The Hive - Volume Three
Demos Intern(et) Network
Margaret Bolter
Research Intern, November to December 2006While at Demos, Margaret researched several projects including The Future of the English Language. In addition to assisting with research, she was a delegate co-ordinator for Demos' international conference on science, innovation and globilisation, The Atlas of Ideas.
Current Activities: Job hunting
Academic Information:
BA History - Cum Laude with High Honours (Mount Holyoke College)
MSc Comparative Politics - Nationalism and Ethnicity - Degree with Merit and dissertation with Distinction (LSE)
Skills and Experience:
Intern with Exclusive Analysis (Autumn 2006), Intern with Y&R Advertising (Summer 2004), Intern with Mellon Library Recruitment Programme (Spring 2004), Intern with Bolter & Co (Summer 2003), Intern with Metropolitian Museum of Art (June 2001). Experience with Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint and Word.
Personal Statement: "Throughout my academic career and in my various internships, I have followed my interest in the intersection of culture and politics. It is my hope that I will find the opportunities to develop my understanding and expertise in the evolution of nations and cultures. I hope to be able to use my organisational skills as well."
Contact: m.bolter-alumni@lse.ac.uk
Links of Interest: Margaret's Myspace Page
Margaret's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Peter Bradwell
Demos Referee: Molly Webb
A Word From Demos: "Margaret was a big help, particularly on the English language project; plenty of interesting, thoughtful ideas and hard-work in digging out examples and case studies. She was also a great happy presence around the office." Peter Bradwell, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "Demos was a great place to grow - from the fascinating projects to the respect and responsibility given to the interns."
Miranda Kimball
Research Intern, October to December 2006Miranda primarily assisted on two project. She worked with researchers during the early stages of Children Make Places, writing a literature review and setting up expert interviews. She spent a week assisting Cornwall Arts Marketing and coducting primary research. She co-ordinated the final Northern Lights seminar.
Current Activities: Moving back to New York City
Academic Information:
BA (Hons) Urban Studies (Vasser College)
MSc Cities, Space and Society (LSE)
Skills and Experience: Intern at Metropolis Magazine (Summer 2003), Intern at Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine (Summer 2004), Research Assistant at Vasser College (2004-2005). Experience of Microsoft Office, Photoshop, ArcMap and Quark.
Personal Statement: "I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed my internship with Demos. I was able to research cities topics that I had yet to explore and this reinforced my desire to go into cities-related research work."
Contact: Miranda_Kimball@hotmail.com
Links of Interest: www.nyc.gov
Miranda's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Hannah Green
Demos Referee: Charlie Tims
A Word From Demos: "Miranda worked with me for a week on a field trip in Cornwall. She was an assertive, thorough and organised researcher as well as being kind and unflappable under pressure. We miss her." Charlie Tims, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "I'm thrilled I was able to intern at Demos, it was the ideal thing to do after my MSc. I loved studying in the UK and thanks to Demos and everyone who works there, I also really enjoyed working in England."
Anni Oskala
Research Intern, October to December 2006During her time at Demos, Anni worked on various projects in the area of culture, including background research for Cultural Diplomacy and The Self-Producing Society, as well as research and writing for Culture Online.
Current Activities: Research Officer, Arts Council England
Academic Information:
42 point in Bilingual IB Diploma
1st Class BA (Hons) Music (Oxford)
MSt with disctintion in Musicology (Oxford)
PhD in Musicology (Oxford)
Skills and Experience: Fluent French and Finnish, excellent research skills, Volunteer with Finnish Music Festivals (Summers 2002-04), Oxford Inspires cultural development agency
Personal Statement: "After finishing my PhD, the three months I spent with Demos gave me such an amazing opportunity to gain insight into current debates in cultural policy, while working in a friendly and supportive environment. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the project-based work style, which all reinforced my decision to pursue a research career in this field."
Contact: anni@oskala.net
Links of Interest: The choir Anni sings with
The other choir Anni sings with
The other other choir Anni sings with
Anni's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Hannah Lownsbrough
Demos Referee: John Holden
A Word From Demos: "Anni is diligent, hard-working, and has an intelligent approach to research and writing. She is a delight to work with." John Holden, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "I really enjoyed my time at Demos - inspiring and challenging work, great people."
Anna Shandro
Research Intern, October to December 2006During her time at Demos, Anna worked extensively on the Future of Recruitment project and contributed to the up-and-coming Cultural Literacy project. She gained experience in detailed qualitative research as well as face-to-face interviews, and acted as events assistant for several seminars and conferences, including a speech by Hilary Benn and the lauch of Received Wisdom.
Current Activities: Assistant to Catherine Fieschi, Director of Demos
Academic Information:
A Level - Biology (A), French (A), Spanish (A)
Double First BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Cambridge)
Skills and Experience: Fluent French and Spanish (spoken and written), experience of Microsoft Office, Quark Express and Powepoint, touch typing, Marketing and Editorial Assistant with Tate Publishing (Autumn 2006), Communications Assistant with Franco-Argentine Chamber of Commerce (Spring 2005).
Personal Statement: "My degree in French and Spanish not only confirmed my passion for the languages themselves, but also sparked a keen interest in foreign literature, thought and politics. I am fascinated by how different societies and cultures are organised and how their values are shaped. My time with Demos provided me with the opportunity to learn more about the practical implementation of ideas and philosophies in society. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Fieschi and become involved in further research, and I hope to build on my experience in research and communications to develop Demos' profile and external relations."
Contact: annashandro@googlemail.com
Links of Interest: Anna's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Rachel Briggs
Demos Referee: Duncan O'Leary
A Word From Demos: "Anna was invaluable to the projects on learning and skills and the future of recruitment. She was bright, thoughtful and lots of fun to be around." Duncan O'Leary, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "I really enjoyed my time at Demos, not only because of the wide range of people interesting projects, but because I was surrounded by interesting, passionate people."
Steven Skelton
Research Intern, September to December 2006Whilst at Demos, Steven provided research support for several projects within the Culture area. His most sustained contribution was to the Local Authorities project. He also provided events support for several party conference fringe events and acted as administrator for Demos' recent recruitment drive.
Current Activities: Project Support Officer for the Improvement Directorate of the LGA
Academic Information:
A Level - History (A), Business & Economics (A), English Literature (A)
2:1 BA (Hons) History and Politics (Sheffield)
MA Politics (Manchester)
Skills and Experience: Excellent interpersonal skills, experienced data and qualitative analyst, proficient at internet research, Microsoft Office and Endote, event organisation, office administration and PA duties.
Personal Statement: "I came to Demos through an interest in democratic renewal and reform, and these are themes I find myself returning to within much of my academic and workplace experience. As an individual I have always sought a wide range of experience through my interest in music, literature, travel and through many valued friendships. I am a naturally inquisitive person, excited by ideas and constantly aware of the opportunities of modern life."
Contact: stevenskelton@hotmail.com / 07739 211101
Links of Interest: Steven's Wiki Hive Site
Demos Mentor: Alison Harvie
Demos Referee: Celia Hannon
A Word From Demos: "Steve was one of those interns who becomes immediately indispensable, as I’m sure he does wherever he works. Steve is also always ready to have a good old fashioned political debate with you over the kitchen table." Celia Hannon, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "More high-brow action than a botox clinic on Sunset Boulevard."
Steph Collins
Research Intern, September to November 2006Steph's main role was to provide research support for the Cultural Diplomacy project. She investigated the development of cultural diplomacy in developing countries through desk-based research.
Current Activites: Freelance Researcher
Academic Information:
BSc (Hons) Psycology
MRS Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research
MA International Relations
Skills and Experience: Senior researcher for OMD Media Agency (2001-2004), Senior Strategic Planner for Yahoo! (2004-2005), Intern Co-ordinator for Local Government Alliance for International Development (2006), experienced user of Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook and Lotus Notes
Personal Statement: "Working on the Cultural Diplomacy project was extremely insightful for me as it involved researching across all my areas of interest, which are culture, poverty reduction, religion and politics, and broadcast and new media. I have a background in media and plan on applying my research skills to international development projects in the future"
Contact: Steph_collins123@yahoo.co.uk
Links of Interest: Steph's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Simon Parker
Demos Referee: Celia Hannon
A Word From Demos: "Steph was a calm and conscientious presence (something of a rarity in the Demos offices!). She brought a huge amount of experience to her work, and her international focus meant she was able to make a unique contribution." Celia Hannon, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "The lovely folk at Demos have a fantastically creative way of working and I had a great time there."
Anna Maybank
Research Intern, September to November 2006Anna worked on the Atlas of Ideas project, primarily as co-ordinator of a two-day international conference. This event was held to launch the project reports in January 2007. She was a temporary researcher at Demos from December 2006 to February 2007.
Current Activities: Job Hunting
Academic Information: BA Hons Modern History and Politics (Oxford)
Skills and Experience: Editorship of The Oxford Student, editor and publisher of The Oxford Forum Magazine and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Personal Statement: "I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure what I would like to do in the future but I possess well developed organisational skills and excellent written and oral communication skills."
Contact: anna.maybank@gmail.com
Links of Interest: Anna's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Niamh Gallagher
Demos Referee: James Wilsdon
A Word From Demos: "Anna 'the Lodger' Maybank sofa-surfed her way through her Demos internship - her heroic efforts in the run up to the Atlas of Ideas conference were second to none. She even survived a truly surreal karaoke experience with some of the world's top intellectuals. There's a sofa at 136 Tooley Street with Anna's name on it any time she needs a place to stay!" Kirsten Bound, February 2007
A Word About Demos: "A literal hot-house of ideas and home to an inspirational group of people."
Nicholas Carter
Media and Communications Intern, August to November 2006During his time at Demos, Nicholas developed a media strategy for the Digital Curriculum project, which generated interest from a number of publications. He also assisted with the research for this project. He compiled and edited our newsletter, updating its style and content. Nicholas co-ordinated a number of events, including a Northern Lights seminar and a speech by Ian Bremmer. He also instigated the creation of a new series of podcasts and contributed to the continuing development of our website.
Current Activities: The Hive, Project Lead (Demos)
Academic Information:
A Level - History (A), Classical Civilisation (A), Religious Studies (A)
2:1 BA (Hons) Medieval and Modern History (Birmingham)
Skills and Experience: Work experience placements with The Bucks Free Press (2002) and Penguin's Publicity Department (2006), Columnist and Features Editorial Team The Redbrick (2003-2006), Producer and Presenter Burn FM (2003-2005), experience of Microsoft Office and Access.
Personal Statement: "Having developed strong written and verbal communication skills, I hope to pursue a career in communications, corporate affairs, corporate social responsibility and research. I am particularly interested in how public opinion interacts with government, organisations and corporations. I possess a strong work ethic and a bright and energetic personality.
Contact: nicholas_carter@hotmail.com
Links of Interest: Nick's Blog
Nick's Wiki Hive Space
Demos Mentor: Charlie Tims
Demos Referee: Grahame Broadbelt
A Word From Demos: "“It is a testimony to Nick’s talent and his ability to build effective relationships across Demos that at the end of his internship we struggled to let him go. Since then we have taken him temporarily to support occasional project work and to lead on our ideas for developing our communications with current and ex-interns. He is, quite simply, a huge talent with a bright and successful future ahead of him and I am delighted that he continues to be a part of our Demos community.” Grahame Broadbelt, March 2007
A Word About Demos: "Demos is full of charismatic and interesting people whose friendly and light-hearted attitude belie how hard they work and how committed they are."