Enhancing the transition from study to work: Reflections on the value and impact of internships in the creative and performing arts

Abstract

In the international higher education environment there is evidence of continuing growth and interest in creative and performing arts programs. While there is similar growth in the creative industries sector where these students will seek to develop a career, as well as further validation of the importance of creativity in the future workplace, ongoing challenges remain for educators in attempting to create a smooth and effective transition for artists who rarely follow a typical linear career path. This article overviews an initial research project which seeks to investigate the value and impact of industry-based internships in the creative and performing arts, involving a sample of graduates and industry employers from a regional area of northern Australia. The findings suggest that while internships offer a range of benefits for students and employers, there are significant challenges and issues which not only affect current practice but require additional research and investigation.

Keywords

creative industries creativity internships work-integrated learning

The creative industries and the global context for creativity

The creative industries are where creativity, intellectual property and interactive communication technologies converge, with this sector now regarded as one of the fastest growing in the economic world (Bridgstock, 2011; Harbour, 2005). It is a sector where creativity, innovation and imagination are critical to social, cultural, economic drivers and outputs, and one that is considered integral to both developed and developing economies (Flew and Cunningham, 2010; Keane, 2009). Following a significant push for this sector by the Blair government in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, the attention it has received has increased, not only as a way of bringing together diverse artistic and creative activities but in terms of the debates both for and against the value of this concept for artists (Friedman and Jones, 2011; Townley et al., 2009). Further, the use of the term ‘creative industries’ has also been questioned as to whether it is in fact appropriate, compared with the ‘arts and cultural sector’, ‘cultural industries’ or ‘experience industries’ (Flew and Cunningham, 2010; Gill and Pratt, 2008; Hesmondhalgh, 2008; Townley et al., 2009). Regardless, the term ‘creative industries’ has been in existence long enough that, in recent years, legitimate responses to critique and debate have emerged, suggesting that the concept is now an embedded part of the broader arts and cultural discourse (Flew and Cunningham, 2010; O’Connor, 2010).

Creativity is at the core of the creative industries and also a skill and attribute that is seen as critical for the future. Florida (2012) refers to how increasingly significant the concept of creativity has become, referring to ‘creative’ as the most frequently cited word on LinkedIn in 2011 and how creativity is ‘the most highly prized commodity in [the] economy’ (2012: 7). In addition, Florida (2012) refers to the fact that at a time in the United States when unemployment was in the 10% range, unemployment in the creative class did not even reach 5%, highlighting the contribution of the creative industries to employment and economic growth in developed countries (Müller et al., 2009). While Florida (2012) cites heavy criticism of the concept of the creative class since first presenting it in the early part of the twenty-first century (Florida, 2002), he remains an ongoing advocate for the importance of nurturing creativity and for how this sector will shoulder much of the responsibility for rebuilding economies, cities and societies. Indeed Florida (2012) argues that this sector ‘has become truly global’ (2012: viii) and the creative class has ‘the power, talent and numbers to play a big role in reshaping our world’ (2012: xxiv).

The creative and performing arts in higher education: Contextualizing the key issues

As evidence of an ongoing interest in the nature of creativity and creative practice, degrees and diplomas in the creative and performing arts are commonplace in the tertiary or higher education sector. Today, a student with a passion for creativity and creative practice has significant options in terms of type of program, location and anticipated outcomes; courses exist from entry level right through to PhD, with the latter based in either theory or artistic practice. While there is strong interest in and demand for creative and performing arts programs at the tertiary level (Brown, 2007; Flew and Cunningham, 2010; Hewitt, 2009), and consequently a prolific increase in the number of courses available and students enrolled (Bennett, 2009; Bridgstock, 2011), there are ongoing issues around the transition to work and employment prospects for graduates in these disciplines.

Creative and performing arts graduates face challenges similar to many other novice practitioners, as they encounter the inevitable tension between the broad range of theoretical strategies provided during study, and the need for a specific strategy for a particular situation in real world practice (Collin and Tynjälä, 2003; Skovholt, 2001). This is reflected by industry consultations and reports (e.g. Lambert, 2003) that raise concerns around the extent to which graduates are in fact properly equipped for the transition to work. Consequently, there is a growing discourse around the value of work-integrated or work-based learning as a way of better preparing graduates for the world of work (Blackwell et al., 2001; Crebert et al., 2004; Reddan and Rauchle, 2012). This is a relatively new approach in higher education (Costley, 2007) where tertiary students are given opportunities to learn ‘in and through work’ (Brodie and Irving, 2007: 13), well before their degree ends. Work-integrated learning provides undergraduates with experience in resolving the tension between study and the work environment by participating in workplace practice and has been associated with higher employment rates in a number of studies (Blackwell et al., 2001). This creates a shift of focus towards student-centred and experience-led learning, with an emphasis on constructivism and situated learning (Brodie and Irving, 2007). Costley and Armsby (2007) in fact argue that work-based learning is now ‘challenging the idea of the three-year degree as a theoretical preparation for work’ (2007: 31–32).

In addition to the issues facing most university graduates as they transition into the workplace, it is now well established in the literature that initial and ongoing employment success for graduates of creative and performing arts programs is particularly challenging (Aston, 1999; Australia Council for the Arts, 2010; Ball and Shreeve, 2008; Bennett, 2007; Edwards and Le, 2010; Harvey and Blackwell, 1999; Throsby and Hollister, 2003; Vaughan et al., 2008). It is clear that creative and performing arts graduates face and live a different career path and type to the traditional linear career (Bridgstock, 2011; Harvey and Blackwell, 1999). Further, perceptions in the general community about the risks associated with the pursuit of a career in the arts reflect the challenges associated with a non-traditional career path. It is difficult, however, to determine the extent to which prospective students and even new graduates are fully aware of the difficulties they may face in securing meaningful and ongoing employment in their preferred area of practice (Victorian College of the Arts, 2004). It therefore remains the case that career development within the arts is a ‘complex process that warrants a unique approach to gaining an understanding of what contributes to successful workforce participation and work outcomes’ (McCowan and Wyganowska, 2008: 29).

Bridgstock (2011) refers to the emerging discourse around the ‘portfolio’, ‘boundaryless’ and ‘protean’ career types, espoused as not only relevant to creative and performing artists but ideal for the creative industries sector, where work is often contract based, short term and cyclical (Australia Council for the Arts, 2010; Bennett, 2009; Bridgstock, 2011; Guile, 2006; Hartley, 2005; Markusen, 2006). Preparing students for the realities of the workplace and also the likely career types they will experience is therefore critical in terms of higher education curricula. A number of authors highlight the importance of this kind of preparation as part of creative and performing arts degrees, for example:

Ball (2003) refers to the fact that graduates are increasingly ‘expecting to have some experience of the workplace as a desirable element of their degree courses’ (2003: 22);

Guile (2006) suggests that government funding for tertiary students should include support for ‘work placements and access to network and network development, which have a demonstrable track record for facilitating access to the creative and cultural sector’ (2006: 438);

Bennett (2009) outlines the views of some recent graduates who argue that they should have received more focus on ‘career development and industry-based experience’ (2009: 320), which reinforces the earlier views of Harbour (2005) and Brown (2007);

Bennett (2009) also argues that for students in the performing arts the provision of a ‘realistic worldview is essential to students’ career development’ (2009: 325);

Bridgstock (2011) states that graduates will require ‘well-developed career management competencies’ (2011: 9).

Given the literature which highlights the value and impact of work-integrated learning opportunities for undergraduate students in general, alongside the findings of studies specific to artists (Beckman, 2007; Blackwell et al., 2001; Smith et al., 2010), it is arguably the case that work-based learning is essential when training undergraduates in the creative and performing arts.

Tertiary institutions for some time have taken on board the need to look specifically at employability issues, including generic skills or attributes, as well as the implementation of specific strategies for creative and performing arts students to bridge the gap between study and the work environment (Ball and Shreeve, 2008; Brown, 2007; Clews and Mallinder, 2010; Daniel 2010; Draper and Hitchcock, 2006). As part of these initiatives, internships¹ or work placements – under the banner of work-integrated or authentic learning that stems from the experiential learning social process (Kolb, 1984) – are gaining increasing attention. A key aspect of experiential learning theory, which is of particular relevance to the challenges outlined earlier in this article, is the opportunity for students to assimilate ‘new experiences into existing concepts’ and to accommodate ‘existing concepts to new experience’ (Kolb and Kolb, 2005: 194). The model of integrating theory and practice within an authentic context better prepares graduates for the competitive professional environment that awaits them (Tompkins and Schlesinger, 2010). While these kinds of experiences have proven to be highly successful across a range of areas for some time (e.g. nursing, education), they now increasingly involve the creative and performing arts (Ball and Shreeve, 2008; Bennett, 2007; Blackwell et al., 2001; Brown, 2007; Draper and Hitchcock, 2006; Guile, 2006; Harbour, 2005; Hunt et al., 2010).

In an early study involving art/design students in the United Kingdom environment, Blackwell et al. (2001) highlighted numerous benefits of work experience or placements and argued that ‘there is significant anecdotal evidence about the efficacy of work experience in general, and of embedded work placements in particular’ (2001: 270). In their study, they report on the findings of approximately 2000 art/design graduates who were asked to reflect on a range of work preparation aspects, including the availability and value of work experience or internships. Interestingly, while only 29% of the students had the opportunity to undertake work experience, these students demonstrated ‘higher rates of full-time permanent employment after graduation, a more favourable view of the undergraduate programme, and a belief that their employability skills had been more strongly developed in the undergraduate years’ (Blackwell et al., 2001: 278). While a significant study and one of the few specific to creative and performing arts students, on this occasion the authors did not pursue the specific views of the industry practitioners involved in the hosting of students on work experience, or provide qualitative insights into the view of the students themselves. A lack of research evidence at the time in terms of the value and impact of work experience or placements was also noted by the authors.

Although further studies specific to creative and performing arts students are limited, a recent study in the Australian context offers some additional insights into the importance of internships for students in the creative and performing arts (Smith et al., 2010). In this study, the researchers at one large metropolitan university undertook a review of the assessment practices they were using when assessing internships (Smith et al., 2010). As part of foregrounding their study, these researchers contextualized the value of non-university learning and identified how it is substantially different to formal academic study; thus the assessment should more closely align with the nature of the tasks in the workplace. Consequently, Smith et al. (2010) undertook to explore the perspectives of students, academics and employer groups on existing procedures. As a consequence of this review and the feedback from various stakeholders, less academic work was required, with more of a focus on the reflective process of identifying actual learning while in the workplace, as well as greater emphasis on the employer’s or supervisor’s report. Another significant development in this context is the way in which the external employer or supervisor would assess students according to expected capabilities or standards – this particular area is soon to become a requirement of all academic institutions in Australia as a consequence of the introduction of the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency framework for assuring threshold learning outcomes.

Interrogating the issues: A regional Australian context

The researchers currently teach at a small contemporary creative and performing arts school in regional Australia where the majority of the students are from the catchment area and often the first family member to attend university. Therefore, the transition to work is strongly in the minds of these students and their parents. Consequently, significant attention has been dedicated to these issues with significant structural changes made to the three-year undergraduate curriculum. For example, internships under the broad strategy of work-integrated learning have received increasing attention within the curriculum. While in the early stages internships were an optional activity undertaken by some students, in the last five years it has been a compulsory requirement for all final-year students to undertake a negotiated internship² in industry for a minimum of one week in their final year. In addition to receiving a formal report from their supervisor in industry, students are required to reflect on the internship in writing, considering key learning experiences, career theory in practice, as well as an overview of how the experience will inform their future actions and career planning.

Previously, no formal investigation of this aspect of the curriculum had been undertaken, hence research was deemed necessary not only to determine the extent to which this strategy was of benefit to students as they moved into the workplace, but additionally to gather feedback from the hosts of these student interns, that is, the employers and industry representatives themselves.

While the literature referred to the benefits of internships, evidence previously obtained in the researchers’ institutional context had only been anecdotal; hence this research would enhance the validity of the curriculum and enable a more formalized research-led teaching approach. It was initially acknowledged that academic internships are a three-way partnership between the university, the internship site and the student (Westerberg and Wickersham, 2011). Therefore, the impact and value of internships for all key stakeholders became the research focus of the study, not just the impact and value from the students’ point of view. Hence a pragmatic research paradigm or worldview (Creswell, 2009) was adopted in order to:

explore the impact of the actions taken by educators, employers or supervisors and students;

retain as central to the research the ‘problem’ or challenge of creating a smoother transition from study to work;

enable the researcher to have choice in the methods and techniques applied given the real-world practice and nature of the issues.

Given the fact that many of the school’s graduates typically work in the university’s geographical catchment area, the two stakeholder groups relevant to understanding the key issues were deemed to be the employers in this region, as well as the graduates from the programmes. The data collection tools were designed to capture the graduates’ experiences and perceptions of internships, including those who had not had the opportunity to undertake such an experience as part of their studies. The employers’ perceptions of the work-integrated learning experience from their perspective as mentors and members of a profession were also sought.

Surveys for each stakeholder group were chosen as the most efficient method by which to gather anonymous data regarding the respondents’ experiences. Two surveys were therefore designed, tested and implemented using the SurveyMonkey online platform, one for each of the employer and graduate groups. The use of an online survey was considered an efficient way of generating both quantitative and qualitative data and had the additional benefit of offering the respondents greater anonymity, which can often result in more honest responses (Erickson and Kaplan, 2000).

Each survey comprised ordered category items and open-ended survey questions designed to elicit information regarding the perceived value of industry placements by both stakeholders, the type of work-integrated learning experienced and the impact of the experiences upon their own professional practice. Table 1 provides an overview of the issues relevant to internships that were explored using ordered category questions in each survey.

Table 1.

Overview of ordered category questions: employer and graduate surveys.

Employer survey	Graduate survey
Areas included:	Areas included:
• Background information (demographic profile, creative arts focus) • Employment experience (duration of and roles experienced in the industry) • Internships: participation and value (frequency of participation, overall view of experience, benefits experienced) • Internships: impact of participation (ease of accommodating a student in workplace, preferred timeframe for completing an internship)	• Background information (demographic profile, degree undertaken, creative arts focus in degree) • Employment experience (current employment status, roles experienced in the industry, whether creative arts focus has changed since degree and reasons if it has) • Internships: participation (whether completed in degree course) • Internships: retrospective, assumed value (whether those who had not completed one would have liked the opportunity)

Employer survey

Graduate survey

Areas included:

• Background information (demographic profile, creative arts focus) • Employment experience (duration of and roles experienced in the industry) • Internships: participation and value (frequency of participation, overall view of experience, benefits experienced) • Internships: impact of participation (ease of accommodating a student in workplace, preferred timeframe for completing an internship)

• Background information (demographic profile, degree undertaken, creative arts focus in degree) • Employment experience (current employment status, roles experienced in the industry, whether creative arts focus has changed since degree and reasons if it has) • Internships: participation (whether completed in degree course) • Internships: retrospective, assumed value (whether those who had not completed one would have liked the opportunity)

Qualitative text data, generated using open-ended survey questions, can be used to clarify and provide further insight into respondents’ experiences (Jackson and Trochim, 2002). In this case, these data were intended to contribute to a richer description of the value and impact of the experiences than that provided by the ordered category item responses alone. Specifically, for the graduates who participated in an internship, the open-ended survey questions addressed the type of experience undertaken and the benefits and challenges associated with the experience. For the graduates who had not participated in such an experience, the questions addressed the reasons associated with their retrospective view of an industry placement as potentially beneficial or not. The employer survey included open-ended questions which addressed the benefits and challenges for the employer and the workplace associated with providing an internship opportunity and participating in one. The value and impact of the experience for both the employer and the workplace were explored.

The school’s database of creative businesses and/or organizations in the geographical catchment area was accessed, and a list of contactable graduates was obtained from the school’s records with supplementation and advice from staff. A sample of 120 creative businesses/organizations and 150 contactable graduates was identified and viewed as sufficient for the purposes of this study. The survey was subsequently sent via email to the two samples with an invitation to participate. Each survey remained open for one month, and stakeholders were advised that their involvement was voluntary. In terms of the analysis process relevant to the open-ended survey responses, an inductive reasoning approach was applied in order to identify specific issues raised by respondents. The issues identified were then categorized according to key themes to emerge from the data. Relevant subsets of the data were also quantized and tables used to create summaries of key findings.

Profiling the survey respondents: Employers and graduates

Of the employers in the region, 51 fully completed the survey, representing a positive response rate of 42.5%. Table 2 overviews the profile of this sample in terms of gender, area of practice, years of experience in the industry and the type of employer or employment setting.

Table 2.

Profiling the employers.

Gender	Arts area(s)	Work experience	Current role
Male 52.5%	Photography 40.7%	20+ years 44.3%	Small business 39.4%
Female 47.5%	Design 33.9%	11–20 years 27.9%	Multiple roles 26.2%
Visual arts 27.1%	4–10 years 26.2%	Freelance artist 23%
Arts admin. 20.3%	0–3 years 1.65%	Government 9.9%
Music 10.2%	Education 1.6%
Theatre 10.2%
Cultural policy 5.1%

The respondents represent a balance of genders and variety of disciplines of the arts, with a significant number with extensive experience in the sector. Given the nature of the local area, which consists of a number of small regional towns and cities in the north-eastern geographical area of Australia, it is also not surprising that the majority are working in the small business area, freelance or across multiple roles (e.g. freelance photographer, events producer, private art teacher).

Table 3 presents a profile of the 91 graduates who completed the survey (61% response rate), in terms of gender, age, highest qualification and area of study while at the institution.

Table 3.

Profiling the graduates.

Gender	Age	Highest qualification	Area of study
Male 31.6%	20–25 = 40.8%	Bachelor’s 87.4%	Photography 30.2%
Female 68.4%	26–30 = 28.6%	Honours 8.4%	Music 27.2%
31–35 = 16.3%	Diploma 3.1%	Visual arts 19%
36+ = 14.3%	PhD 1.1%	Design 11.8%
Theatre 11.8%

The data reveal that the majority of the graduates are female, in the 20–35 age bracket, and hold a Bachelor’s qualification. There is also a reasonable representation of the five study areas offered within the undergraduate programmes.

Reflections and perceptions of internships

Of the employers, 36.5% had either supervised one of the institution’s students or were hosting them currently, with some involved in providing opportunities for several students over the previous ten-year period. Of this group, 78% indicated that they found the experience of hosting a student generally or extremely positive, 68% indicated they found few or no challenges in hosting the students and 68% indicated that the process led to some or great benefit for their organization. While these figures are positive in general, what is particularly interesting are the themes to emerge from the optional comments presented, which essentially relate to positive, neutral and negative perceptions and/or experiences of hosting students in internship situations. Table 4 presents indicative comments under these three themes.

Table 4.

Employer experiences and perceptions of hosting students as interns.

Employer positive feedback on internships	Employer neutral feedback on internships	Employer negative feedback on internships
• One can sometimes get away with thinking you know all there is to know with your job. Then along comes a student with new and fresh ideas who asks you to explain it and prove it. I relish those opportunities. It keeps me fresh and on my toes. • I actually employed a few of my work experience people and they turned out to be fantastic employees. • It was fantastic to have a 3rd year student doing a three-month secondment. The student was a good fit to the organisation so both their/our needs were met. • They were always willing to learn which made it easy to teach. • Seeing the student flourish. • Found future assistants.	• The level of satisfaction is dependent on the initiative, work ethic and skills the student brings to the workplace. • Have used students extensively, some great some not so great. • Not structured enough generally and it takes time to develop something that is meaningful for the student and needs resources to do it properly. • When a student is keen to work and learn, and shows initiative the experience is good.	• Several students have lacked knowledge of local and broader creative industry sectors. Art form and industry knowledge important but they need foundation business skills – needed a high degree of mentoring in this area. • I have not been happy with the students’ professionalism and communication skills are rather poor. • Frustrations included students not returning phone calls, emails and not following on with required written tasks. • Students not really engaged. • Having to supervise and find work for the student. • Time and cost involved. • Not understanding the workplace.

Table 4 offers insights into the employer experience and also indirect insights into the behaviours and commitment of students to being on an internship; these reveal the fact that it is not always an easy relationship between the workplace and student, nor are students necessarily engaged actively in the process and tasks. It was encouraging to note the value of the internship experience for the employers, who mainly identified benefits for themselves (fresh ideas, networking opportunities) and also achieved a significant level of satisfaction by helping students to develop (watching students flourish). While there are numerous positive outcomes and experiences, it is also clear that there are logistical issues and risks associated with placing students in the workforce, even for a short period of time. The data also highlight the impact of the student’s preparation for and contribution to the situation, hence identifying that the success of such experiences relies as much on the student’s participation and attitude as it does the role of the educators and employers in creating and preparing students for an internship experience or opportunity. Theorists disagree about whether traits such as self-confidence, openness to experience and initiative can be developed during higher education (Bridgstock, 2009); however, the data continue to highlight the importance of the development of specific employability skills prior to internship opportunities.

In terms of students’ experiences, the majority of graduates (69.5%) indicated that they had completed an internship during their studies, with these ranging from a 20-hour block right through to four weeks placed in industry, with several students undertaking placements in more than one professional environment. In terms of these experiences, the qualitative comments were generally positive or negative, with exemplar comments about the positive aspects as follows:

I gained a better understanding of the area I wanted to work in.

Insights into the management of an arts organisation and the skills required to run my own company.

I learnt what the true work environment was like – all of the ‘myths’ were dispelled and the reality of the work environment set in.

Good networking for future job prospects.

An inside view of small business operations.

Hands on experience in my chosen field, later leading to full time employment for two years.

Challenges identified by this sample included:

Being given menial tasks.

The costs incurred.

Feeling inadequate at that given time.

Getting work done in an allotted time.

Working with demanding clients.

Finding a professional willing to take on a student for placement.

While the benefits highlighted above reflect the value of such activities (i.e. learning, industry knowledge, experience, employment prospects), the challenges are indeed indicative of the differences between the worlds of study and work: for example, the ‘live’ nature of working with clients, of meeting strict deadlines and having to undertake tasks which appear to be mundane. Personal challenges are also raised, and this suggests to curriculum designers the need to look at personal preparation for internships, not just the extent to which skills and knowledge are sufficiently developed, but rather how to ensure students are personally ready and motivated for this level of direct engagement with the sector.

Of the students who did not complete an internship during their degree studies, the majority (83%) wished that they had, with a small number indicating ‘no’ (8.5%) and the same number not sure about whether they would have liked this opportunity. Indicative reflections from the 83% who indicated a preference for having had an internship experience include the following:

It would have made the start to my professional career potentially quicker and given me a wider range of options.

It helps you to network and learn quickly on the job and can lead to career opportunities.

Being able to make genuine contacts in the industry is the hardest part of finding work once students have graduated.

I believe that industry placement is crucial to prepare students for the world outside of university life.

Work in the real world is vastly different than what my expectations were at university.

Again, while not necessarily surprising, these insights confirm that internships and direct connections to industry are seen as a highly valuable opportunity for the majority of students, even those who had not been formally required to undertake them. While there are challenges associated with this process and it is not always entirely successful for either party, on balance the positives appear to outweigh the negatives.

Implications and directions

The findings of this study, albeit involving a relatively small sample of employers and graduates, offer numerous opportunities for further research and curriculum development, as well as providing broader insights for the sector. It is clear to the educators currently managing this curriculum requirement that internships are of significant benefit, not only in terms of how students develop insights and new skills, but also for employers who gain from the process as well. At the same time, there are key challenges for both parties, with issues of concern raised around students’ preparedness and engagement with the tasks, as well as employers’ expectations and challenges in accommodating students during their busy schedules. Additional complications emerge when considering issues such as the methods appropriate to establishing internships (student, employer or educator driven), the timing and location of such experiences, support for and assessment of students in situ, as well as the most effective ways of having students reflect on their learning after a period in industry and apply this learning to their future career development. Therefore it is an ongoing issue for educators to develop the most effective ways of responding to these various challenges and maximizing the potential value of work-based learning.

In addition to the key findings and insights to emerge, this preliminary study raises a number of significant questions for educators working in the creative and performing arts, each of which opens up the opportunity for additional research and inquiry:

In what ways can the relationship between the university and the creative industries sector be developed and/or nurtured to further enhance the potential for students to engage in meaningful work-based experiences in the sector?

What is the optimal balance between university-required and student-driven internships, and what role should the industry sector play in the design of these opportunities?

In what ways is it useful or possible to test and determine the point at which a student is personally and/or educationally prepared to engage directly with the industry sector?

What is the appropriate balance between the development of discipline-based skills (e.g. software knowledge, technical skills, understanding of historical contexts) and those required for the profession (e.g. business, self-promotion and soft skills)?

Given the recommendation by Bridgstock (2009) to integrate career management skills from the first year of tertiary study, would a staged approach to internships such as that typically adopted in teacher training (i.e. Education) be a suitable model to apply to creative and performing arts programmes?

In conclusion, there is sufficient evidence in this study to propose the value of continuing to require that students undertake internships in industry. However, there are significant opportunities for further research in this area. For example, the educators involved in this study are currently reflecting on the ways in which a staged approach to internships, as indicated above in relation to the methods typically adopted in teacher training, might in fact prove to be a significantly beneficial strategy for students in creative and performing arts: that is, the formalization of first-year observations of industry practice, that then leading into supervised internship-style experiences in second year, culminating in intensive and student-led capstone experiences in the final year, which could in fact lay the platform for a much more successful transition to the creative industries sector. Ultimately, and given the rapidly changing nature of the workplace and the growth in the number of creative and performing arts graduates, it is critical that educators pay close attention to the concept of work-integrated learning, in order to cater for the particular challenges that graduates will continue to face as they seek to establish a meaningful and viable career in the creative industries.

Footnotes

Notes

Author biographies

Ryan Daniel is a researcher, teaching scholar and postgraduate supervisor, with interests in creative industries in northern Australia, multidisciplinary collaboration, and continuous improvement in higher education arts environments. He maintains an active publishing profile in leading journals including the British Journal of Music Education, CoDesign and Music Education Research. Recent book chapters include those in Articulating Design Thinking (Libri) and Music Business and the Experience Economy: the Australasian Case (Springer). In 2012 Professor Daniel was a research Fellow at the Cairns Institute of James Cook University and is now leading a multi-disciplinary project investigating creative industries, spaces and places in northern Australia.

Leah Daniel holds a first-class Honours and Master’s degree in Education, and she is currently on full scholarship, researching towards the degree of PhD at James Cook University. With music and mathematics as her primary areas of expertise, Leah is a highly experienced educator, with over 15 years in private and public high schools as well as 11 years teaching in the Creative Arts and Education disciplines at James Cook University. Leah’s research interests include career development for creative arts students and the issues affecting mathematics educators at the secondary level.

References

Aston

(1999) Ambitions and destinations: The careers and retrospective views of art and design graduates and postgraduates. International Journal of Art and Design Education 18(2): 231–240.

Australia Council for the Arts (2010) Artist Careers Summary, Surry Hills: Australia Council for the Arts.

Ball L (2003) Future directions for employability research in the creative industries. Working paper: Council for Higher Education in Art and Design. Available at: http://www.new1.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/Documents/subjects/adm/FutureDirectforEm.pdf (accessed 10 June 2010).

Ball L and Shreeve A (2008) Bold resourcefulness: Redefining employability and entrepreneurial learning. Project report: University of the Arts London. Available at: http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/671/ (accessed 10 June 2010).

Beckman

(2007) ‘Adventuring’ arts entrepreneurship curricula in higher education: An examination of present efforts, obstacles, and best practices. Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society 37(2): 87–112.

Bennett

(2007) Utopia for music performance graduates: Is it achievable, and how should it be defined? British Journal of Music Education 24(2): 179–189.

Bennett

(2009) Academy and the real world: Developing realistic notions of career in the performing arts. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 8(3): 309–327.

Blackwell

Bowes

Harvey

Hesketh

Knight

(2001) Transforming work experience in higher education. British Educational Research Journal 27(3): 269–285.

Bridgstock

(2009) The graduate attributes we’ve overlooked: Enhancing graduate employability through career management skills. Higher Education Research and Development 28(1): 31–44.

10.

Bridgstock

(2011) Skills for creative industries graduate success. Education and Training 53(1): 9–26.

11.

Brodie

Irving

(2007) Assessment in work-based learning: Investigating a pedagogical approach to enhance student learning. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 32(1): 11–19.

12.

Brown

(2007) Enhancing student employability? Current practice and student experiences in HE performing arts. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 6(1): 28–49.

13.

Clews D and Mallinder S (2010) Looking out: Effective engagements with creative and cultural enterprise. Available at: http://www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/adm-hea-projects/looking-out (accessed 1 February 2011).

14.

Collin

Tynjälä

(2003) Integrating theory and practice? Employees’ and students’ experiences of learning at work. Journal of Workplace Learning 15(7): 338–344.

15.

Costley

(2007) Work-based learning: Assessment and evaluation in higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 32(1): 1–9.

16.

Costley

Armsby

(2007) Work-based learning assessed as a field or a mode of study. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 32(1): 21–33.

17.

Crebert

Bates

Bell

Patrick

Cragnolini

(2004) Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: graduates’ perceptions. Higher Education Research and Development 23(2): 147–165.

18.

Creswell

(2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

19.

Daniel

(2010) Careers and creative arts students: An investigation into the effectiveness of career theory and WIL experiences on practice. Australian Journal of Career Development 19(2): 14–22.

20.

Draper

Hitchcock

(2006) Work-integrated learning in music technology: Lessons learned in creative industries. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education 7(2): 33–40.

21.

Edwards

(2010) Reflections on multicultural artists’ employment and career prospects, Paper presented at the Managing for Unknowable Futures Conference: Adelaide, Australia.

22.

Erickson

Kaplan

(2000) Maximizing qualitative responses about smoking in structured interviews. Qualitative Health Research 10: 829–840.

23.

Flew T and Cunningham S (2010) Creative industries after the first decade of debate. The Information Society 26: 2. Available at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a919374859andfulltext=713240928 (accessed 4 June 2011).

24.

Florida

(2002) The Rise of the Creative Class, New York, NY: Basic Books.

25.

Florida

(2012) The Rise of the Creative Class (Revisited), New York, NY: Basic Books.

26.

Friedman

Jones

(2011) Creative industries in history. Business History Review 85(2): 237–244.

27.

Gill

Pratt

(2008) In the social factory? Immaterial labour, precariousness and cultural work. Theory, Culture & Society 25: 1–30.

28.

Guile

(2006) Access, learning and development in the creative and cultural sectors: From ‘creative apprenticeship’ to ‘being apprenticed’. Journal of Education and Work 19(5): 433–453.

29.

Harbour

(2005) Employability issues for fine art educators. Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education 4(2): 121–134.

30.

Hartley

(2005) Creative Industries, Oxford: Blackwell.

31.

Harvey

Blackwell

(1999) Gender bias in incomes of UK art and design graduates. Industry and Higher Education 13(5): 323–329.

32.

Hesmondhalgh

(2008) Cultural and creative industries. In: Bennett

Frow

(eds) The Sage Handbook of Cultural Analysis, London: SAGE, pp. 552–569.

33.

Hewitt

(2009) Musical Styles as Communities of Practice Challenges for learning, teaching and assessment of music in higher education. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 8(3): 329–337.

34.

Hunt W, Ball L and Pollard E (2010) Crafting futures: A study of the early careers of crafts graduates from UK higher education institutions. Institute for Employment Studies/University of the Arts. Available at: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/files/file/cd68904f6f59df22/crafting_futures_full_report.pdf (accessed 10 June 2010).

35.

Jackson

Trochim

(2002) Concept mapping as an alternative approach for the analysis of open-ended survey responses. Organizational Research Methods 5: 307–336.

36.

Keane

(2009) Great adaptations: China’s creative clusters and the new social contract. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 23(2): 221–230.

37.

Kolb

(1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

38.

Kolb

(2005) Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning and Education 4(2): 193–212.

39.

Lambert R (2003) Lambert Review of Business–University Collaboration. Norwich: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Available at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/lambert_review_final_450.pdf (accessed 10 June 2010).

40.

Markusen

(2006) Urban development and the politics of a creative class: Evidence from a study of artists. Environment and Planning A 38(10): 1921–1940.

41.

McCowan

Wyganowska

(2008) Gathering the real data from creative industries graduates one year out. Australian Journal of Career Development 17(1): 29–39.

42.

Müller

Rammer

Trüby

(2009) The role of creative industries in industrial innovation. Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice 11(2): 148–168.

43.

O’Connor

(2010) The Cultural and Creative Industries: A Literature Review, 2nd edn, London: Creativity, Culture and Education.

44.

Reddan

Rauchle

(2012) Student perceptions of the value of career development learning to a work-integrated learning course in exercise science. Australian Journal of Career Development 21(1): 38–48.

45.

Skovholt

(2001) The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout Prevention and Self-care Strategies for Counselors, Therapists, Teachers and Health Professionals, Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

46.

Smith

Meijer

Kielly-Coleman

(2010) Assurance of learning: The role of work integrated learning and industry partners. In: Campbell

(eds) Work Integrated Learning: Responding to Challenges. Perth, WA: Australian Collaborative Education Network, pp. 409–419.

47.

Throsby

Hollister

(2003) Don’t Give up your Day Job: An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia, Sydney: Australia Council.

48.

Tompkins

Schlesinger

(2010) Integrating real world entities into an academic curriculum. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies 4: 1–16.

49.

Townley

Beech

McKinlay

(2009) Managing in the creative industries: Managing the motley crew. Human Relations 62(7): 939–962.

50.

Vaughan

Austerlitz

Blythman

Grove-White

Jones

(2008) Mind the gap: Expectations, ambiguity and pedagogy within art and design higher education. In: Drew

(eds) The Student Experience in Art and Design Higher Education: Drivers for Change, Cambridge: Jill Rogers Associates, pp. 125–148.

51.

Victorian College of the Arts (2004) Developing an Effective Destination Survey for Creative Arts Graduates: The VCA 2004 Pilot Study, Melbourne: Victorian College of the Arts.

52.

Westerberg C and Wickersham C (2011) Internships have value, whether or not students are paid. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Available at: http://chronicle.com/article/Internships-Have-Value/127231/ (accessed 27 April 2012).