Program Reviews

I had a fantastic time completing the New York program. ABI were amazing in supporting me throughout the entire process which was particularly difficult during the pandemic. I had an amazing time and met some amazing people through the program and loved the opportunity to work with such a fantastic company. The coaching platform is also an excellent addition to ABI and helps you develop skills which are not taught at university or school. This helped me gain the upper hand for future job prospects

I was initially nervous about ArtBound Initiative because it was the first time I’ve ever taken part in a program like this. What I got out of it was so much more and lessons to continue working on/learning.

I was asked to interview for a Visual Development Internship with The STUDIO NYC right out of my portfolio review scheduled by ABI… and it really changed my workflow and artistic awareness for the better. I was in charge of developing environment assets for an in-house project that was to be pitched this past month, actually. Unfortunately, I was only able to develop 1.5 complete concepts with a ton of preliminary sketches due to my freelance/performance career outside of the internship. Yet, my mentors were understanding and patient with my time and process. They communicated my weaknesses and strengths in a conducive manner, always highlighted the things I needed to focus on and what was currently working, and also asked me to take part as a Production Assistant for i project I had to unfortunately decline. It served as a pivotal stepping stone in my path as a VisDev Artist!

ABI provided a ton of lessons and resources to make sure that I can represent myself professionally in the 2D Animation industry. I’m so grateful to Laura for this opportunity and the connections that about with it!

I double interned through ABI in the midst of Covid. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try two very different interns which helped me learn different skill sets. I now have a great career which was lead by one of the internships connected by ABI, I highly recommend this program for those who wants to gain experience in different work settings in major cities. Without the internship opportunities I might've stepped foot in a different career path that wasn't so compatible to my interest, but because I experienced the internships I was able to eliminate wasting time trying to figure out what I want to do.

ArtBound Initiative has helped me most with the constant support and confidence in my capabilities to flourish in my career. Before ABI, I was quite insecure about how my future in my career will look. I found the supervisors' and coaches' (namely Laura, Zulfa and Ginda's) wholehearted support and how they communicate their support to be the most helpful thing through it all. They constantly guided me in finding the perfect internship for the next step of my career and I couldn't be more grateful.

ABI has made my dream of working abroad so easy! The studios and companies they are connected with are also great. They tailor your skills and interests with the perfect studio and allowed me to have a great learning experience. You also get to connect with others from the ABI community so you don't feel so lonely in a new city and it's a great way to make new friends within your field. The experience has helped me get into my dream college for my post graduate studies. If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of going abroad, I highly recommend ABI.

It really helped me as a young design school graduate so much as ABI guided me in to the right direction. I wouldn't have accomplished this without the program. The training definitely played a big part given that I didn't even have a designer portfolio website prior to that, my resume was also crafty and way less eye-catching. During the meetings some of the ABI alumni shared their stories which I found really engaging, it’s always nice to hear from someone in a similar position and learn from them. Plus I’m grateful that I had the support I received during the company search level as well as preparing for the interviews, it saved me a lot of time and energy so I could utilize my time critically and meaningfully.

A gateway to the industry! A perfect opportunity to learn from the expert coaches before the internship to set a path for a successful experience during the placement period. Will value this as one of the best decisions of my life!

The platform is very easy to navigate and the supervisors are super helpful with any questions.

The best part is that the program goes beyond their way to find the internship best suited for individual needs and skills! Grateful to have participated and given a full time position within the placement company afterwards

Participating in the ArtBound Initiative program was in every way a great experience. It took me in the end 2 years to finally get to New York due to the pandemic, but I was very well assisted throughout the whole process. I got high quality coaching at the beginning which really helped me define my professional goal and I was also very well equiped for applying and interviewing at my dream organisation, Creative Time.

Once in New York I got all the support I needed in terms of finding a place to stay, to information about admistrative stuff you need to do when you move there. These things can get quite overwhelming when you move abroad and it was nice to have someone to contact in case I had any questions and who was always responsive.
Besides getting a foot in the door in a competitive City like New York, I also got in touch with a lot of other participants. Some of them became very good friends and it is inspiring to think I have friends all over the world!

I would keep in mind that New York is a very expensive city. Coming from a background with low income, it was a huge challenge to live there, even if I saved money before coming. However, I would still totally recommend making this investment, because this experience was priceless and I know it will pay off in the future.

The whole experience was very rewarding, from the ABI coaching to the actual internships. It was really helpful to have the online coaching as well as being able to speak to industry professionals to give insights and help you set your goals. The Art Bound Initiative team was very supportive and encouraging at every step of the way. I ended up being able to intern with two different Sydney based companies during my time - Wasamedia and Ginger & Smart. Not only did I learn a lot of new skills, I also got hired as a full time junior graphic designer at the end of my internship.

The Artbound initiative team gave me tremendous support throughout my internship time. The preparatory work is second to none and I had everything I needed weeks before I even got my first internship. From the very beginning the ABI team was invested in truly listening to what I wanted for me future and helped me secure internships that will help guide me in my career. The Artbound initiative team are the most supportive team of mentors I have had the opportunity to work with. Just a couple 20-min one on one session with Laura alone, I was able to learn things that people a lifetime not knowing. After being with this program I can say that I am equipped with the tools to be successful in any creative profession and am confident in my pursuit to achieving my dreams.