myself in the thing that I'm spending most of my time on, which can often be work —which I’m getting to do in my internship.

My personal creative practice has always been just me and art, but it's highlighted how important groups and collaborations are. There are so many teams within Battersea Arts Centre and so much going on behind the scenes. I illustrate. I do acrylics on canvas, ink drawings, poetry and thought‑stream writing. I’m currently working on digitising everything and building a website and making a little online space for creatives.

This is my first proper office job. I got placed in the media and communications team. I’m doing a lot of administrative support, but I'm grateful to be in a creative space where there's artists coming in every day. I get to read artist bios, see behind‑the‑scenes footage, and feel like I'm getting raw creativity straight from the artists as well as the super talented teams involved.

Thinking about access requirements has been pretty massive. Battersea Arts Centre is amazing for thinking about access; one of their main values is to make theatre accessible for deaf people, disabled people, neurodivergent people, queer people. It’s something I want to carry into my work. It really solidified it as an essential framework.

This internship has been perfect because I'm working with creatives and supporting them. It's fulfilling — even writing alt text, which feels monotonous to me, but is actually really beneficial to someone who can't see. I’m more open to doing stuff that I was more closed off about before. 

My advice to someone starting an internship: try and make the most of it. It is what you make it.

You’ve been involved with A Public Address. Without giving too much away, can you tell us a little bit about this project? 

A big part of what Quarantine (the theatre company) do is highlighting what most people consider mundane as real gold. I love those little moments of connection where you get to know someone deeper than as 'just' the shopkeeper, you know?

I hope it (A Public Address) brings people closer, and makes people question that kind of internal rigidity that we have about not speaking to each other. The thing about local shopkeepers and people like that is, you might see them more than you see your own family, but you've never spoken to them beyond necessity. I hope that people can take that away and say: 'I'm gonna speak to that shopkeeper that I've never spoken to, or I'm gonna do something nice and brighten someone's day’.

Shanti Harborne