The snapshot – Alison Brown

What’s the first thing you do when you get to work?

Social media never sleeps, so the first thing I do every morning is check our various platforms to see what people have been saying and who’s following us so we can respond to them.

What can you see from your desk?

I actually have one of the best views in our office because I sit facing a full length window which looks out across the river Tyne – I even get to spot the odd boat or kayak going past!

Do your days feel varied?

No two days are the same. I can be working on an advertising campaign in a morning and overseeing filming in the building in the afternoon. We also have an ever-changing programme of exhibitions so there’s always something new to work with.

Do you get to leave the office?

I’m lucky that we have a relatively small team so I get to go out and be a representative at various events. I’ve even recently been out to our local freshers fairs to test students’ art skills by getting them to play Pictionary!

Where do you eat lunch?

On a nice (warm) day I’ll sit out on BALTIC Square at the front of the building, or if I’m treating myself I get lunch in BALTIC Kitchen.

What’s the hardest thing you have to do?

I love my job but some of my work depends on other people providing content or feeding back on drafts and sometimes you have to chase them. It always makes me feel a little bossy.

Can you remember a time at work that made you smile?

I think my favourite memory was working with a photographer to get some promotional images. We were talking to lots of members of the public while we got pictures around the building and it was really rewarding to hear how much they loved BALTIC. It made all the hard work feel worth it.

What’s the last thing you do before you leave?

I keep a daily to-do list to keep track of my workload so I always have a look at that before I leave and make sure it’s up to date. It’s a great feeling to strike a few things off and know I’ve had a productive day!

Alison Brown is Communications Assistant at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.
www.balticmill.com