Voices from Abroad: Giulia Sironi

London (UK), International Internship: The Art Newspaper

Giulia and her roommates in Camden Town

Since I was a child I have always had a passion for everything that involved creativity, art and imagination. My father used to bring me to museums and trips around the world since I was a baby, and this helped me develop a curiosity for different cultures and art expressions.

Writing has also always been a passion for me, but this "artistic" aptitude goes together with a disposition for organization and administration.

These two sides of my character have pushed me through a varied academic path, going from classical studies, through economics to management of art, all while travelling, experiencing life abroad and meeting people from all over the world.

Following this trend the choice of an internship at The Art Newspaper in London seemed the perfect way to combine my love for art, my economic background and my disposition to travel and live in an international environment, while working for a great and renewed company.

During my internship at The Art Newspaper I have been involved in a wide range of different activities.

Vauxhall area, where Giulia's office is located

I've helped Alessandro (the Financial Director of the newspaper) in the Finance Department, helping him with invoices, analysis of advertisement trends and sales analysis.

I also had the possibility to carry on some personal research projects: the first concerning the possible development of a new app, supported by a market analysis of the current situation, the second research on the relationship between art and tourism, to understand how to better "communicate" art and how to leverage tourism as a tool to help countries, such as Italy, overcome the present economic crisis.

Especially one of these projects will develop in an insert of the newspaper and in a series of thematic events that the next interns will be able to carry on.

During my research, I had to gather data, analyze them, and draw conclusion from them: I also created two online surveys and had the chance to interview many important actors in the world of art, communication and app development.

I also had to find some bookshops where Allemandi books could be sold and contact people and institutions to raise funds for an event and to invite them to it.

One of the most challenging tasks I had to do was to organize the invitations and the tickets for our hosts during the Frieze Fair, I had to keep in touch with them and was to solve last minute problems and schedule changing.

I also had the opportunity to help different colleagues in the daily activities of the office, such as handling phone calls, deliveries, payments and so on, and to help in the editing of the TAN2 of January 2014, translating, fact checking and keeping in touch with the editorial stuff of Il Sole 24 Ore.

A Sunday afternoon in South Bank

This internship has been a fundamental step in my educational and working path, a chance for growth and enrichment. I've learned how to carry on a personal project, be proactive and never afraid to give voice to an idea. I also learned how to interact (both in written form and by voice) in a formal and working context.

I was positively impressed by the environment and the people at The Art Newspaper, I've never felt uncomfortable or afraid to ask a question, everyone has always been willing to help me and to exchange friendly and relaxing moments.

Especially Alessandro is a great boss, always calm and balanced, nice and present, he has always helped me when I had doubts, but leaving me space to work independently and the chance to take my responsibilities.

My internship has also been so amazing thanks to London, a dynamic and energetic city, always in movement and full of ideas and events, a wonderful place to live, meet people and never get bored.