Association of British Orchestras

Careers

 

Kat Hattersley - BSO

Development and Sponsorship

Katherine Hattersley - Development Officer for Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

 

Working in Development is a fast-paced, challenging and in my opinion a very rewarding career path. You need to have great people skills, be very organised, confident, enthusiastic and keen for the chase, as Development as a sector is very goal orientated.

How did I get into it?

Growing up I wanted to be a professional ‘cellist, but after starting a degree at a conservatoire I soon realised I would prefer to be behind the orchestra rather than on the concert platform. I worked as Assistant Venue Manager for a live music venue in the Midlands and then went to the University of Southampton to study Music.

At Southampton I became heavily involved with the University Symphony Orchestra (SUSO), elected as Orchestral Manager in my 2nd year and President in my final year. It was whilst in my 2nd year that a lecturer suggested that I attend the ABO's ‘Where Do I Start?' career advice day.  After listening to the guest speakers I felt really motivated to investigate an Arts Administration career path and find out whether it would be suitable for me. Most importantly what I came away with was that to stand out from other graduates you need to have experience.

I contacted my local home institutions and secured placements across the Easter and Summer breaks of 2009 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Orchestra of the Swan. At my placements I mainly shadowed the Orchestral Managers, but I was also exposed to the other departments of the Administration teams. I found people at every placement very friendly, and once you have secured work experience with an institution everyone is extremely positive with helping you get the most out of it, as they were once in your position.

As a result of my work experience I decided to write my final university dissertation on the future of the symphony orchestra and the impact that education programmes could have on audiences of the future. As part of this, and to enrich my research, I set up an education programme with SUSO, which became known as ‘The Baby SUSO Project.' The project took the orchestra to the children's schools to perform after school concerts, enabling us to bridge some of the formalities associated with a classical concert.

What’s my job at BSO?

All the skills and experience I had built up over a few years as well as my artistic side were a great benefit in getting my first job at the BSO, where I have been since July 2010. In my first role as Fundraising and Membership Officer I was responsible for the running of BSO's individual giving membership scheme. I arranged and delivered all of the scheme’s events as well as national and international fundraising trips. I was always aiming to grow the membership scheme through implementing campaigns to attract new members and cultivating current members into upgrading their membership level. Of course once you have these members it is most important to keep them engaged as retention of the donations is vital when raising money through individual giving.

In October 2011 I became Development Officer. Within the role I work within both corporate sponsorship and major donor giving.

I cultivate and steward current and prospective high net worth individuals. This involves prospect research into our database to find out who are our top prospects and then taking them through a process to the point of making ‘the ask.’ This involves substantial event management as well as a high level of customer care and engagement.

The other side of my job involves working to secure and deliver corporate sponsorship packages. This part of the role requires networking, prospect research, event management and sponsorship account management for each company. I also secure and go to meetings with prospective sponsors, write proposals and then contracts.

Audience development is something I think I will always take a vested interest in. In September 2011 I launched the BSO’s new young person’s membership scheme, BSO Vibes. BSO Vibes is all about giving young people the opportunity to get closer to the music through our Vibes Events, where members can attend open rehearsals, artist interview sessions with renowned conductors, soloists and musicians, and meet and greet members of the BSO. As well as running the membership scheme and arranging the events, I manage all of the online PR and marketing for the scheme. I have really enjoyed the challenge of developing a project from scratch and seeing the scheme grow. Within the first six months BSO Vibes already has over 100 individual members and I am now developing a schools strand of the scheme for the 2012-13 season.

Why work in Development?

Although working as a fundraiser can be very tough, I really believe that Development is a great career choice that is very rewarding and with lots of career path prospects. Crucially, when starting out, I recommend gathering experience from as many sources as you can. This is not only the best way to get yourself ahead when it comes to employment, but also so that you can discover for yourself where your true vocation lies. If you are passionate about the future of the Arts then Development is a great place to be!