Genevieve Robertshaw Maidment
Genevieve Robertshaw Maidment is hoping to work in the creative industries after completing a degree in Screenwriting with Film Production BA (Hons).
Genevieve’s long-term plans are not yet fixed, but, in the short term, she is looking to relocate to Bristol, which she says is a creative and media-centric city where she can take opportunities that arise. “Ideally, I’d love to break into the creative industry one day, either as a writer or by working in Location (for film or TV), but at the moment I’m just content to take things a step at a time as I embark upon this new chapter of my life,” she said. “Whilst I now have a lot of re-evaluating and figuring out to do, completing my degree has given me a renewed faith and confidence in myself, and will hopefully help to open doors for me in the future.”
Genevieve achieved First Class Honours in her degree. “I honestly can’t believe that I managed to complete my time here with a First,” she said. “It’s been such a crazy few years, and I’m so proud that I finally succeeded in getting myself to this point after years of thinking I would never even make it to University, let alone achieve a First Class Degree. But I will say that I’ve been so incredibly lucky to have had such caring and supportive lecturers and the most fabulous course-mates, and I just hope I’ve done them proud, because I couldn’t have managed it without them.”
Genevieve, who attended Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, in Whitland, (Whitland school) and Coleg Sir Gar (Carmarthenshire College), in Llanelli, was initially attracted to Worcester due to the content of the course. “But when I arrived on campus for one of the Open Days, I just instantly felt at home, and subsequently couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else,” she added. “This feeling of belonging was further intensified when I then met some of my prospective lecturers; they were so lovely and engaging, and really made me certain that this was somewhere I – a then rather terrified and underconfident 21-year-old - might flourish.”
Having taken up her studies, Genevieve found continuing them when the pandemic hit in March 2020 challenging. She said: “It was such a concerning time for multiple reasons, but with regards to my degree, I felt very supported by my lecturers, and it was absolutely clear that the University was trying ever so hard to make things work for us under very restricting and unpredictable conditions.”
She added: “Despite all of the fear, uncertainty, and concern for ourselves and our loved ones, we continued to do our very best, and found enjoyment where we could – facing the year with a resilience that most of us probably never knew we had. So, for that we should take courage for the future, because no matter what the outcome was, we did it!”
For Genevieve, one of the things that kept her going throughout this time was Loco Show Co. - the musical theatre society at the University. In her final year she was elected as its Director, giving her the chance to write and direct a pantomime, though due to Covid restrictions it was performed online instead.