Scarlett Emptage

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background? 

Hi, I am Scarlett and I’m currently in the last few remaining months of my time as a student at the University of Leeds. I am a part of the first cohort to study BA Global Creative Industries which has given me a chance to further my interests in the various streams of culture that this course covers. I come from a creative family, with both parents working in event production, so I have always found the ‘behind the scenes’ of the industry particularly interesting. 

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds? 

I originally attended a smaller art university studying the creative industries that unfortunately was cut short by the pandemic. I knew that I loved the idea of a degree that gave me a practical understanding of working within the creative industries but wanted to have the facilities that came with a larger university. For this reason, I initially looked into my course at Leeds, which at the time was a newly running course that seemed to be a perfect mixture of traditional studying and practical experience. I was glad to see that I had the opportunity to study modules across schools such as Fine Art, Media and Communication and Music as well as some really great core modules.  

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study? 

I feel that studying the Creative Industries is such an important part of understanding the modern world that we live in, due to the vast amount of industries that are included within this. The incredible breadth of this area of study has allowed me to explore historical, practical and theoretical elements across sectors like marketing, music, festivals and events and the performing arts.   

As someone who considers themself creative, but not ‘a creative’, I think having knowledge in how these industries work is crucial when it comes to eventually finding a job in the industry. I am so passionate about this topic of study as I think it encompasses so many parts of modern life, being able to apply my taught knowledge to an advert I walk past on the street, a song I hear or an event I attend is something that I feel really lucky to be able to do. 

What aspects of the course do you enjoy the most?   

I think I have really enjoyed this last year the most. I have had the opportunity to work in a small team of five other coursemates, out of a very small course group of just seven of us, to plan and produce an event. I feel like this last year has been a time to really test ourselves as students to work under what feels like realistic industry conditions. It has helped to boost my confidence and make the 'unknown' of working life after university feel a lot less scary. To be able to graduate with elements such as the brand we created, as well as the event itself, is something that as a team we will all be very proud of.   

Have you worked closely with a particular tutor or member or the University’s academic staff? Tell us about that experience.  

I have been really fortunate to be taught by my current program leader Hughie Brown. To me and my fellow course mates he has been a great mentor over the last two years that he has been a part of the course. Due to the nature of this course and its smaller capacity, it boasts a close-knit way of teaching which I have really appreciated, especially now in the third year. Hughie was instrumental in producing our final year research project, which consists of a team of students creating an event in collaboration with Leed City Council’s ‘Leeds Young Film Festival’, which has been an amazing opportunity to apply my knowledge, learnt over the course of university, to a real-life example which has a very rewarding end to this university experience. Myself, and I am sure the rest of my course mates, have felt very lucky to have been taught by someone as invested as Hughie, who has been a great support throughout our learning.  

Please tell us about your involvement in the Undergraduate Research Experience (URGE) and your project. 

I was put forward to take part in the UGRE by my program leader, Hughie. I will admit that it was not something I would have ordinarily volunteered myself for, but I am so glad to have been a part of this. UGRE enables students to present their research interests, whether it is their dissertation or something completely different to an audience. I chose to present on the impact that Margaret Thatcher had on the formation of the UK Rave Scene, a topic I am not doing for my dissertation but an element of study I have been able to explore throughout some of my modules. Not only was this a great chance to delve deeper into a topic that interests me, it also gave me an opportunity to practice my presenting skills which I will no doubt be thankful for later on in my career. To be involved and support fellow students within the faculty was a really valuable experience that I would recommend to any Leeds student.  

What other activities are available for students to take part in outside of their studies, and which ones have you tried out yourself? 

There are more societies at LUU than you can count. There is something for everyone, probably a few things for everyone really. I have been part of the Snowriders society since I started at Leeds, it has given me two memorable trips away which I’m sure I will still be talking about for many years to come. Whilst studying is of foremost importance, being a part of societies has added so much to my university experience, so joining in is something I would recommend to everyone.  

What do you plan to do when you’ve finished your course, and how do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed so far at Leeds will help with these plans? 

This course has taught me the sheer scale of opportunities out there within the Creative Industries, and whilst this has helped me greatly in narrowing down where I see myself, I am to leave university and see for myself. Through this course and external placements, I have been able to develop my interest in marketing and promotional culture in general, and I would love to gain professional experience within this however my dream goal is event management. After producing an event with my coursemates in my final year, it has only made me surer that working within events within some capacity is where I would love to see myself ending up. That being said, this course has taught me an appreciation for so many different sectors within the Creative Industries, so really I am just excited to start working in a creative environment.  

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course? 

Although I am biased, I believe this course really is very special in what it offers – and, I am sure it will only continue to be more so each year it runs. If you are someone who, like me, knew themself to be a creative person but wasn’t too sure which way to channel it, this course has been an incredible guide across the various industries whilst also still helping your own personal creative development. I cannot recommend both the course material and its teaching enough to any one that is interested in any of the broad topics that it covers.