Jeong Hyeon Kim

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I have been in the performing arts field in South Korea since studying theatre during my undergrad. I studied and worked in theatre techniques including set design, puppets and lighting.

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

I was looking for a course that focused on arts management, especially management in theatre. I was drawn to the University of Leeds because the course covers a wide range of cultural industries. The course allowed me to explore all that I am interested in, not only management but also economy and policies. 

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

During my BA, I attended a few lectures about creative city which I found very interesting and it became the start point of my passion for cultural policy. At the time, I had only a narrow understanding of creative city. During my MA, I learnt about creative fields and how to relate them to diverse viewpoints. It allowed me to improve my knowledge and insight into the area.

What aspects of the course did you enjoy the most? 

The cultural policy module was the most interesting to me. Our lecturer Anna was always guiding us to related knowledge, academic articles and cases that were helpful to our research. 

What would you say about the learning facilities in your School and at the University in general?

The facilities at the University provide whatever you need. To me, all of the computer clusters, libraries, career centre and IT centre were essential to completing my course and preparing me for my future after this course.

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

The Edge, the sports centre, is equipped so well. There is a gym, swimming pool, squash room, multiple-use studios, and a variety of classes. When you register, you can get student discount and freely use the facilities and classes. I really enjoyed diverse classes such as yoga, Pilates, and Zumba. 

Out of campus, there were many activities and festivals. The greatest one was Light Night held by Leeds Council. During the festival days, many exhibitions and performances are all free to everyone and it last until late at night. There were a full of amazing works.

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

I would definitely recommend applying to this course. You might discover new aspects of cultural industries. As this course covers a full range of cultural industries, I could explore a wider range of cultural fields than I expected, ranging from performing arts, fine art, creative economy, to cultural policy. In addition, learning about the various industries allowed me to understand how they interconnected and the complex relationships between them.

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

I hope to work as a researcher at National Assembly Research Service. Since their requirement is PhD and related careers at national organisations, I am preparing for it step by step. To do so, the most useful things I have developed at Leeds are critical thinking and keen insights into more related sources when researching. Needless to say, all the knowledge about cultural industries that I have taken in this course will be very helpful to research whatever the specific subject would be.  

Any other comment you would like to make?

As well as what I noted above, I would like to mention professors and staff who are always willing to support students who want to get advice about academic skills, student-life, and careers. Professors often met separately with me when I asked for additional feedback on my essays. Moreover, regular career seminars within the school advised me to search for future careers and how to impress employers with my CV, cover letter, interview techniques and networking.