A Fishamble Diary by Niamh Ní Fhlatharta

I’d seen the shows, followed the social media and heard really great things about their courses and how they work. But my experience working in Fishamble has gone far beyond what I thought it could be, it was second to none. I’ve been lucky enough to have learnt and experienced so much in the three months that I was there, and I’m not just saying this because of all the sweet treats they also gave me.
 
I was an intern with Fishamble as part of my Masters in Cultural Policy and Arts Management in UCD, a course which Chandrika, the Marketing and Development Manager here at Fishamble also did (which gives me hope for the future). I moved to Dublin from Galway to do this course and at the start, the difference in pace and size of the city was tough to get used to but I’ve made friends and settled right in now.  
 
I spent most of my time with Fishamble working on Marketing and Development with Chandrika. I was particularly excited to get an email signature (Niamh Ní Fhlatharta, Marketing Intern!) on one of my first days. I got to see every aspect of what Fishamble do, the team were happy to answer any and all questions I had. I was delighted to be able to sit on A Play for Ireland discussions, the first read-through of Haughey|Gregory, and all sorts of different meetings. I got to meet a bunch of people which Fishamble work with, playwrights, designers, actors, friends… From day one, I felt like I was playing an important part in the team. Some of my personal achievements were that I got to help launch the Fishamble rebrand, help with the celebration when Fishamble announced the chosen Play for Ireland, and to help build the marketing strategy for The Alternative.
 
In the time I was there, Fishamble toured 6 different shows, and not just in Ireland but all over the world. This allowed me to see how marketing works not only when the shows are at home but how to go about marketing a show aboard, something I might not have gotten a chance to see if I were in another company. I also got to learn how to equally organise my time to give each different show the amount of time and attention it needs, which is important when a company is busy.
 
I helped Chandrika do award/funding applications, I learnt how to update the website, and how to send newsletters on Mailchimp (and play the secret Mailchimp game).
 
The Fishamble team is so generous and friendly, I can’t thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to work with them and for giving me this insight and training. I think it often surprises people that a company that achieves so much is run by a small team of 5 people. But they work so incredibly hard while never forgetting to have a laugh and a bit of fun too. The office has been such a lovely place to come into in the mornings. I have been so lucky to be able to work with Fishamble.  
 
This is a final appreciation paragraph for the cheesecake and rocky road that Eva Scanlan makes. Amazing and zero calories!
 
Niamh was the Marketing and Fundraising Intern with Fishamble. She is from Galway and is currently a Masters student in UCD, studying Cultural Policy and Arts Management. 

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