Florian Wichert

Study programme: Information Management and Corporate Communications (BA) (opens in a new window)

Employer: Prometheus Fire Show

Position: fire artist

Contact: Instagram-profile (opens in a new window)


Straightforward or via detours: How did your school career go and what were your interests when you were younger?
After primary school, I first attended a secondary school and then caught up on my intermediate school leaving certificate and my A-levels. I always played a lot, whether with wooden toys, magic cubes, yo-yos or video games.


What tips can you give young people who are looking for the right degree programme?
Go travelling after your A-levels! It doesn't necessarily have to be abroad, but don't try to decorate your CV with activities to justify travelling. Don't spend your time abroad as an au pair, intern or similar in order to obtain a document. Just go wherever the wind takes you without a final destination to find yourself as a person.


Challenging or child's play: What was your internship semester like and what tasks did you take on?
My internship semester was at the comic and manga publisher Cross Cult. It was a wonderful time. I hardly had any money for rent and food, but I met lots of interesting people and travelled to trade fairs all over Germany. The work was mostly creative with activities in design and writing. In general, the working atmosphere was very relaxed and informal.


What experiences during your studies have had a particular impact on you?
Definitely the projects. I was definitely able to gain a lot of knowledge through the many projects in the different areas, which can be directly transferred to the working world. Especially in terms of group dynamics and problem management.


What is your advice to all graduates who are looking for their first job?
If you don't find a job straight away, it's not the end of the world. Be patient and don't take a job that you don't really want - the main thing is that you have something. It's better to wait a few more months until you find a job that suits you.


What was your first job like and how did you hear about it?
At first I worked as a game designer. The job itself was exciting, but unfortunately I was cheated about the working hours, which is why I left the company after 6 months. I became aware of the job through online research.


Please describe your day-to-day work. Which projects do you work on and which tasks do you particularly enjoy?
Together with my show partner, we work on various concepts in the areas of stage design, choreography and now also programming props/tools. We communicate with collaboration partners in event management and travel through Europe and Asia to expand our skills and knowledge in the fields of flow art, fire art and performance art. We hold workshops during the week and at weekends we perform shows at festivals, weddings, birthdays, corporate parties and medieval markets. In addition to my work as a fire artist, I also work as an IT project manager, but on a 20-hour basis.


What professional goals are you pursuing for your future?
We are constantly expanding our shows in order to take them to an ever higher level. The journey is the goal. Outside of the shows, however, my personal goal is to one day open a Flowarts school where I can offer people a space in which they can unfold completely free physically and mentally in order to find themselves.


How would you complete the following sentence?
HNU...  ‘has as many rough edges as it has heart and soul.’