My Italian Summer

Shreenika Ramani did a PAA Arts Administration Internship in Italy in the summer of 2015.  You can read the amazing essay she wrote as her internship capstone about the state and nature of Theatre here.  

My summers are usually constructive. I spend my summers either taking up an internship or learning something interesting. However, this summer has been special. And it turned special the minute I decided to do an Internship program abroad offered by PAA. I participated in the Arts Administration Internship in Italy, where I worked with a startup Theatre group operating in Florence.

PAA followed a guided approach from the stage of application to after the program ended. The process was systematic, simplified and full proof. This made my time abroad hassle free and enriched my experience.

Each day of my three weeks in Italy was filled with activity and evoked excitement. As a part of the program, I was enrolled in an Italian language class at the Florence University of Arts. I was up every morning at 6:30 like an excited child on Christmas day. I attended school, post which I went to my internship later in the day. At the ‘Medici Dynasty Show’ (the theatre company), I ideated marketing plans and maintained public relations through social media and on field promotions. Every day I took upon a new task with a view that there was knowledge at ‘play’ everywhere and that I had so much to learn. I was party to chatter, silence, confusion and an ingenious solution to every ‘yesterday’s problem’. As a result, I had a very fulfilling internship experience.

Apart from gaining a basic understanding of the local language, the school gave me access to extracurricular activities and excursions which allowed me to interact with other students at the university and make friends. These friendships made amidst picturesque Domes and Bridges of Florence, the thrill of keeping busy and the adventure of coping with a new environment made my Italian Summer memorable and gratifying.

Thank You Performing Arts Abroad for making this possible and motivating me to embark on such a journey in the first place!