VAA monthly update: May

Well hello there lovely readers!

This is the first of what shall be monthy VAA updates, where I'll give a run down - long or short, depends how busy my VAA schedule is! - of all the Voluntary Arts Ambassador-ing I've been doing over the month. To find out more about what a VAA is check my earlier post here. This has been the first month since I became official VAA that I've been able to really get started, and its been pretty exciting so far! Give it a read below, and if you can think of anyone who might like to read it also (I'm looking at you - people of the arts world in Aberdeen!) then SHARE SHARE SHARE! My main aim just now is to make contact with as many local arts and crafts voluntary groups as is humanly possible, along with anyone who is able to represent the voice of local arts and crafts groups at a higher level. So if you fall into either of these categories then get in touch - you can email vaa-aberdeencity@vascotland.org.uk and/or add me on Facebook, under "Voluntary Arts Ambassador Aberdeen."

Happy reading!

First Key Meeting

So on April 30th I met with Carol Stobie from VA Scotland, and Mike Melvin from ACVO for my first key meeting. This was a chance for me as VAA to connect to my local volunteer centre, and for VA Scotland and the Volunteer Centre to meet to discuss how best to support and represent the voluntary arts world. We talked about how arts in Aberdeen is becoming a hot topic just now what with the city's bid to become City of Culture 2017, and about how this is a great time to be VAA in the area. I came away with a lot of contacts to make: people from the bid team, various local arts and crafts groups, and people in the professional arts world who can help to support voluntary groups. I'm still making my way through the contacts but so far I've met some really helpful people! My main aim at this stage is to reach out to as many local, voluntary/amateur arts and crafts groups as possible. I can point groups towards Running Your Group, and sources of information, arts news, and funding opportunities, but even small, informal groups can benefit from being in touch with their local VAA. I often hear about free craft supply giveaways or local events of all shapes and forms, where local groups can get their hands on some goodies or get involved in events which might be of interest to them. Its my goal to make this happen as often as possible, and also to continue to make links with those involved in Community Planning so that if your wee group has any issues, I can try to bring that to the attention of the people who can really help. So, to return to the meeting, I came away with loads of great contacts to make courtesy of Mike (who is one of my favourite people ever) and I also signed myself up for a whole raft of promotional articles and interviews courtesy of ACVO's publications. So be expecting to see my face on a lotta stuff in the near future, and if you think you can help me on my mission then get in touch via the methods above!

ACVO e-bulletin

Speaking of my face being on a lot of things, the first appearance my mug made was in the ACVO e-bulletin (picture below). I sent them a "Meet your VAA" letter, introducing myself, VA Scotland and the role of the ambassador. I read the e-bulletins every week anyway (excellent source of discovering those free giveaways and events I was talking about above!) so it was a bit odd to open it up and find my face on page 6! But fun times, and it seems to be working because the ever-helpful networks man from ACVO got in touch and is compiling me a list of groups to get in touch with and has found a useful Facebook group for me to join too! So thank you to Simon, and if anyone else saw the poster and has been thinking of getting in touch - please do!

Interview for ACVO Magazine

And lastly but not leastly, just this morning I met with Sarah McGarva from, yup, you guessed it, ACVO, for an interview for their magazine. It was just a quick wee chat where I explained what I do as a VAA, what my aim is and how people can reach me. It'll be in the magazine at the end of June so keep an eye out for that, once it becomes available I'll post a link to it here. I must say, I really do owe the ACVO team a massive thank you! They have made my job soooo much easier, and I've heard on the grapevine that not all local Volunteer Centres and Community Planning folk are as open to arts and crafts groups as Aberdeen, so yay us and yay ACVO! That being said, I am aware I rely very heavily on them, so I'm looking for lots of help from other Aberdeen folks to make sure I represent and help as many people/groups as possible. So get in touch! Did I mention that already?!

And that's it!! There shall be more next month, and fingers crossed I'll be able to namedrop a whoooole TONNE of amateur arts and crafts groups in Aberdeen which you can join and which I can help! Once again, get in touch by checking my VAA Facebook page, or emailing vaa-aberdeencity@vascotland.org.uk

Over and out!
Naomi

Two Months, One Post

Well hello there lovely readers!

Long time no jibber-jabber, how've you all been? Good? Great! I myself have been pretty busy since my last post, hence why its taken me a while to get round to writing this one! I'm just going to do a whistle-stop tour of my life over the last two months or so, and anything I think I should talk more about *may* appear at a later date, provided I get the chance. So here goes, fasten your seat belts because the spaceship is about to lift off ;)

10th April - Interview for ACVO Internship

Way back in February I applied for an internship through Third Sector Internships Scotland (TSIS). The post was for an Events Organiser intern at ACVO, helping organise their Celebrate Aberdeen parade, the Third Sector Fayre and some other events on the team calendar. In early April I got an email to say I'd been selected for interview, and then followed a mad panic to remain calm and prepare as best I could. This is one of the things I think I'll take some time to write a whole post on, but in a nutshell: I did a practice interview with the careers team at uni, bought some lovely new interview shoes (no matter how many interviews I do I can never find an outfit I'm really happy with!) and I spent about 30 hours on the ACVO website learning about Social Enterprises, ACVO's strategic objectives, and the Change Fund. I was pretty nervous but that more or less subsided during the interview, and I think it went quite well. Unfortunately, I didn't entirely capitalise on my previous events-organising experience, and the internship went to someone else. However I've printed out the really helpful feedback I got from the panel, and its in my careers journal, so I now know what I need to work on. All in all I'm calling this one a success!


25th April - Handed in my Dissertation

The usual story here - wrote the majority of it in the last week when The Fear finally kicked in! Felt very anti-climactic to hand it in, too. Handing it in pretty much marked the end of my undergraduate career, but I haven't had the chance to sit and think about that yet. Or maybe there's nothing to think about - I love uni but its done now, and that's cool because I get to choose what to do next! EXCITING!

30th April - First VAA Key Meeting

As I'm sure you all remember, I'm the Voluntary Arts Ambassador (VAA) for Aberdeen City. I had my first key meeting with Carol Stobie from VA Scotland and Mike Melvin from ACVO at the end of April, and went away home with pages of ideas and contacts to make, etc. This is another of those things that'll get a post of its own, but basically this was an incredibly useful meeting. I've signed myself up for a billion things, including a "Meet your VAA" spread in the ACVO e-bulletin (pictured below), an interview on SHMU radio, and attendance at the Celebrate Aberdeen parade and Third Sector Fayre. I'm in the process of getting the details of some local arts and crafts groups from ACVO's Simon (thank you Simon!), and I also have a few other ideas of where to look for people. If you're reading this, maybe you're in an Aberdeen-based voluntary arts group - if so get in touch! I can point you towards VA Scotland's excellent resources, and if your group has any issues or ideas you'd like those further up the food chain to know about, I can try and help there too. Just search "voluntary arts ambassador aberdeen" on Facebook or email vaa-aberdeencity@vascotland.org.uk

5th May - Started working at Drummonds Cafe

Talking of what to do next - priority number one is being able to pay the rent, so I managed to wangle myself a bar job.The name "Drummonds Cafe" is a bit of a misnomer because its actually a bar/music venue, and I am the finest new barmaid they ever did see! Except that I can't pull a pint to save my life, I think I'm half deaf because I can never hear what people are ordering, and I have to count up all the prices in my head and I failed high school maths, so I'm probably charging the wrong prices most of the time. BUT, I smile a lot. So its yin and yang really.

17th May -First day working as a Playworker for CliCC

This one's an exciting one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got another new job as a Playworker, based at Skene Square After School Club. I'm not going to lie - even I don't really know how this happened. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) always asks me "Why don't you be a teacher? You'd be a good teacher." and I always have to reply that I don't WANT to be a teacher, and when they ask "why?" I never have a good answer. I also have no good answer as to what it is I DO want to do, so I'm a bit hopeless really. This is another thing I'll do a separate post on, but suffice to say that after 6+ years of telling everyone I don't want to be a teacher and don't really want to work with kids, I got myself a job in a primary school working with children...

...and I'm liking it...

24th May - First kiddies session with Skirts & Tales


Annnnnnd finally, the S&T team hit a local primary school on Friday with our amazing storyteller, Pauline Cordiner. The school have given us (given us? loaned us? provided us with? I don't know) a group of 12 P3/4s who will be part of our project. We met with them on Friday for the first time, and Friday's session was learning the story (The Fisherman and his Wife), re-writing parts of it, and designing pictures. The pictures and story will be printed on a giant train to be worn as part of the parade, and the kids will be in the parade, shaking the train, singing songs, and hopefully having a grand old time. Once we get photo consent double-confirmed from the parents we'll be updating the S&T blog with more information, so keep your eyes peeled for that! I'm so happy with Friday's session and with the whole team, they've made managing the project so enjoyable! ENTHUSE!

And that's it! Two months in one post, more to come, very soon! As usual LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I love to read them, and/or get in touch via google+ or twitter @NaomiBegg1.

Over and out,
Love to everyone!
Naomi