Frankie Rhodes - University of Birmingham

My name is Frankie, and I work as a Volunteer Officer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Meet Frankie from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

My Journey to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

In my current role, I work as the Volunteer Officer for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. I help to recruit new volunteers—we have nearly 100—and I support them at our three public Shakespeare family homes, making sure that they're happy in their role.

After my first few weeks in Birmingham, I wanted to start volunteering. So, I started off with Birmingham Museums Trust as an Activity Volunteer. After a while, I also began volunteering at the Library of Birmingham.

Shortly before I graduated from my Masters, I had my first part-time role as an archive assistant. That was really helpful because it aligned well with my degree. I was looking at archives while also writing my dissertation. From that, I realised I wanted to work more closely with people. My first full-time job was as a volunteer coordinator for a small museum, where I recruited volunteers.

My Birmingham Experience

I found it really exciting coming to Birmingham. I remember even my first weekend—I came out of the train station, turned right, and saw what looked like a museum (and it was!). I explored it and then found the Rep Theatre and many other places to explore. Soon after, I visited Stratford as well. There was just so much available, all within close proximity and easy to get to from the campus.

I think if you're interested in Shakespeare, this is really the place to be. People from all over the world come to the Shakespeare Institute. It's one of the only dedicated postgraduate institutions for Shakespeare. You get the best of both worlds, the heritage institutions in Stratford and job opportunities in Birmingham. I've chosen to still live in Birmingham, so I get to enjoy both.

Birmingham's Impact

Some of the best things about my course were the variety and progression. In my first year, I had optional modules—I took creative writing and another in global politics. As I progressed, I became more specialised, focusing on Shakespeare and specifically Shakespeare heritage. It was a real journey from broad to specific.

The facilities were excellent. I used the research reserve in the Main Library to check out older books for my degree, and the same at the Shakespeare Institute Library. The academic support was great—weekly office hours allowed me to speak to tutors about my essays. From a career perspective, the Careers Network was also very supportive.

Advice for Students

I would absolutely recommend studying English at the University of Birmingham, especially if you love to read like I do. The University is well-recognised when you're applying for jobs. If you also get involved in societies alongside your course, you'll build up really useful skills that help you stand out.