Salford partner with Walk the Plank for Green Space Dark Skies project

Green Space Dark Skies is commissioned by UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. The once in a lifetime festival of creativity is to showcase the greenspaces across the UK with hundreds of handheld lights making patterns on mountains, lakes and moorland across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Twenty events are taking place across the UK, from April to September 2022 through the countries National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

The project is led by Walk the Plank, one of the UK’s leading companies in the field of outdoor events and arts in public space. They are based in Salford and are a partner of university allowing 100s of students to be involved with Green Space Dark Skies, including offering work placements with themselves.

Harry Hosker, Employability Advisor at the University, said: “The range of placements and opportunities available across the Green Space Dark Skies project have provided excellent opportunities for our students to develop their understanding and awareness of their creative practices within the context of a national event. Students from a range of courses have benefitted from working with Walk the Plank, highlighting the different opportunities and career pathways available to them when they graduate.

“The opportunity for students to work with local organisations for short term placements is essential to continue building their skills and employability and we look forward to continuing this work with the remainder of the project.”

Students from a variety of courses across the School of Art, Media and Creative Technology have had the opportunity to work across Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Politics & Research and Production Assisting. Placements have taken place as part of their modules, giving them the opportunity to build their understanding and awareness of the events process.

April Coward, MA PR & Digital Comms student, said: “For me doing this three month internship was amazing, because it really allowed me to get to know the project. I think by doing a work placement it allowed me to gain a lot of skills which aren’t necessarily taught on a course, more just because they are little things that you don’t really think of until you are in the situation. For example, whilst I was at Walk the Plank, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in the research element of PR, including how to lay out my findings in a coherent way which I can transfer to other roles in the future.”

Find out how you can get involved at Walk the Plank.