Placement year

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year. I worked at Shiv Textiles studios for the last 2 months of my placement. Shiv Textiles is an independent small business focusing on upcycling yarn donated from woollen mills that would’ve been thrown into landfills. Shiv Textiles sells blankets and pillows that are handmade by Shiv herself and weaving kits that contain weaving for beginners’ booklets, yarn bundles and weaving tools. She works mainly in her Brighton-based studio, which she shares with an illustrator and good friend, Fred. Primarily, Shiv sells and promotes her brand online, but seasonally, she will set up stalls at craft fairs where she collaborates with other sustainable small businesses to sell her work.

During my placement, my main tasks involved creating & editing Content for Shiv Textiles’ social media, newsletters, and press releases. On my second week of placement, I had the opportunity to plan and photograph a lifestyle shoot inside @sparkandbell’s featured stylish home. I was lucky to have creative freedom within this, meaning I got to plan what blankets and pillows would best photograph in what rooms via mood boards and photographed and edited the final images (fig.1 & 2).

Throughout the placement, I have improved my organisation and management skills massively. When in the workplace or working from home, I struggle to finish a task before starting another, so I have improved by organising via lists and self-managing within my routine. I have also improved my management skills when working within a team. I am more able to express my opinions and manage a situation if there is a need for improvement. I am also more capable of managing professional photographic and studio equipment as I am trained in health and safety when setting up and carrying large/heavy lighting and objects.
Fig.1 Shiv Textiles Pillows & Throw. Visual Content created by Taliesin Wintle for Shiv Textiles.
Fig. 2 Shiv Textiles Pillows & Throw. Visual Content created by Taliesin Wintle for Shiv Textiles.