A day in the life at the RSA– Kayshani Gibbon, Citizen’s Economic Council Intern

An insight into life at the RSA

I got my internship after…

finishing a masters in Sustainability and Consultancy at the University of Leeds; a big part of which was economic democracy which fitted well with the internship opportunity at the RSA and my interest in this area.

I’m responsible for…

supporting the Citizen’s Economic Council programme  which acts as a catalyst for sparking a broader public discussion about the goals and priorities of economic policy by promoting deliberation among participating citizens.

I help to organise the series of ‘Roadshow’ events linked to the programme. Many of these events involve travelling all over the UK and so I help with the logistics and admin but also in facilitating the Roadshow’s workshops.

I have also helped run the RSA Citizen’s Economic Council web page and contributed to our online presence through writing blogs and looking after the twitter account. I am currently writing an online collection of materials to help citizens explore what the economy means and to become more confident in talking about the economy.

My typical day…

isn’t ever too ‘typical’ as it changes depending on where the programme take us. I may start at 4.30am if we are travelling to a Roadshow event in Glasgow or Manchester. It’s very varied and I like that no two days are the same.

The best part of my job…

is listening to people tell their stories about their everyday lives and how the economy affects them. I love gaining insights into different perspectives. We’ve had some amazing quotes come out of the workshops, such as one individual referencing Gilmore Girls’ council meetings during a discussion about how to improve their own local meetings. You see the programme filling a gap as people are asked for the first time what they think about certain economic policies. Playing the listener has been very rewarding.

The best thing about that RSA is….

it’s so young and innovative! I really like the mix of people working at the RSA. 

I am Inspired by…

Chimamanda Ngozi. She is an incredible storyteller who brings to life the need for feminism and makes it an inclusive social project. She writes incredible stories, I would recommend her books and Ted Talks !