Just over 18 months ago, the outgoing, confident and energetic Jessica Harris was appointed as our Sales and Communications Officer.
From Leeds, to Settle – we were always slightly worried that she’d find it a little quiet in our rural country home but then we realised that as part of the Settle Stories family there never is a dull moment and life is always full.
Needless to say Jessica slotted in almost straight away. She brought energy and enthusiasm in spades to her role and has been a pivotal part of Settle Stories success since she joined including with Yorkshire Festival of Story.
We were thrilled to offer Jessica her first job in the arts. At just 25 the world is Jessica’s oyster. She has found herself a new job and is moving down to London. With such a small team we caught up with Jessica to share some memories and reflect on her time with Settle Stories.
Could you expand on what your job as Settle Stories Sales and Communications Officer has entailed please Jessica & how long have you been in the role?
Variety is the spice of life – and there has certainly been variety at Settle Stories! The communications side of the role means that I have been the lead on our social media content, so almost everything you’ve seen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the last 19 months has been from me. I’ve written regular press releases, generated sponsorship agreements, organised events, fundraised, organised storytelling workshops in schools and contributed to the admin side of the charity. Although COVID has meant I never got to experience a typical Festival, I’m very grateful to have been a part of our online Yorkshire Festival of Story. For this I was the lead on marketing and sponsorship, it gave me loads of new experience. I also hosted various events and was often left in awe of the storytellers and their brilliance (a personal fave being Clare Murphy!) I’ve also tried my hand at storytelling with our series of Matilda’s Bedtime Stories for our YouTube channel. I started in March 2019, so I’ve been at Settle Stories for around 19 months!
What have been your personal highlights at Settle Stories?
Highlights have been the Settle Writer’s Group that ran monthly since June last year, Tales by the Ribble day which was jam-packed with storytelling fun in May 2019, the premium sponsorship I gained for YFOS with Aunt Bessie’s, and working alongside Charles to smash our fundraising target for the festival!
Originating from the bright city lights of Leeds, then packing your knotted handkerchief up to work in Sleepy Settle must have been a bit of a shock to the system! What were your first impressions of country life? Are you a converted country mouse now or do you remain a city mouse?
It certainly was a huge change! I feel so grateful to have spent so much time in the countryside, I don’t think anyone could ever tire of that scenic drive from Skipton (where I lived) to Settle each morning. First impressions – as cliche as it sounds – was how nice and chatty everyone was! On my first morning a lady complimented me in The Naked Man cafe, and that set the precedent for the friendly atmosphere that followed. I was a bit shocked at how quiet it was at first but got used to that pretty quickly. Also, pretty much everything you need is nearby, and I enjoyed discovering more and more about the Dales community. I’m very Yorkshire proud and I loved the sense of pride people have in Craven and in Yorkshire.
However, I’m not a converted country mouse just yet! Settle is so, so beautiful, but I’m excited to get back to somewhere busy.
What have you learnt about working as part of a team?
I think our ability to come together as a team was particularly clear throughout the festival. We worked well in our different roles as hosts, moderators, and techies, and although we were geographically far from each other I felt like we were really in sync! As a team our creative discussions have led us to weird and wonderful places, and it’s been so great to work with everyone here. I have learnt from Sita’s assertiveness, Charles’ innovatively and determination, Jayne’s creativity, Louise’s theatrical knowledge and Gillian’s ability to tackle any and every question that comes her way! Also, I must give a shout out to the puppy and kitty mascots. Otis, Millie, Lara, Gerald, Monty and Bella – true legends.
This was your first job in the arts, what advice would you give someone wanting to work in this sector, particularly during these new and challenging times?
That’s a tricky one. It’s a scary time for the arts sector at the minute. I guess what I would say is to be flexible and ready to take on any challenge. I would also advise to keep your feet on the ground – your first arts job isn’t going to be amazing every second of every day – sometimes you are stuffing envelopes! But it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind and appreciate the great fun that goes with the hard work. I’d also advise people to throw themselves into everything where they can. My involvement with Great Place: Lakes and Dales has been a big part of my time in Settle. It has added to my experience in many ways and allowed me to network with artists of different disciplines. Good luck to any artists starting out now – the world needs you more than ever!
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt at Settle Stories?
I was already a strong believer in the power of stories and storytelling, but my time here has cemented that even further. Stories and the arts inform everything we do and everything we are – and I think as a society we massively take that for granted sometimes. Throughout my time here I have learnt how everybody can be creative, and how creativity equals resilience. This was clear in all the artists that switched up their performances in short notice for an online format, our executive team who quickly reworked the structure of the festival and the audiences who switched on their screen and engaged with this brand new format. My time at Settle Stories has shown me how determined and resilient people can be and how stories empower the positives in human nature. I also learnt how to make a proper cup of coffee- hoorah!
Like Dick Whittington you are heading to London to seek fame and fortune! What exciting new adventure lies in store for you?
I’m moving out of the arts sector for now. My new job is very people focused, which I’m excited about! Throughout lockdown I’ve felt very stuck and claustrophobic, so I’ve decided to make a big change. Although I’m really sad not to be working in a creative industry, I am equally excited by the prospect of being arty in my spare time again. Hopefully, there will be opportunities to put my Settle Stories expertise in motion there.
From all of us at Settle Stories we wish you all the best of luck as you take on a new challenge. We know you’ll keep in touch as you’ll always be part of the Settle Stories family. We can’t wait to see what you get up to.
Blog written by Jane Corbett
