Nikita's future at Goldsmiths
Hallo you! Thanks for dedicating some time to read my fundraising story.
I am Nikita, I come from Padola (a remote town in the north east of Italy very close to Austria) where performance art is not considered a job! Just kidding. Nearly!
I am a dancer. I try not to do splits though. I am a movement connoisseur in its most contemporary meaning. I guess I might say the same for the wine tasting!
I have always moved, exactly! I was that coordinated kid that picks up steps and rhythm very easily. Hooray! But not enough to be an artist, said people.
With this feeling the decision to move away from the countryside came natural. After few years traveling between Europe's capitals following my vocation for the art making, I decided that London was my base. The city ongoing activity of mixed art and cultures creates the perfect environment for the artist to evolve and be inspired. Unfortunately I can't say the same work wise.
After three long years living frugally (without any satisfactory emotional or financial return) I needed a turning point in my life. So I have applied to Goldsmiths, one of the most respected universities for art studies in London. Crazy I know!
I would have never expected to be chosen amongst thousands of applicants but here I am holding a full-time offer in my hand. Yes me! Still incredulous I am feeling like a baby watching a strawberry, if it wasn't for the huge amount of expenses I have as European student in London.
Furthermore, due to this unfortunate situation caused by the pandemic I am facing a challenging moment work wise, which compromised my ability to save money for my education.
I have decided to give it a try!
Putting some hard work on applications, I have successfully obtained a fee waiver scholarship worth £1000 from the institution and the WHOLE master fees are sorted thanks to the UK Government Student Loan.
Still the bounty is high on my head and there is no way can take this course to the end without your generosity.
NUMBERS.
The total for a year of study in London is £21.852
£8640 course fee
£13.212 for a year round maintenance costs (rent, food, bills, books, telephone, research trips)
Through scholarship and loan I have reduced the costs a lot and now I am fundraising to cover the £8630 financial gap.
If you want to know more...
Art and crafts have always been part of my family heritage, photography, carpentry, chiselling, architecture, dance therapy, sculpture. How could they think I would become an office addict?
I have graduated at the National Dance Academy in Rome in 2017 and soon I have started to perform for independent artists like Dorotea Saykaly in Within the Gaps The Birds Sang in Florence. João Cidade, While the Other Goes Wild in Spain. Dallas Wexler, L'Enfant for which I collaborated as a choreographer in London.
Thanks to them I have started to develop a personal language with the interest in the performative arts as a combination of body and visual practices that serves the purpose of a political statement.
This is an example of my latest research https://www.nikitademartin.com/portfolio/project-four-8kz3k
Since I have moved to London I have realised how competitive this city can be especially in the art field. I have spent months, years, applying for jobs and volunteering positions in any kind of direction, north, south, east, west, but there was no place for me. The managers were asking for references that I was not always able to provide because I have never had the chance to work in that field, not even for free!! I didn't have a specialisation so I wasn't useful. Any performing job I have done was for free and without contract where the money loss was a certainty. No insurance, no proof I have worked as a dancer.
I have started to pick up any side job for a living, waitress, babysitter, hostess, swimming instructor, dance teacher, light years away from the creative industry. This frugal way of living has left me with no purpose in life, destroying my beliefs in art and crafts for good.
Until my offer arrived and changed the perspective of my artistic future..
The biggest barrier in this moment is the cost. I have savings for a month, I can't take money from my bank. My family is supporting me with all the love and care but the working class finances in Italy are on the edge of the cliff so they pitch in whenever they can. The course starts in two days and I have 8 weeks to decide wether I can afford to continue or not. That's where your support becomes essential to make the difference. Each penny would be a huge step closer to my graduation at Goldsmiths.
Why Performance Making?
To discuss, destroy, critique, shape thoughts, space and movement is what I am draw to, but not alone. For the production of a valuable live art work it takes more than one brain to come to life and beside the love for movement, I recognise that my language is extremely influenced by visual arts, painting and architecture mostly. Finally this program will give me the opportunity to build a strong network of likeminded colleagues, articulate a critical and analytical theory to my practice and be able to discuss my research, acquire management skills related to the production.
I like to stress the importance of collaboration because the production of performance involves thinkers, visual artists, lighting designer, sound designers, producers, playwrights, and many more figures to come to life. This specific course's purpose is to learn through practice. From the first idea to the staged production, the student is in charge of the outcome. Allowing extra-departmental relationships the teachers encourage their students to find their ideal collaborative cohort. This means they push us to experiment with our own tools together with students from different backgrounds. Isn't this unbelievably awesome already?
Geographically speaking, London's artistic offer spread from ancient cultures references to the most contemporary exhibitions, all styles coexist in the same melting pot and IT IS the birthplace of trends. There is space for everyone!
Therefore I believe I must take advantage of this single chance I have been given to study in the university that hosted Steve McQueen, Damien Hirst, Lucien Freud or Sarah Lucas just to cite few. The interdisciplinary structure of Goldsmiths will nurture my curiosity and challenge my skills to prove I can become a theatre professional.
Why supporting her?
I am fighting for making the performative arts less exclusive and I don't want the money to be a barrier in my education nor in someone else's. I trust that movement art is a form of entertainment as well as disease prevention and by pursuing this career I will be able to help people not only artistically but on a psycho-physical level too.
ANYTHING you can afford will be invaluable. Otherwise if you can't contribute but are happy to help, feel free to share this cause on socials!
Rehearsing l'Enfant @V&A Museum in London.