Student Voice: one year on
Occasionally we invite guests to contribute to our Substack. This article is by York St John Fine Art graduate Lily Jemmett, following on from her first article for us in May 2025
Life after graduation - First thoughts, first steps
Since finishing my Fine Art Degree, I’ve definitely felt that mix of uncertainty and curiosity; trying to figure out what comes next and what working in the arts actually looks like outside of University. Day to day, I’ve been balancing paid work, having started a graduate internship as Marketing and Communications assistant at Aesthetica Magazine, while still holding onto a growing interest in arts and culture, just in a slightly different context than before.
At the moment, my own performance-based, theory-led practice has taken a bit of a step back. It’s not gone, it’s just waiting in the wings while I figure other things out. Right now, I’ve found myself leaning more towards marketing, editorial work, and communications within the arts sector, which has opened up a whole new way of thinking about creative work - not just in terms of making, but how work is shared, talked about, and experienced by others.
Thinking back to my time at York St John, the AA2A residency programme played a huge part in shaping how I understand all of this now. Having practicing artists around us regularly made things feel real and accessible. It wasn’t just about the work they were making, but the conversations around it - how they sustain themselves, how they navigate the industry, and what their day-to-day actually looks like.
Through seminars, tutorials, feedback sessions, and just general chats, I was able to get a much clearer and more grounded sense of what building a career in the arts can involve. One of the most valuable parts for me was getting involved in the networking and communications side of the programme. Interviewing AA2A artists and connecting with them directly gave me the chance to build relationships, while also helping to bring those conversations back to my peers.
Image: Caroline Jane Harris, A Stopped World, 2020
Image Credit: Aesthetica Art Prize 20: Skipton Town Hall, Jim Posner, 2026
Those kinds of experiences made things feel a lot less abstract. The advice we received wasn’t polished or idealised; it was honest, practical, and sometimes uncertain, which made it all the more useful. It helped demystify that jump from education into professional practice and made it feel more manageable.
One thing I didn’t fully realise before graduating was just how important those connections become once you’re no longer in a structured University environment. The small conversations, the people you meet briefly, the encouragement to stay in touch - it all adds up. Those informal networks have been more valuable than I ever expected.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping to keep building a career within arts and culture, particularly in marketing, editorial and communications, while allowing space for my own practice to come back into focus over time.
For anyone graduating this year, I’d say take your time with it. Stay connected to people, even in small ways, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or reach out for help. The support is still there - it just looks a little different, and learning how to find it is all part of the process.
Lily Jemmett, AA2A Student Ambassador 24-25 York St John University