I chose this program as a future arts administrator who hopes to gain experience in the theatre industry. Having access to the West End and other artistic nonprofit institutions was an integral part of me choosing this program. It was incredibly valuable for me to get to experience the arts climate in London.
Alumni Spotlight: Anna Chichester
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Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
SUNY Oswego has different staff in the study abroad office that work with specific programs. I worked heavily with my university program representative, who walked me through the campus application, program application, finances, class selection, and flight booking. The program helped by being in contact with the rep to help me with choices, and also planned logistics such as housing and placement.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Budget smart! London is expensive, not so much in groceries but moreso because living in a city has a lot of unexpected inconveniences that require you to buy things during your day. Also, if you want to travel, set aside an entirely different budget, it cost me roughly $300-$400 to travel outside the UK on the weekends, so if that’s a goal, plan for it.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
During my time in this program I would wake up early in the day and get on the tube to go to the CAPA center or my Internship location in person screen. From there I would either spend about three hours in class working with professors and small groups or I would be at my intern location doing miscellaneous work with the theatre company. My evenings and weekends would be spent with friends exploring.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was definitely making friends. You go into this experience not knowing anyone typically or if you’re lucky knowing one or two people from your school. CAPA does a great job at socializing with you with other people from other schools in a variety of different ways. I gained more confidence as a person and was able to better adapt to situations following.
What is a hot tip about living in London?
Want to save money when going out? Most museums in London have free admission, and theatre tickets are ridiculously cheap if you look on TodayTix. Also, although buying pints at pubs is a cultural staple, £5 at a pub is about $7 in the states, which adds up ridiculously quickly.