It’s hard to believe that my time at More Music has already come to an end. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and am sad to be leaving this wonderful team behind.

Seeing a close-to-finished product of the 30^th anniversary case studies booklet was very rewarding. It’s been a real privilege collaborating with my colleague Lina and I’m going to miss the creative dialogue that we built together. We worked well as a team and the finished result looks really professional – I couldn’t have achieved the same level of creativity and polish without her.

Reading the completed booklet and reflecting on all the interviews I have conducted, I’m amazed by the success of these More Music participants. So many people have had their lives impacted positively, using their time here to springboard into exciting, artistic careers. Having just graduated from university, this experience has made me very excited for the next step on my journey.

I also had the opportunity to show two of the interviewees their completed case studies, and I was thrilled with how pleased they both were with the results. One of the interviewees described the case study as his “greatest hits”, so it was wonderful to gain such a positive reaction.

My favourite experience from the past few weeks however was definitely my first kite festival. It was lovely seeing Morecambe promenade filled with vibrant kites and flags, and the street food was delicious. There were so many incredible artists and craftspeople who attended the event, and it was wonderful to be so immersed in the creative scene of the North-West. I had the opportunity to watch some performances from a fantastic ceilidh band, Baybeat, More Media Collective and Dhamak Bollywood Brass Band, who were all incredible musicians and didn’t let the adverse weather on Sunday stop them. A standout moment was when we were all sheltering in one of the marquees dancing to folk music as a thunderstorm raged outside. It really was the epitome of a British festival: sunny weather one day and heavy rain the next. I managed to get two souvenirs: some beautiful henna art on the back of my hand and some very impressive sunburn!

I’m very grateful for my time spent at More Music. I will really miss the creative, encouraging environment and the amazing, welcoming people that I met. It’s been a fantastic opportunity, and I can’t wait to see where life takes me next.