Hi, my name is Shope Fashade and for the next two weeks I will be joining the Ignite Chelmsford team!

I am a 21-year-old Modern History student at the University of East Anglia and have lived in Chelmsford all my life. Before I start my last year of university I have chosen to gain some work experience at the Chelmsford city council with their Arts and Culture department to help them with Ignite and other ongoing projects. I am really looking forward to what these few weeks will bring and the people I will meet along the way who all work hard to make Chelmsford as active, creative, and diverse as possible. 

In my first three days, I have already provided valuable suggestions for the Ignite website, assisted with the planning of events and networked with creatives and educators at the LCEP Artsmark and Art Award exploration day at the Museum. I created an Ignite postcard with the hopes of growing the community and wrote this blog post! My main task while here is an ongoing research project to find people to add to the Ignite Member Directory. We want to make sure the directory is as expansive and diverse as possible, so if you feel you would be able to help with this search and know anyone who would be a good fit please email us at hello@ignitechelmsford.or.uk, or if you would like to join yourself visit the Member Directory page. These three short days have already provided me with an insight into all that goes into Ignite and has gotten me excited for what it has to offer in the future. 

As an active member of the Chelmsford community I strongly believe in the importance of organisations like these to provide the city with a shared voice and an active creative environment. In 2020 and 2021 I helped organise the Chelmsford Black Lives Matter march. I feel young people should not be restricted by their age and be encouraged to get involved to make a different within their community. Already over the past few years Chelmsford has been growing and adapting into a more accepting, diverse, and creative place to live and one that has something to offer to all no matter their interests.

Ignite Chelmsford providing a space for creatives and those who want to promote the creative industries allows the community to become more collaborative and established each day. Through connecting people and celebrating what Chelmsford has to offer, creatives are inspired to be more innovative. This is one massive step forward in the ongoing journey to make Chelmsford a place we can all truly be proud of.