Nyah Boston-Shears
Current Employer/Organisation Name
I am a Creative Engagement Producer at Lighthouse Poole.
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Festival Ambassador at Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival, Sep – Oct 2023
12-Week Volunteer Programme at GIANT Art Gallery, Dec 2023 – Jan 2024
Artist Support Crew and Evaluative Surveyor at Inside Out Dorset Festival, Sep 2023 and 2024
CREATE! 2025 participant and produced Sounds by the Castle music festival at Sandy Hill Arts in Jun 2025
Administration Intern and Cultural Development Officer at Arts Development Company, Oct 2023 – Jul 2025
TOSH Creative Start Up Programme Aut 2025
We Out Here Festival Volunteer, Aug 2025
Creative Engagement Producer at Lighthouse Poole, Jul 2025 – now
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Advocating for emerging local artists and providing them with a platform.
Celebrating local stories and amplifying voices.
Supporting and collaborating with artists, schools and communities.
Connecting rural Dorset with more urban BCP through creativity.
Sharing the health and learning benefits of creativity.
Meeting and working with such a variety of different ages, backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
The interdisciplinary nature of the Visual Culture degree really appealed to me. I looked at everything from music videos, album covers, pornography, film, literature, environmental studies etc. A big highlight must be our trip to Florence, Italy which was offered as part of the course.
What did you most enjoy about studying here?
The independence of living on my own for the first time, meeting such a variety of people and the life skills that were developed alongside studying.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
The Art History & Visual Culture course was unique and not offered at other universities I’d looked at. Exeter is also only a 2 hour drive away from my hometown, Poole, so close enough to go home if needed but far enough away to have independence.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Gaining a wider outlook on what ‘creativity’ is in contemporary culture. Visual Culture encouraged us to think more broadly about art and it’s impact beyond paintings on gallery walls. The transferable skills of working collaboratively with a variety of people on projects has also been key, as well as improving work-life balance, personal filing system, prioritising tasks, working towards deadlines while living independently and juggling a social life.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Don’t gatekeep. Be honest. Build networks and partnerships. Don’t duplicate work; work together. Get experience where you can be both paid and voluntary e.g. volunteer at RAMM and join their Youth Panel, apply for the Professional Pathways to Art, Heritage and Culture at UoE.
Explore your local scene and give creative opportunities in your hometown a go. You don’t have to go to London immediately.
What are your plans for the future?
Continue to produce creative events across Dorset & BCP which showcase a variety of art forms and amplify local voices.
Explore curation and start a collective of likeminded up and coming creatives living and working across the county.
