The latest LEAP programme addition of 2019/2020 was Augustina Mihaela Vasile. Augustina was due to spend 6 months (until May 2020) with the ISACS team in our Wexford HQ, but Covid-19 meant that she had to work remotely from her home in Bucharest for the final month of her LEAP journey.
Augustina’s role was assisting with communication and event planning activities, while also learning news skills in managing an artists network and advocating for street arts and circus.
What Augustina had to say about her LEAP experience:
I had the opportunity to be part of the ISACS team for 5 months physically and 1 month remotely. And it was a once in a lifetime experience. My collaboration with Lucy and ISACS was part of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme – an international exchange developed by the European Union to support young entrepreneurs in receiving guidance and experience from a more experienced host Entrepreneur. We got in touch in September 2019 and planned out our relationship and in November 2019 I temporarily moved to Ireland (from Romania) and started my adventure there. What a start it was, just 2 days after arriving, we were already on the road, heading to the National Circus Festival in Tralee. There, I got to meet the amazing artists that are part of the community that ISACS is all about.
I am extremely grateful to have been offered several learning and growing opportunities via workshops, courses and various events on topics relevant for my development, as well as being involved in managerial processes and participating in conversations with cultural representatives. Although the last part of my experience was affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, together with Lucy, I got the chance to work on adapting plans and actions of the organisation to this new reality, which has proven to be a very valuable experience.
There is one very important thing that I learned from Lucy and that will stay with me from now on: stronger bonds and connections make the world go round and that is why investing in fortifying relationships should always be top priority.
Though 6 months don’t seem long, this experience encapsulated everything a new entrepreneur needs. And I’m excited to say that guided by Lucy, my host entrepreneur (and hopefully future project partner) I now feel ready and determined to start down the road of cultural entrepreneurship.
What’s Next for Augustina?
Augustina is currently working as a consultant in her home country of Romania and is piloting a 1 on 1 programme aimed at supporting young and emerging artists, helping them discover how to harness and capitalize on their talent.
ISACS would like to wish Augustina the very best of luck in all her future endeavours – with brains and talent like that, we’re expecting BIG things!