A blog by Lex Correia – Live & Digital Assistant

Reflections from Lex

My past 15 weeks at Live Art Development Agency (LADA) has been a blast, and will be a pivotal chapter in my professional journey and life.

My perceptions about this industry prior to the work placement were very limited, with little information to go off of. I was completely unaware as to what live art was, as it’s not really a common term used in the US, even in creative circles. Obviously, I had researched what LADA defines live art as before they interviewed me to get a sense of what the company was about, but it’s a very difficult term to describe. There are so many different parts of live art––whether that’s performance art, experimental, visual, film, photography; and more. There are so many different avenues of live art, and it was so incredibly refreshing and eye-opening to see so many different sides of it. From game jams where participants create entirely new games from the ground up in two days, to showcases of performances in the Tate Britain, to interactive talks where the audience decides what happens next, I never knew what to expect.

LADA’s commitment to diversity has profoundly impacted my understanding of community engagement in the arts. LADA actively encourages participation from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as holds numerous publications both on sale in their bookshop as well as in the research collection and study room. The mere number of representation within the Study Room isn’t something you can count. But the fact that one of the most-tagged words on a publication is ‘queer’ tells you a lot… In fact, it’s almost impossible to run out of new books and items to catalogue into the Study Room. To get started, I would definitely recommend Letter to my Little Queer Self Editied by Libro Levi Bridgeman and Serge Nicholsons (P4210), as well as Resilient and Resisting by Jet Moon (P4220). The two books both explore queerness, with Resilient and Resisting focusing on the intersectionality of disability, queerness, kink, sex work, and survivorship.

Reflecting on my time at LADA, I recognised the importance of self-care and mental well-being in the workplace. My supervisor, Mary Osborn’s approach to ADHD and work-life balance reinforced the idea that productivity does not have to come at the expense of health. The encouragement to take breaks and work on projects that interest me has reshaped my understanding of effective leadership. I aspire to lead future teams with the same level of empathy and support.

This placement has not only enriched my skill set but has also ignited a passion for creating meaningful artistic experiences. I hope that I made at least half as much of a mark on the people of LADA as they have on me. They truly inspired me to always apply myself, research more about what makes live art so magical, and advocate for my needs and abilities in the workplace. I wish this semester wasn’t over, as it was truly one of the most enlightening three months of my life. Thank you so much.

I hope to return to LADA and London in the future, but for now: good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight. It was truly a pleasure to be a part of something so amazing.