Lauren Smethurst, Corporate Partnerships Officer, Barbican Centre

I'm from Macclesfield, in North West England, and I've always been passionate about the arts. After completing my BA in Theatre and volunteering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018, I studied on an Arts Management Masters at the University of Manchester. My Masters dissertation looked at the obstacles to accessing entry level arts management roles and the importance of networks such as Young Arts Fundraisers (YAF), who make people feel comfortable and supported at the start of their careers.

As part of my Masters, I did a placement with the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme. Here I worked alongside the Executive Director who was experienced in arts fundraising. She introduced me to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and encouraged me to apply for a RAISE bursary to undertake the Introduction to Fundraising course and to attend CIoF Cultural Sector Network Conference 2020 in London. Attending the conference allowed me to meet people from across the UK and connect with Young Arts Fundraisers (YAF) and I remember leaving London feeling very energised and inspired about pursuing an arts fundraising career.

These opportunities enabled me to join Manchester International Festival (MIF) as Development Administrator in 2021, and to my role as Development Officer at HOME, where I worked across multiple income streams. I am now a National Development Board Member for Young Arts Fundraisers (YAF), a network for early career fundraisers working in the arts sector.

Connecting with other arts fundraisers has been critical in my professional development, particularly during the pandemic, when there were minimal job opportunities in the sector. The support of YAF through online events and networking allowed me to stay connected with others in the arts at this time – I honestly don’t know if I would’ve continued on this career path without YAF’s support. Networks are so important for those working in the arts, particularly those at the start of their careers.

I am fortunate to be part of a wonderful early-fundraiser network in Manchester that has been valuable to my professional development and wellbeing. It’s fantastic to have a network of likeminded people who are at a similar level to bounce ideas off.

1. Put yourself out there. Try to connect with as many people as possible, ask for half an hour over coffee or a chat on Zoom. I was surprised by how friendly people are. That’s one of the best things about working in the arts, people really want other people to thrive and feel connected.
2. Reach out to juniors and seniors: Stay connected with peers at a similar career stage as you, but at the same time, try to reach out to people in more senior roles. Ask them how they got to where they are, what roles have they done, what have they learned along the way. Don’t be intimidated by people in senior roles – they were once where you are.
3. Learn from your mistakes: Writing bids and being rejected is not the best feeling in the world, but those bumps in the road are just a part of the experience and will ultimately help you grow.