Over the past few months, Photography BA student Evie Wormald from Leeds Trinity University has been supporting the Brontë Birthplace as a Communications & Marketing Assistant placement student. From creating content and supporting campaigns to designing our special One Year Anniversary merchandise, Evie has played an important role in helping us share the story of the Brontë family’s birthplace.
We caught up with Evie to reflect on her placement experience and what she learned along the way.
Going into my second year at Leeds Trinity University, I knew I wanted to find work experience that would challenge me and introduce me to a new area of the creative industry.
Whilst searching for placements, I came across the Brontë Birthplace Communications and Marketing Assistant role. As a fan of classic literature, it immediately caught my attention. Having previously worked in a marketing role for a photography studio, I felt I had a good foundation of knowledge but also plenty of opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
During my first visit to the Birthplace, I met Thomas Haigh, the marketing team lead. Straight away, I felt comfortable, respected and motivated to help make a difference alongside the volunteers who make the project possible.
I loved knowing that I would be contributing towards preserving history and helping share knowledge about such an important heritage site. It felt like a unique opportunity to gain hands-on marketing experience whilst supporting a cause that genuinely matters.
During my placement, I worked on the marketing campaign for the Brontë Birthplace’s One Year Anniversary celebrations.
This included researching how campaigns are developed, generating ideas for promotion, designing social media content and creating photographic content for use across marketing channels.
I also had the opportunity to see first-hand how a heritage organisation communicates with audiences and promotes events and activities.
Without a doubt, designing the One Year Anniversary merchandise was the highlight.
Working alongside my sister, I helped create a bespoke illustration which was later turned into products sold in the Birthplace shop. Seeing something I had designed become a real product was incredibly rewarding and made me feel that my work was making a genuine contribution to the project.
It was a special way to help celebrate the Birthplace’s achievements since reopening and its first year since the Royal opening.
One of the most valuable parts of the placement was seeing the day-to-day operations that keep a historic site running.
It was inspiring to meet volunteers who are passionate about the house, its history and the role it plays within the local community. Seeing how many people contribute their time, skills and enthusiasm really highlighted the importance of community-led heritage projects.
I also gained practical experience in marketing, content creation and campaign planning that I can take forward into my future career.
Absolutely.
The Brontë Birthplace offers amazing opportunities for students to gain practical experience whilst supporting an important heritage site. Whether your interests are in marketing, photography, heritage, history, literature or events, there are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills and make a meaningful contribution.
It’s a fantastic cause to support and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team.
We’d like to thank Evie for all her hard work, creativity and enthusiasm throughout her placement and wish her every success in the future.
Interested in volunteering, gaining work experience or supporting the Brontë Birthplace? We’d love to hear from you.
