Madeleine celebrates taking every opportunity at LJMU

The final day of summer graduation 2024 celebrated graduates from three schools within LJMU’s Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies, marking the incredible achievements of students across a variety of disciplines including art, graphic design, architecture, fashion, illustration, museum studies, teaching, English, creative writing, criminology, history, sociology, media, communication and international relations and politics.

Among those celebrating their graduation was BA (Hons) History of Art and Museum Studies student Madeleine Pedley, who has experienced an action-packed three years at university exemplifying how to get the absolute most out of the opportunities available to students studying at LJMU.   

Madeleine said: “My time at LJMU has been so fulfilling, even more so because of the risks I’ve taken to branch out of what is expected of me. I love my course and I will always advocate for it because of how flexible it is and the things we get to do; like getting to work in Venice or even a quick trip to Paris! Though, I think what really made me feel lucky for choosing LJMU is everything else that comes with it, I don’t think I would feel this confident in myself or my ability to succeed if I hadn’t of come to Liverpool.”

Student Advocate and Go Global opportunities

During her first year Madeleine became a Student Advocate, working at open days and showing potential students around campus, hoping to inspire them in the same way she was impressed during her initial visits to LJMU. She was also selected for LJMU’s Go Global Summer School in Vietnam where she worked with Van Lan University and learnt about the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, unlocking her love for working abroad and connecting with other students. She even created her own society for Curative Design, setting up a space for art students to receive support and funding for events and workshops.  

An internship in Venice

In her second year, her society was going from strength to strength as they curated an art exhibition and performance evening - now an annual event - and Madeleine was also accepted for an internship at a prestigious museum in Venice.

“The course had a unique opportunity to study and work at The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, so it was my personal goal to be accepted onto that,” explains Madeleine. “With this in mind, I took up bigger roles within the university like working within the Library Archives, curating the Level 4 Art Show and taking on more student advocate shifts. I also undertook volunteering with Oxfam and with Just Like Us, a charity dedicated to providing support to young adults from the LGBTQ+ community through education within schools and business. Through the experience I gathered, I successfully secured my place to go to Venice and began to look to other opportunities to travel.”

LJMU grant funding

Madeleine was one of only four students to be awarded the Susan Dunthorne grant giving final year Liverpool School of Art and Design students £500 for career and personal development through travel in the UK. She used her grant to spend a week in London researching immersive exhibitions which would become the basis for her final year major project on neurodivergent art and exhibition spaces.

She was successful in securing another travel grant, through the Global Citizen awards, which she used to expand her horizons further by volunteering in Thailand.

Career planning and employability

As Madeleine embarked upon her final year of study, her focus moved to life beyond university.

She undertook supplementary classes with Agent Academy in user experience (UX) and social media in business, gaining qualifications in addition to her undergraduate degree. She also sought out a year-long paid role with the students’ union, JMSU, to gain marketing experience.

Madeleine said: “Working for JMSU meant that I interacted with all students and was at the very heart of university life. I contributed towards marketing campaigns, events and even the website. I met amazing people who were just as motivated as me and we pushed each other to really go for the things we wanted.”

She also became a Global Champion for Go Global, interviewing students for the 2024 summer school opportunities, and became a Gale Ambassador for the Gale Primary Archive at LJMU, enabling her to combine her course skills and knowledge with a budding passion for marketing and social media in the Arts. As part of the role, she worked with a global publisher and had an article published online.

Marking LJMU’s 200^th anniversary

Alongside her final assessments and submission of work, Madeleine had another internship opportunity to help curate and publicise the university’s Bicentenary exhibition of work by its Artist in Residence, Julia Midgley.

Madeleine was brought onto the project through an innovative paid internship opportunity offered through the university’s on-campus recruitment agency Unitemps, Bluecoat, (Liverpool's contemporary arts centre) and LJMU’s Corporate Communications Team.

“One of the highlights of this year was securing the Discovery Internship with Bluecoat, as this was a marketing and events role that would allow me to combine my marketing and curatorial skills from the last three years,” says Madeleine. “I worked with various departments and teams to help curate the show. I played a hands-on role throughout, making creative decisions to help lead the exhibition towards something more interactive and immersive, as I wanted the show to connect everyone. Overall, this was such a dream to work on.”

The future for Madeleine

As a new LJMU graduate, Madeleine is now looking to the future, hoping to secure a short-term marketing role before embarking on some further travel. She hopes that other LJMU students will follow in her footsteps in making the most out of their time at university.

Madeleine said: “I actively went for everything that came my way, even roles that went beyond History of Art and Museum Studies, which helped me to develop my skills within other disciplines, like social media, marketing and publishing. I would always recommend students to get involved with all different types of projects, like volunteering or societies as it makes you more confident and comfortable around people you don't know or a new environment - the interpersonal skills gained can be transferred to any setting. The experience allows you to define your future career path based on what you’ve done.”