Studio Day 16 - Studio 24

Crafting, celebrating, and a little bit of crying at our quarterly team catch up

The Studio 24 team stand by a table covered in crafting materials

We spent Studio Day 16 crafting, eating and chatting – which is the best combination of activities for a team get-together.

We celebrated the arrival of James, our new project manager, who started this week. And we said a tearful goodbye to Fran who leaves us at the end of July.

On the last Studio Day we ventured out to Ely, but this time we took over the courtroom at the Guildhall. We started our day, as is now traditional, with coffee and delicious Fitzbillies pastries. And then it was time to get creative!

Task 1: making a masterpiece

In three teams, we were given a masterpiece to recreate using card and tissue paper. I think we shocked ourselves with how much we enjoyed doing this. When you work in digital it’s not often that you have a chance to put the screens away and enjoy a creative activity together.

We were delighted with the results and like excited children who want to stick their artwork on the fridge, we thought (briefly!) about putting them on the wall in the office.

The Van Gogh group

tissue paper and pens on the table as the team look at a picture of Van Gogh's starry night

Four people are sticking squares of tissue paper down

The Picasso group

On the floor, two men are piecing together a collage. Another is cutting a shape from green card

Simon holds up the finished collage, Julie holds the Picassco picture next to it for reference. It's a good match

The Munch group

On the floor, three men add the finishing touches to a collage of Munch's scream

Goodbye to Fran

Fran gave us an excellent parting speech centred around the key things he’s learned during his seven years at Studio 24.

Fran is smiling and holding a large leaving card

Fran came to us from a political science background and wasn’t sure he belonged in a tech career until he joined the studio. The three key learnings Fran wanted to share are:

It’s OK to fail: failure is not a character trait and it doesn’t define you.
Self-compassion: be kind to yourself when things aren’t going well.
Look after your mental health: it’s easy to get caught up in everyday priorities at work, but your wellbeing is what’s most important.

At Studio 24, with support from colleagues, Fran felt he could make mistakes, learn from them, and become a better project manager.

Forza, Fran! And good luck in your new role at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Task 2 – landmarks

Once we had dried our eyes, it was back to crafting. This time, we constructed 3D models of famous landmarks from materials such as lollypop sticks, tin foil and pipe cleaners. I think Isaac’s tin foil statue of liberty is a particular triumph!

The statue of liberty made from tin foil with a pipe cleaner crown

Five men are constructing cones and tubes from coloured card

While previous company days have always had workshops where we learn things for example, what’s new in digital or how to improve our processes, the main learning from Studio Day 16 is that we are a great team and we create beautiful things when we work together. A big thank you goes to Emma for organising an inspirational day.