Petronela-Elisa Citea

Flexibility and adaptability are developed with every work environment I am in. In my career, I have cross-sector experience working with various employers to develop and build effective working relationships. I am passionate about the cultural, educational and heritage sector and want to continue working with this specific sector. However, I have also worked with education, social science/care, and the third sector.

While working in the theatre industry, I learned that poor communication leads to problems such as props not being on the stage, a light/music cue being missed, or actors having meltdowns. Therefore, to have my organisational skills rewarded, I had to be alert and aware of the environment's needs and the people within it. I did this by always being available to everyone who needed me and remaining calm, which enabled the teams to approach me easily.

I have a good knowledge of working in a team. I have supported the Arts and Culture Projects team at the University of Bedfordshire to develop public, community and student engagement activities. These needed good attention to detail and prioritisation. I also have experience managing risk whilst working at a care home, where my actions had to be risk-assessed. In both capacities, I have been involved and undertaken risk assessments.

Across the entirety of my work experience, I have administrative experience in supporting projects and initiatives, and I genuinely believe that no role is too small. For example, as an Arts and Projects Assistant, I pioneered unique ways to market and disseminate opportunities across the university's student population and engage with the University of Bedfordshire's critical administrative systems. This includes HEAT,

Umbraco, Trent, in. beds and various other systems.

Having worked in the Arts and Culture Projects team, I also have a robust understanding of how artists bend and stretch a funder's bid and how they can build industry engagement. In this role, I learned of the requirements relating to the Heritage Fund and Art Council funds for embedding artistic practice in public art while advocating for the community to be involved in local decision-making around art spaces. There is a lot of negotiation and problem-solving when trying to produce and evaluate cultural projects, and even if I continue developing my artistic practice, I strive to help other artists continue their practice. At the same time, I share my knowledge of bid-making and evaluation strategies. Work well under pressure and accommodate requests with understanding and calm. 

While working in Hungary as a volunteer in theatre in education, I worked with young people to develop their confidence through meaningful activities. This act of negotiating physical barriers to access as well as cultural capital will serve me in good stead for unlocking engagement and enthusiasm for the library as I can quickly adapt to new personalities and ways of working. All the work developed my skills, but, in my opinion, volunteering in Film, Music and Arts Festivals helped me the most to look for a busy schedule and appreciate and practice honesty when delivering a quality product to the public.

See my CV for details on my education.