Lydia was part of Hull Maritime's creative digital skills project and as a result found out about the trainee videographer role at Nova Studios.
“I’m 24-years-old and from Hull. I went to Falmouth University where I studied Photography. After graduating I came back to Hull where I have been practising as an artist and building skills in different work environments.
“My artistic practice incorporates a range of visual arts, most specifically photography but breaches out into installation and paper mediums.
“Hull is important to me because it is my home town. I grew up in Hull with a family who has always lived in the Humber region. Hull is full of character and inspires me on a daily basis. There’s always something unexpected going on in the city.”
Working with Nova on Hull Maritime’s Creative Digital Skills project
“I wanted to apply for the Maritime project as it was the first opportunity I’d seen specifically for young artists in the city since returning after graduating. I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my skills and meet other young artists.
“Participating in the project gave me my first experience of seeing how my art could be applied to a wider piece - specifically how collaboration is so important in creative projects.
“My favourite part of the project was getting to meet like minded creatives and work together towards a goal. It was also great to have a tour of the city which taught me a lot about Hull, which when you’ve lived in a place pretty much your whole life, it’s nice to be able to learn something new about it.”
Coming on board at Nova
“I saw the advert for the Nova role on Instagram having followed them since taking part in the Maritime Project. The ad had a really strong emphasis on creativity and ambition over CV and qualifications which I think is really encouraging when you’re a young creative starting out.
"After contemplating applying for a while, it was a push from friends that made me finally apply, and I’m glad I did.
“The maritime project helped me get the job in some ways. It made me aware of the Nova team and what they were like to work with. It also introduced me to video production as a possible career to develop my photographic skills.”
Life as a Nova videographer
“At Nova, I am the trainee videographer and editor. So at the moment I have my stabilisers on learning the ropes when it comes to editing and using a camera.
“I get to go out on shoots and learn the craft and when I’m in the office I work on my own film projects to build up my skills.
“My favourite part of the job is learning new skills and being able to apply them straight away to the work I’m doing. I also love working as part of the team and getting to see all of the great places we get to make projects on.
“So far my favourite project was a film for local artist Annie Turner to run alongside her exhibition that was part of the Freedom Festival. It was a very challenging edit to do and I had a lot of fun with it.”
Advice for young creatives in Hull
“The most important thing to kickstart a creative career anywhere is networking. Get yourself down to exhibition openings, creative workshops and find creatives that are local to you on social media.
“ Knowing people and showing them what you can do will inevitably lead to something down the line. Make sure you keep creating.”
Nova Studios produce a variety of documentary, arts, heritage and commercial content for a range of clients across Hull and the north of England. They have worked closely with Hull Maritime to document the restoration of the Spurn Lightship and Arctic Corsair. To view more of their work go to www.novastudios.co.uk
