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My last day

This will be my final diary entry as it is my last week on the Blast placement. I have really enjoyed my time here at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Norfolk and have learnt a huge amount of skills.

My favourite article was my first feature on the Peter Pan musical because I got the opportunity to produce video and audio material.

Throughout my time at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Norfolk, I have met a wide variety of people and have really enjoyed my interviews.

I am looking forward to the awards ceremony in London on Friday, 5 September, 2008. I can’t wait to see all the reporters I met in Bristol.

In a few weeks, I will be heading to London to start a journalism course. I'm sure the skills I have learnt throughout this placement will help with my career plans.

Wish me good luck

Wednesday 25, August to Thursday 26, August 2008

This week, I was working on the R: Oxfam fashion show feature. It was a great project to work on because I love fashion and really admire campaigns like this.

Outfit customised by an Oxfam volunteer

I got to meet some very interesting people who had a real passion for fashion and were really creative. A lot of the young designers I met make their own clothes, which is something I wish I could do.

It was great going to the King's Centre in central Norwich to see how all the outfits were coming along. I particularly loved the gold jacket that had been customised by a volunteer.

Tuesday 19, August to Wednesday, 20 August, 2008

This week was an exciting one because it gave me the opportunity to write about East Anglia’s brand new music festival, Loddon Out Loud.

I was required to write a preview piece about the event. The festival will be a great day because it will include musical acts, poetic pieces, and art work.

It was quite surprising to find that a small town such as Loddon had so much talent. People in Norfolk normally have to travel to Norwich to see live bands, but this summer it is refreshing to see a change of scene.

I have also been organising my interview with the Oxfam team this week. I will be working with them to arrange the Oxfam R: fashion show.

Louise in the ´óÏó´«Ã½ studio

Monday 11, August to Tuesday 12 August, 2008

My next project was working with the organisation, Portrait Of A Nation. After my mentor Zoe put me in touch with Marion Catlin, Norwich City Council's Cultural Development Officer, I began talking to her about the project.

She made me aware of an artist representing Norwich - a young rapper called Neme.

I watched Neme’s rap videos online and realised she had a real passion for living and working in Norwich.

After inviting her into the studio, I began to realise her zeal for music.

Neme was a great person to interview because she was very enthusiastic and had a lot to say, which made my job a lot easier.

I really enjoyed the photography aspect of the article. Neme and I went to the local park to see if we could hunt down some graffiti to create an urban backdrop.

This week's weather was very unpredictable and I ended getting complete soaked one morning. I was so cold that I had to buy some dry socks, oh dear! That’s the English summer!

Monday 4, August to Tuesday 5, August, 2008

This week I focused on a local radio station that was celebrating its first birthday.

The radio is really influential in the local community because they often run radio courses for young people. It was a great anniversary to report on.

Tom Cox during rehearsals for Peter Pan

Week two: Monday, 28 July, 2008

Writing up the Peter Pan article was only the beginning of the project. One of my mentors, Martin, also wanted to produce a video for the article.

This meant I was the first Blast reporter of 2008 to create a video. I did not have a huge amount of video experience, so I needed as much help as I could get.

The experience of filming in the theatre was a real buzz because I got to have a sneaky look backstage and in the wardrobe department.

I also got to practise my presenting skills, which were laughable at times!

2 hours to 2 minutes

All the material that I and Martin had recorded had to be significantly edited when returning to the office.

With the help of Andy, a video editor, we managed to put the piece together very quickly.

ÌýIt was really interesting to watch the work coming together in a sequence.

I was extremely proud when the final project had been published. I told all my family and friends to have a look and can’t wait to work on my next article. Watch this space...

Week one: Monday, 21 August, 2008

My first day at the Norfolk office was very exciting. I wanted to meet the team that I would be working with and explore the Forum building in Norwich.Ìý

The Forum is an amazing building because it was only built in 2005 and is situated in an excellent location.

It is positioned next to the cathedral and the market. It is also right next door to the Norfolk And Norwich Millennium Library, which makes it great for people watching - nosy me!

Next was my health and safety training, which was a lot more interesting than I thought.

It featured an interactive quiz which made the concept of learning fun and easy to remember.

First assignment

After getting settled in, my first project was based at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

I needed to report on a youth theatre production, Peter Pan: The Search For The Lost Boys.

The team had casted over 500 young actors - a significant number of actors and actresses, but my article was going to be focused on the two main characters: Peter Pan and Captain Hook.

I enjoyed interviewing the two young actors because they had so much energy and enthusiasm for the production.

I have interviewed people and not always got the same positive response. After recording an audio interview, I began to type up my notes.

Getting started: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008

Allow me to give you the lowdown on the Blast experience so far. It started at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ training centre in Bristol and has been a Blast ever since!

While representing Norfolk throughout the scheme, I will also be supplying you with the latest gossip on how it's going

After a four-hour journey, I arrived in Bristol around 6pm.

Our first stop was the Ibis hotel to drop off our luggage and get settled in. The hotel was in an ideal setting, closely located to an array of restaurants and clubs.

It meant me - and my mentors Zoe and Martin - had no trouble finding somewhere to eat. We settled on a Spanish tapas restaurant and I ordered the chicken kebab - yum yum!

During the meal, I was very fortunate to meet the production manager for Springwatch, Ann Varley, who dropped in for a drink.

This was a great opportunity as I am a fan of the show and wanted to hear all about how it is made.

Thursday, 17 July, 2008

But it was not all networking and fancy restaurants. After my relaxing evening, the next two days were hard work but extremely rewarding!

I finally got to meet all the other arts Blastees and they seemed just as enthusiastic as me, even though it was still rather early!

After being issued my name badge and information pack, I was ready for action.

I was allocated a group and believe it or not group leader. I was responsible for ensuring our group was at the right workshop at the right time.

Luckily it went nice and smoothly and I did not get anyone lost! Hurray!

Friday, 18 July, 2008

I enjoyed all the workshops, but the photography one was particularly funny.

Me and two other Blast trainees got very camera happy and took over fifty shots!

We were trying to capture as many different angles as possible and I believe we succeeded, well done team!

Well, there you have it, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Bristol training in a nutshell!

The most important thing now is to put all that training into practise.