I am in the Professional Master in Cultural Project Management at IESA Art&Culture. As part of my program, I can complete a 6-month internship between May and October 2020.
I have now secured a first 2-month internship and the second is currently being negotiated regarding the dates, because the internship would end in November. IESA arts&Culture quickly approved the possibility of extending the internship period and my training body, AFDAS, is processing my file right now (hard to reach by phone but rather responsive by email).
I obtained these internships in 2 different ways:
1- The unsolicited application
As early as December, I sent an unsolicited application to the CIRCA Auch contemporary circus festival (which should be held in October 2020), where I really wanted to work.
I followed up with them in January by email and a first phone contact took place in mid-February.
Then COVID arrived. A week after lockdown began, I sent another email explaining my even greater desire to help. My résumé then circulated from department to department, resulting in a videoconference meeting with the production director on Thursday, March 26.
The internship has been verbally confirmed, but the organization is still working out the exact dates.
2- Application in response to a job posting
I responded to a standard job posting from the Firmin Gémier national circus center for their Solstice circus festival, which was supposed to take place in June. Having already had an internship slip through my fingers because I had followed up too late, this time, 3 days after applying, I contacted the organization to confirm that my application had been received.
A first interview by videoconference took place with the director of public relations.
Another phone call took place the following Friday regarding the current uncertainties and the risk that the festival would be canceled this year.
An agreement was reached: even if the festival is canceled, the internship will be maintained and the work will focus on preparing the 2020/2021 program. The possibility of remote work was raised, or of shifting the dates depending on lockdown-exit announcements. But a 2-month internship has already been approved by the director of the organization.
