The New Brunswick Arts Board is an arm’s length arts funding agency with a legislated mandate to facilitate and promote the creation of art as well as administering funding programs for professional artists in the province.
by Benjamin Broucke, Content Manager
On this day, one year ago, I was wondering if moving to Canada would be a good idea. I was born in and spent most of my life in France. Moving to this side of the Atlantic had always been my wildest dream, but when my visa got approved by immigration approval, I suddenly had some reservations. What if New Brunswick was not as great as I thought? What if I could not find work? What if…what if…what if…
Six months after settling down in Fredericton, I’ve realized that choosing this beautiful province was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Of course, the beginning has been anything but easy, and I ended up browsing airline websites several times, looking for the next flight to Europe. However, in the end, I survived. I can watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets from my apartment, I can eat real bacon (and not the “smoked ham” they dare to offer in France)…and above all, for the first time in years, I am feeling in my element.
My arrival at artsnb as Content Manager was a wonderful Christmas present, as well as a great surprise for the New Year! Although I grew up in an old industrial area, I have always been attracted to art and culture. While children my age played with marbles or soccer balls, I had my nose in history books and atlases of all kinds. I visited the Louvre several times, lost myself in the aisles of the Vatican Museum, and once traveled hundreds of kilometers just to attend an exhibition. I got interested in music, cinema, theater, photography, and of course writing. Creating became a way to share my vision of the world with others. I never thought I would ever be able to work in the field of arts. And this day came in a very unexpected way: I got the call for the job a few minutes after getting into a car accident during my very first snowstorm. Some days are good, some are bad; this one was just a roller coaster of emotion!
As Content Manager, my mission is varied. I make sure that our application system is as effective as possible, not only for artists, but also for our program officer and jury members. I also do maintenance on our website, check that the files sent online by the artists can be reviewed by the jury, translate documents from English into French, help to update our social media platforms, repair printers… and last but not least, I check that our team has enough chocolate for the day. On a more serious note, every hour spent here is an opportunity to do something different.
On the other hand, working for artsnb allows me to familiarize myself with the culture of New Brunswick. I have new insight into the talents of this province, and I look forward to pursuing the artistic discovery of my new home.
I wish you all an amazing new year, hoping that 2017 will bring you as much joy and success as possible.
