My Work experience At SSCO
I recently had the pleasure of completing a week of year 10 work experience with Sonia Sabri Company one of the UK’s leading South Asian arts organisations.
The week began by joining the company’s weekly social media meeting whilst working remotely. I found it interesting to see how meetings are structured in a professional environment and how ideas are discussed, developed and promptly turned into actions. I was introduced to the different members of the team and learnt how important organisation is, particularly through the use of excel spreadsheets (holy grail!!) to manage campaigns, deadlines and content planning. Later that day, I started editing a GRWM video that I had previously filmed, giving me my first hands on experience of creating and finishing off digital content!!
Right from the beginning, it was clear how organised the company was. I was given a range of tasks that had been carefully planned out, with each one introducing me to a different aspect of the organisation. One of my first tasks was analysing responses from a recent class consultation that had taken place . As I worked through the feedback, I identified recurring themes and suggestions from participants, and got to figure out ways we could action out any improvements. I also learnt more about the different roles within the organisation, particularly the work of the Marketing Manager and Creative Designer, and how each department contributes hugely to bringing productions and projects to life. One of my favourite tasks was brainstorming new content ideas for social media, where I was really encouraged to contribute my own suggestions and think creatively about engaging different audiences through different platforms!
Midway through the week, I got some off-site experience as well and had the pleasure of visiting, along with the creative designer, The Springfield Project, where Sonia Sabri Company is leading a community co-design project. During the visit, I had the opportunity to interview several of the participants, as well as Daya, the project’s Visual Artist, and Tia, a Creative Practitioner at The Springfield Project. It was really special to hear these interviews because I could see just how much everyone enjoyed being part of the project and what it meant to them personally. I thought it was particularly meaningful that people from so many different backgrounds were all contributing to one final piece of artwork, each bringing their own experiences and perspective. Daya will bring all of these individual pieces together into the finished set, and I think that the collaborative approach that was taken will give it a depth and authenticity that would be incredibly difficult to create in any other way.
On the Thursday I had a lovely day at the office where I received feedback on the work I had completed so far, which was useful and helped me understand how I could improve my approach and initial organisation to different tasks. Later that day, I spent some time working off-site shadowing the Creative Designer. We visited a really cool and rustic art shop called Cass Art to collect materials for painting a special prop for an upcoming production.Alongside this, I researched potential performance opportunities for the company and had lots of fun filming a “Day in the Life” video (make sure to check it out on the SSCO tiktok page!!)
My final day was spent with The Artistic Director Sonia Sabri MBE and two very lovely professional dancers during the final rehearsal for a new walkabout production. As it was my first time observing a professional rehearsal, I found it amazing to see how collaborative the whole process was. Everyone was constantly sharing ideas, asking questions and experimenting with different approaches, and Maam was always happy to explain the thinking behind different creative decisions.
One of the highlights of the week was being invited to lead the dancers through a series of different scenarios and emotions to help them develop their characters almost as a bit of a warm up!! I experimented a lot whilst leading them with scenarios- changing things like the weather and found it so fascinating to see the changes in body language and levels in order to adapt to that!! Everyone was incredibly patient, open to my ideas and willing to explore different possibilities, which made me feel like a genuine part of the creative process.
While observing the rest of the rehearsal, I continued asking Maam questions, and one conversation that stayed with me was about how performers communicate emotion when wearing a full-face mask. I asked Maam how they were still able to portray such expressive characters, and she explained how they have to rely on abhinaya (all the 4 different types) rather than purely just facial expressions. It completely changed the way I watched the rehearsal afterwards, as I started taking note how much could be conveyed through posture, gesture and body language alone.
Looking back, one of the biggest reasons this week was so memorable was the team. From the moment this work experience was just an idea, everyone was incredibly supportive and communication was always clear. Throughout the week, I was trusted with responsibility, encouraged to share my ideas and never made to feel like I couldn’t ask questions. If I wasn’t sure about something or made a mistake, someone was always happy to help.
I honestly can’t put into words how much I enjoyed this week. I was never bored, every day brought something new, and I learnt far more than I expected. It has really encouraged me to work hard and explore more opportunities in the Arts sector! Thank you so much SSCO for making me feel so welcome from start to finish. I really hope I get the chance to work with you all again in the future!!!