Interns Like Me: Blog Post 2
Vibrant atmospheres and varied tasks
By Julia Kettenbach
How similar was the experience to how you expected it to be?
Looking back on the last three months, I found the experience both enriching and rewarding, even if it feels like it has gone way too quickly! The vibrant atmosphere of the South Kensington neighbourhood was as lively and culturally rich as I had anticipated. What truly surprised me was the breadth of events hosted by the Goethe-Institut. I never would have imagined the extent of their cultural activities from hosting in-house residencies to organising a wide variety of events with DJs, artists, and writers from such diverse backgrounds. It was eye-opening to see their commitment to promoting cultural diversity.
I hadn't expected to learn about Content Management Systems (CMS) during my internship, but it turned out to be one of the coolest skills I gained. Overall, while some aspects of the experience were as expected, others, such as the depth of the cultural offerings and the opportunity to learn about CMS, pleasantly surprised me, making my internship at the Goethe-Institut even more rewarding than I had imagined.
What did your daily tasks look like?
My daily tasks were both diverse and engaging. My role mainly focused on planning and creating engaging content for various social media platforms. This involved conceptualising posts, editing graphics using tools like Canva, creating Reels on Kapwing and managing the Instagram Stories. With so many events on, these needed to be communicated to the public well. In this sense, I really learnt about the importance of social media within event planning.
When needed, I also had the chance to curate and post content on their content management system called Contens, which I specifically enjoyed learning more about. It was interesting to see how the backend of a website is run. Now, I'm eager to refine my abilities and see where they take me in the world of digital content. I embraced a flexible and supportive role for my team, assisting them with the various tasks they had, which I really enjoyed as every day was different to the other.
During your internship you mentioned attending a lot of events, do you have any event highlights?
One thing I liked about these last three months was the opportunity to immerse myself in a variety of cultural events and meet some very interesting people. The literature discussion featuring Shida Bazyar's Sisters in Arms was a personal highlight where we spoke about really important issues currently affecting Germans such as the AfD party, race and gender. Another was exploring the bustling floors of the London Book Fair, which offered an exclusive glimpse into the inner workings of the publishing industry.
Even in-house, I enjoyed shadowing podcast and video recordings, which helped me learn more about the realm of digital storytelling and how differently editorial content is prepared when it isn’t in written form. A random one that I could’ve never imagined working on was the 'Fit Green Mind' project, where I supported my team in promoting a cooking course competition with the vegan influencer Maya.
Working with the educational services team, we hosted students during the German Days to spark their interest in learning the German language. The introduction of the German-French Day underscored the interconnectedness of cultural institutions in South Kensington.
From content curation and audience engagement to cultural events, each experience has expanded my expertise and deepened my appreciation for those working at cultural institutes. Attending events and seeing all the cultural work happening at the Goethe-Institut in live-action after being a part of it behind the scenes and planning process was cool.
Can you envision yourself working in a cultural institution in the future?
Working in a cultural institution has been a great learning experience for me. It's a versatile environment that exposed me to many new things I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. I got to learn about the structure, funding, and relationships between cultural organisations in the UK, and get acquainted with different artists, writers, and musicians I’d never heard of before.
What I've realised is that working in a cultural institution involves a wide range of roles, from supporting artists to working with singers, DJs, and other creatives. This variety makes the job dynamic and exciting. Seeing all this has made me seriously consider working in a cultural institution in the future. So watch this space!