Placement: August 2009 – December 2009
Lesley-Anne was our very first intern at Mandinga Arts. After leaving us Lesley went straight into full time employment as the Arts Administrator for Rifco Arts.

"My experience at Mandinga was a very positive one. I have learnt a great deal about the operations of a small arts organisation and effective project management. It was a pleasure working with a small core group… Mandinga has definitely reaffirmed my desire to work in the festival sector."

Placement: January 2010 – March 2010
Sarah left Mandinga in March 2010 to take up employment as a Visual Assistant for Debenhams.

"My time with Mandinga has been really good. At the start of my placement I was unsure of what area I was interested, so I have been able to explore all aspects of arts admin and developed a particular interest in some areas. I felt that the Mandinga team have helped me to achieve what I wanted to get out of the placement."

Placement: April 2010 – July 2010
Our third intern Jilly, left us in July and moved into full time employment as the Dance Administrator for The Point, Eastleigh.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mandinga and feel that working here has been an invaluable experience for me. I came here wanting to develop project management skills and feel I am leaving with exactly what I wanted and more. Not only do I now feel confident in managing and planning events, but I have also developed many valuable administration skills. It's been great to work with such a welcoming team and I hope to cross paths with them again in future!"

Placement: July 2010 - October 2010
Mine joined us over the summer period. She left us in October to complete the last two years of her BA degree in Arts Management at Southbank University.

"My main goal was to gain experience and learn about arts organisations, especially carnivals and street arts. Mandinga offered perfect internship for me learn about all of this. I had a chance to work on the Night of Festivals project where I got to see how the whole thing runs and what needs to be done to put up such an event in the streets. I also had a chance to perform both days in the festival and it was loads of fun! Now I will move onto my next placements, as required in the course I am doing, with more confidence and a better understanding of the area. After graduating I will be looking at overseas project management opportunities mainly in Latin America."

Placement: October 2010 - January 2011
John joined us in October 2010 and left us in January to seek employment in administration in an arts-based organisation.

"This internship has been fantastic. I was initially seeking more experience in marketing and project management which this placement has provided; but I also feel I've gained a wealth of experience across all aspects of arts administration. Having the opportunity to join Mandinga on the road during the Newcastle Winter Carnival and assisting with managing the project has provided me with some unforgettable memories. I can't thank Claire, Charles and Julieta enough!"

Placement: January 2011 – March 2011
Ashley travelled all the way from South Africa to join us at the end of January, and left us half way through her placement on offer of full time employment! Ashley now works as a Marketing and Research Assistant at Greenlight Search.

"I have loved every minute of my time, working at Mandinga Arts. This internship has given me the confidence to go forward into the business world. I have learnt an awful lot in a short amount of time about the administration and organisation which goes into hosting a carnival event. This internship has really allowed me to utilise my creativity as well as teach me skills, which I will need in my new job as a Graduate Research Assistant with Greenlight Search. Mandinga Arts is a fantastic company and I have really enjoyed being a part of the Interwoven project which sees dancers and artists, from Spain, Bulgaria and Britain, collaborate together to encourage the community to embrace different cultures. Overall it has been an amazing experience that I am extremely grateful for!"