Student placement case study - Scarlett Kehoe

Gateshead Council's Arts Development Team support school work experience and also student placements. Scarlett Kehoe is a 2nd year photography student at the University of Sunderland who had a placement with the team in April-May 2025 

As a second-year photography student at the University of Sunderland, I was allocated a placement with Gateshead Libraries and Arts to photograph a number of different activities and events that they run for the public. I chose this due to my growing interest in photographing communities and issues that are happening within the world. When being told about the library and the activities they provide for a multitude of different ages, I felt that this would be a great environment to nurture this interest. I had initial conversations with Karolynne discussing the range of opportunities available for me to photograph, and I scheduled myself for as many sessions as I could. As a young student I was anxious about this new experience, as I was going somewhere I was unfamiliar with and with people I didn't know. I am a naturally shy person but once I got there it was incredibly warm and welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. The staff that I met were lovely and made sure that I felt included in the session, which made me feel that the work I was doing was valued and worthwhile.  

The first session I attended was Botanical Ink Art with artist Omi Pharncote. What made this experience so positive, was watching this group of people enjoy each other's company while having fun learning something new. This sense of warmth and community was incredible to witness and even be a part of. I found myself excited to see what the next session would bring. One of my favourite parts of my placement so far has been talking to the different people, whether it be an artist, the library and arts staff, or the attendees.  

This has allowed me to learn a lot about the importance of sessions like these. For the attendees it allows them to learn new skills at whatever age and continue to create friendships and build bonds. For the artist it allowed them to teach a part of their practice to new people and to spread their knowledge to likeminded individuals. Watching both aspects is amazing. As an aspiring photographer this showed me a new way to be a part of the artistic industry, that feels impactful and useful in a different way than I had previously considered.  

While for placement I will not be conducting an activity, documenting the sessions has allowed me to consider this to be part of my future career, because I am able to see how important access to sessions like these are for everyone. I have found that this experience so far has allowed me to develop my way of thinking as a practitioner as well as gain more confidence in photographing in public spaces. While I still have more sessions to attend and document, I feel that my placement at Gateshead Library has already provided me with new experiences that have really benefited me and my future career.