Interview | Asya

The Ukrainian-born photographer and videographer Asya started her content creation journey in 2020.

Before joining our Music Marketing course, she spent two years working and studying in the Netherlands too and has since acquired huge amounts of experience working in visual media and content creation.

Asya's experiences include live music event photography across Europe, cover art for numerous releases and filming live sessions and gigs.

She was also shortlisted  for the IKEA & Annie Leibovitz Mentorship Program. Now she's joined ICMP, Asya has collaborated with various creatives within our community. We find out more about her experiences in our interview below...

How did you start off in photography, videography and content creation?

I started doing photography four years ago. My first camera was my mum's present for my school graduation when I was 17. Along with film photography, it was more of a hobby until 2023, when I let myself believe it could finally become a proper job. This is when I switched to concert and live event photography.

Between 2020 and 2022 I worked as a Social Media Manager for a couple of projects, and in 2022 I started to focus on videography and directing, so visual content creation has been with me for years and years.

How have you found your time living in London? And how has it been compared to the Netherlands?

London feels very welcoming, despite its size, I feel very emotionally safe and sound here. Settling down so unpredictably in 2022 was a nightmare, but other than that, two and a half years later, I can tell that I've found my third home here.

Netherlands is an amazing country, but I was unlucky to move there during the pandemic, so my experience was absolutely ruined. I was only 17 when I moved, so it was a double pressure. Right now, I return there once in a few months with lots of warm feelings, both for work and to see my friends, but London currently remains the main place to be.

Could you talk a little about the degree? What have been the most important things you've learned?

The most important thing is to learn how to apply the knowledge they give you to your specific area of interest. The second important rule: always be open to a new experience.

While you are at uni, value the results and connections it can bring to you potentially in the future, rather than the money it can bring you at this specific moment.

As a student, don't be afraid of changes! There is nothing worse than looking behind and thinking of your university years as wasted. It's the journey that's valuable, not the final goal."

How have you found collaborating with other members of the ICMP community? 

What I absolutely love is that for the past year, I was able to speak to more than 20 emerging artists, and it helps me understand the real face of the music industry from their perspective. I would never have had such an experience if I only worked for festivals or music magazines. I think even the day I'll be working for top world artists, I'll still leave a bit of time and space to work with emerging artists to stay grounded.

I can highlight Emanuela as she was the first one to trust me to do both photos and music videos for her and brought me so many new connections. The Masters of Love band were the first ones to invite me on a tour with them.

How are you hoping the course will prepare you for a career in the creative industries?

So far it has been a great space for networking, which is a key element in the industry, so it's definitely the number one reason to join the uni. I've already met a couple of lovely and very open-minded teachers who are willing to share their experiences outside of class.

To be honest, after four years of struggling to have a proper student experience, I genuinely hope for some simple things like... enjoying my studies without pressure. I think it's the only way to actually learn something.

Just let people teach you everything they know without overthinking it. It's a very important part of having an emotionally stable career further, no matter what you do."

You've done plenty of live event photography - do you have any favourite London venues to work at?

Despite having not shot at huge venues in London so far, I am in love with the Royal Albert Hall and Roundhouse. They are both middle-size, but the design inside is fantastic. Out of small venues, I loved working at Dingwalls in Camden, as I've worked there a few times and got to know the very lovely staff.

What would you advise anyone looking to study the marketing degree?

This advice will be applicable to anyone working in the creative industry: networking, networking, and once again networking. It's the key element to getting a job, self-promotion, or just in general a cool experience. Don't be shy about asking people around and try to be ready to join ANY opportunity, especially in the beginning, as you never know where it will get you.

If we talk specifically about a marketing degree, I would suggest giving yourself some time to understand whether are you actually ready for the industry and any difficulties it might bring to you. At the same time, do not overthink too much in the first year or two, because you need some time to get out of a classroom and start applying your knowledge to the real world.

It might consume lots of your social energy at some point, as it's just part of a job, so make sure to give yourself some space to think what are your necessities, without looking around.

What is next for you?

I never spoil the projects until they are released, but as I said, I'm starting to switch to bigger venues and working with bigger artists, so I'm definitely putting on my goal list Wembley and O2 photography for 2025

I'm also working on a few short documentaries about musicians, so I hope the world will see them in the next few months. But probably the best projects are waiting for me without me knowing yet, as so far the most exciting experiences have been unexpected. That is absolutely what I love about my job. Just keeping working hard, and it starts coming to you its own way! 

Connect with Asya.

Instagram | Website 

Top photo credit | Evgeny Astapov