We're Hiring! Lead Artists

Acts of Solidarity is a new project bringing together artists and local grassroots communities from refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant backgrounds, to challenge exclusion and inequality in the arts. The project was developed in dialogue with artists, organisers and community members who have testified to the challenging and exploitative conditions they face in the sector as people with lived experience of displacement.

As a result, the Lead Artist roles are being offered as employment contracts, rather than as freelance opportunities. This entitles the artists to a salary, holiday leave and sick pay. The roles are offered on a part-time basis assumed at a constant rate of employment at two days per week however we are open to discussing some flexibility within this suggested pattern to accommodate other commitments. Flexibility will be required in this role as occasional evening and weekend working will be necessary. Time off in lieu (TOIL) is available where hours delivered exceed those which the role holder is contracted to deliver.

As one of three Lead Artists, you will work closely with the Project Producer as well as the other project artists and community partners to co-develop a socially-engaged art commission. The commission will be shaped by the artist’s creative practice and the creative interests of the community participants. As a Lead Artist, you will facilitate creative workshops and produce outcomes to be shared with a wider public. You will be provided with time, space and resources to work collectively and engage in peer development and training. You will also be involved in practice sharing and learning exchanges with a wider network of practitioners. The Lead Artists will be expected to support evaluation by contributing to critical reflection on the project’s aims and objectives.

The roles require artists with an interest in working with community groups in informal contexts (such as libraries, educational and community spaces). We are interested in hearing from artists working across different art forms, including visual arts, dance, performance, sound and music, writing, poetry, photography, film and video and storytelling.