Clod Ensemble is an award-winning performance company led by Suzy Willson and Paul Clark based in North Greenwich, London. Its collections include physical and digital items from video footage and images to performance notes and music sheets spanning almost 30 years.

With important stories to tell, the archives are already used by researchers but have the potential to reach and engage a much wider audience. They bring to the fore the accounts and perspectives of performers, whose parts in productions are often anonymous.

Choreozone: Activating an Archive project

In August 2023, I joined Clod Ensemble as their Apprentice Content Creator. The role was created as part of the project Choreozone: Activating an Archive which was awarded £245,854 of National Lottery funding.

I had just completed a Level 3 diploma in Music Performance and Production at UAL with a background in singing and songwriting.

Clod Ensemble had partnered with LIFT, which provides recruitment services to reach local talent, so in a way through their targeted outreach they found me. And I’m so glad they did.

Focusing on interests and ambitions rather than solely on formal qualifications makes the recruitment process more inclusive.

A fresh approach to recruitment

The job description was inspiring and I could see myself learning a lot of skills from this role. I also wanted to develop my knowledge of how NGOs and arts organisations operate, such as how they are structured and get funding.

The recruitment process was straight forward and engaging. LIFT supported me throughout, sharing interview questions beforehand so I felt prepared and reassured. The interview with Clod Ensemble was quite informal and relaxed. Rather than focusing on qualifications and my CV, they asked me about my motivations.

I did practical tasks, such as creating a mood board of content ideas and explaining my thought process. This felt truer to real working life, and I got a good idea of what the role would involve.

Gaining a variety of experiences

Over the nine months or so that I’ve been here, I’ve already gained so much! I’ve learned about what’s involved in developing and delivering performances, how to get funding as a young creative professional and I’ve supported marketing and communications campaigns across social media, press and digital.

I have undertaken oral history training so that I know how best to interview people to capture their stories before they are lost to time.

As Clod Ensemble aim for their archive to be a living collection, I have undertaken oral history training so that I know how best to interview people to capture their stories before they are lost to time. This is important to make sure we collect diverse stories and represent different people in performance heritage.

Connecting with heritage

Recently in my apprenticeship, I’ve gained experience in connecting audiences to archives. As part of the Heritage Fund project, Clod Ensemble ran a two-week creative learning programme called Catalyser for 18 to 25-year-olds who have experienced discrimination and socio-economic barriers.

More than 20 people took part in hands-on sessions looking at footage and images and taking inspiration from them to create new forms of expression through movement, sound design or writing.

For some people, heritage can feel a bit daunting by its sheer vastness, and it’s sometimes uncomfortable to connect with the troubled past. Through Catalyser, I discovered how to break down heritage into something tangible. Drawing on the archives as inspiration for new forms of creative practice made it relevant to what we are doing today.

I also work-shadowed a film crew during some of the Catalyser sessions, learning about documenting events and activities and how to interview people on camera – gaining practical skills that will be valuable in future roles.

Clarity for the future

Being an apprentice has changed my trajectory of thinking. Clod Ensemble set me up in the right way to explore and experiment with different lines of work. And now I have been able to hone in on what I enjoy most.

I’ve realised I have good organisational skills and enjoy producing events to provide a platform for creatives to showcase their talent. I look forward to developing my skills in this area further throughout the rest of the apprenticeship.

There's lots more to do in the project – from cataloguing shows, assigning reference numbers to material so it is accessible and researching a suitable database to house the growing collections. I'm excited for the next step ahead.

Actions to take forward

Here are some top tips for other heritage organisations looking to host an apprenticeship and reach new and under-served talent:

• Think about how you can make your recruitment outreach as diverse and accessible as possible. If this is new to you, consider partnering with a recruitment service which has specialist skills in targeting under-served talent.
• Make the recruitment process inclusive and focus on interests and ambitions rather than solely on formal qualifications. Make sure the job description is engaging and representative of the role.
• Create shadowing and mentoring opportunities throughout the apprenticeship. These enable the person to gain a taster of different roles to help them identify where they might want to specialise.

Find out more

If you’re looking to attract new and diverse talent to your organisation, discover more practical tips in the Inclusive Recruitment Guide produced by Groundwork. These are relevant to all kinds of heritage organisations. 

Explore other archive and collections projects we've funded.