Pursuing a double major in Political Science and International Development, with a minor in East African Studies, I have been able to deepen my knowledge about different countries’ cultures, history and ethics. I am interested in learning about one’s perception and mentality and thus that is shaped by our environment and context. For this reason, I chose the ‘Culture’ sector in International Development because I am curious about how social behaviors and norms shape one’s society and how it differs across the world. I was specifically interested in Festival Accès Asie as it features diverse Asian countries and promotes cultural diversity. Sharing cultures is extremely important to keep traditions alive, and it strengthens relationships. My degree in international development has shed light on the importance culture plays in freedom, and thus social, human and sustainable development.
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Having limited knowledge about Asian culture, I thought that Festival Accès Asie would be a good opportunity to immerse myself in a vast, diverse and rich culture. Hence, I am so grateful that I did because I learned about Asian history, culture and arts through different disciplines. Additionally, while politics, history and culture have been important subjects in my academic and personal life, I am also interested in logistics and coordination. I have executed in the planning of several conferences and events. For this reason, I applied to be an ‘Assistant Coordinator’ because it was an ideal amalgamation of culture and logistics.
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Festival Accès Asie is a festival based in Montreal that promotes Asian arts, culture and history through different disciplines of art such as theatre, film, comedy, poetry, music, visual arts, literature, social media and culinary arts. It was established in 1995, and it is well reputable since it is the longest running Asian heritage festival in Canada. It has featured work of more than 900 artists of Asian origin from more than 20 different countries. It is mainly a volunteer based organization, coordinated by a small number of staff and interns. Its’ main aim is to advance the understanding of Asian arts and to create a safe space where it can be promoted. Additionally, it encourages to deliver Asian arts and culture through different artistic disciplines in a favourable environment.
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My goal throughout the internship was to be fully determined and to be helpful in any way or manner. I also wanted to learn about Asian culture through the music, dance, visual art that they were displaying. My main aim was to step out of my comfort zone and to carefully listen what the artists wanted to share with their audience. My duties encompassed event coordination and more specifically, my position entailed to watch over proper organization upstream, and make sure that the development of the events was running smoothly such as setting up the stage, welcoming the guests, managing the ticket office, and being charge of merchandise. After the festival ended, I took on an administrative role where I had the opportunity to write a complete press review of the events.
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One of the highlights about Festival Accès Asie is how cohesive and united the team is. We all help each other out and everyone cares about how one is doing and feeling. It has felt extremely nice to work in a caring and comfortable environment and it makes work seems less arduous. For this reason, I believe it has prepared me to work in an environment that stresses on communication and teamwork. I was used to working alone when I was in certain positions, yet this internship reinforced the importance of team work and unity.
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During this internship, I did not receive any credit but I was grateful to receive a generous fund. It helped me cover my rent while I was staying in Montreal and to cover transportation expenses. I am thankful for all the support I received from the Arts Internship Office and from the kind donation from my donor. This experience would not have been possible without the constant encouragements and assistance from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
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