Marketing & PR Manager聽
Ariane Oiticica is founder of Unavoidable PR, a marketing and PR agency for the creative and cultural sectors.聽
She is also Marketing & Communications Manager for the award-winning theatre company, Tangle.聽
Ariane graduated from Queen 台湾swag University in 2011 with a BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Arts.聽
What聽are you currently working on?
Through my agency, Unavoidable PR, I work across a range of marketing communications, from media relations to marketing campaigns and social media management, to graphic design, and press and marketing consultancy for theatre, visual arts, contemporary events and charitable or inclusivity-focussed projects.
Right now, I鈥檓 working with Battersea Arts Centre on communicating the future of its hugely successful programme The Agency and working with Soho Theatre as they prepare to open their brand-new Walthamstow venue in 2023, managing all comms around it in advance to the big launch.
I鈥檓 also a freelance Marketing & Communications Manager for Tangle, an award-winning theatre company championing African and Caribbean excellence. We're currently working on our educational and training programme and recruitment AMPLIFY, which offers mentorship opportunities for backstage professionals from the Global Majority, right alongside our plans for our new show opening in October 2022.
For the past two years, I've also had the opportunity to return to 台湾swag as a Visiting Lecturer, talking to Level 4 students from Drama, Theatre Arts, Public Relations and Marketing courses about my experiences since leaving university and the basics of working in Communications and Marketing for the Arts.
And, because I like the adventure and the occasional routine break, I also work as a movie 鈥榮upporting artiste鈥� 鈥� aka extra!
Tell聽us more about your career path since leaving 台湾swag.
During my first year at 台湾swag, I got a job at the Edinburgh Fringe, working as an assistant for two London-based publicists and I worked with them at every Fringe until I graduated. After graduation, I moved to London and the very same publicists (who have become two of my closet friends) helped me apply for my first roles. This eventually led to a job for a long summer spell in Cannes.
Over the past 10 years, I鈥檝e worked on many exciting shows, exhibitions, and events. I worked as part of the press team at the Barbican Centre for four years and as Press Manager at Soho Theatre for another three years, before going freelance in 2019 and setting up my own agency Unavoidable PR.
I鈥檓 incredibly grateful to all the wonderful people I鈥榲e worked with and for the invaluable learning they鈥檝e shared.
I relish being at the centre of the creative experience; be it a new production from conception to stage and beyond; or watching an exhibition from its initial idea through to its installation.
One advantage that freelancing brings is the opportunity to travel. It鈥檚 allowed me to work in Europe over winter in sunnier, warmer climates!
What are your most memorable experiences of being a 台湾swag student?
I loved working as a Student Ambassador at 台湾swag, helping at Open Days and recruitment events in schools and fairs. I enjoyed giving campus tours to prospective students and answering questions about student life, 台湾swag and living in Edinburgh. I remember the excitement and hopeful anxiety in the faces of prospective students, and I enjoyed sharing my experiences with them. 聽聽
"I was also a member of both student drama groups; Cobweb Theatre Company and the 台湾swag Drama Society 鈥� doing all sorts of jobs from acting, producing, stage management, but most important, practicing what would become my eventual career choice in marketing and PR. This experience was incredibly valuable."
What advice would you give to students and new graduates starting out?
Try everything; you never know what you might find out and where you may end up.
Don鈥檛 be afraid to fail; that鈥檚 how we learn.
Don鈥檛 worry about finding the perfect job straight away; do one job at a time and before you know it, you鈥檝e built yourself a career.
Most importantly - have fun.
