GROW FUTURE SKILLS FOR INTO THE LIGHT: ARTIST CALL OUT
APPLICATION PACK
Thank you for your interest in this role.
In this pack you will find:
– Information about the Grow Future Skills/Into the Light project and about The Forge.
– Background to the Role
– The Artist Brief
– Person Specification
– Budget and Fees Information
– Recruitment Process and Timetable
If you find you have a question which isn’t answered in this pack, please feel free to email enquiries@intheforge.com
BACKGROUND
The Grow Future Skills programme will explore the impacts of developing visual, digital and multiliteracy creative projects in educational settings.
Grow Future Skills is part of Durham County Council’s broader Into the Light programme which you can learn more about here.
The content of the programme will focus on integrating new literacies practices into schools (such as photography, animation, digital arts, filmmaking, soundscapes, audio plays, AI & AR). It will examine how such approaches can draw on children’s ‘hidden literacies’ to support and extend learning, develop pupils’ creative autonomies and equip them with digital proficiencies.
The programme will be shaped by a Community of Enquiry (involving teachers, artists, the GFS Project Co-ordinator and The Forge Creative Producer) to explore how new literacies skills, knowledge and understanding can be embedded in classrooms to support the growth of our future digital workforce.
Action research during the 24/25 academic year will bring practitioners (artists and educationalists from a cohort of six primary schools) and Forge staff together to form a community of enquirers to explore:
– How photography, multiliteracy and digital literacy skills can help children to reach their learning goals
– How multiliteracy and new literacies theories and approaches can help create a more accessible, creative and futures-focused curriculum
– How artists can help staff and children to develop digital creative skills and a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of AI
This is an opportunity for dedicated participatory lens-based or digital artists/creative practitioners to be part of a vital emerging area of creative research and practice.
THE BRIEF
We are looking for three artists/creative practitioners to work with us on this project. Each artist/creative practitioner will be embedded in two of our partner schools in County Durham during the current 24/25 academic year. Additionally, each artist/creative practitioner will work on a collaborative CPD programme with the other members of the Community of Enquiry.
The artist/creative practitioner role is broken down into three deliverables:
Launch Event
The Community of Enquiry will come together for a full day launch event on the 29th November 2024 in County Durham (exact times and location TBC but likely to be 10am – 4pm). This event will be facilitated by the GFS Project Co-ordinator.
CPD Programme
The Community of Enquiry will meet for six half day CPD events during the spring and summer terms. The dates for these events will be agreed by the Community of Enquiry and managed by the GFS Project Co-ordinator. These CPD events will be facilitated by the GFS Project Co-ordinator.
Primary School Placements
Each artist/creative practitioner will be embedded in two primary schools in County Durham for 15 half day sessions per school, working collaboratively with their educator counterparts. Each half day session is inclusive of two hours of classroom delivery and one hour of planning to be used however the team wish. This school activity will start in January 2025 during the spring term and must be completed by the end of the 24/25 academic year.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
This role will suit artists/creative practitioners who meet the below criteria:
Assessment: CV / A = Application Form / P = Portfolio / I = Interview
Essential Criteria
Experience of delivering classroom based digital creative activity and projects (CV, A, P, I)
Experience of working collaboratively with educators to interpret curriculum and co-design classroom based creative activity (CV, A, P, I)
Experience of delivering appropriate creative learning activities for children and young people (CV, P, I)
Experience of communicating complex information and processes to different audiences (CV, P, I)
Demonstrable experience and knowledge of lens-based/digital creative tools (CV, P, I)
A high level of digital proficiency and creative problem-solving skills (CV, A, P, I)
Experience of making your creative practice accessible for teachers, children and young people (CV, A, P, I)
The ability to think on your feet and feel comfortable adapting activities to suit the environment (CV, A, P, I)
An interest in working with teachers, children and young people (CV, P, I)
A lens-based or digital creative practice (CV, P, I)
Based in the North East with access to a vehicle (A)
An enhanced DBS/membership on the DBS update service or a willingness to apply for an enhanced DBS through The Forge (A)
Public & Products Liability and Professional Indemnity (PPL and PI) insurance (A)
Desirable Criteria
Experience of educator CPD or upskilling in lens based or digital creative skills (CV, A, P, I)
Knowledge of new literacies research and practice (I)
BUDGET AND FEES
Each artist/creative practitioner (three in total) will get a total fee of £5,650 to deliver the project, breakdown as follows:
1 full day launch event £250
6 half day CPD delivery £900
15 half days school A £2,250
15 half days school B £2,250
All fees are inclusive of travel, expenses and, if applicable, VAT.
TIMETABLE
Application window opens: 9am 4th October 2024
Application deadline: 11.59pm 21st October 2024
Shortlisting: 22nd – 24th October 2024
Notification of outcome/invitation to interview via email: 25th October 2024
Interviews at The Forge office in Stanley: 4th & 5th November 2024
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be registered as self-employed and have the right to work in the UK.
HOW TO APPLY
Please complete the online application form using this link
There is an option to complete a written or video/audio application alongside the submission of supporting documents.
ABOUT THE FORGE
The Forge is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation specialising in participatory work with young people. As the North East’s leading arts-in-education agency, we work across the region developing arts-based, multi-agency projects to improve the life chances of children and young people. We have over 23 years experience of co-creating programmes with North East school partners and delivered the Arts Council’s Artsmark training programme for Culture Bridge North East until 2023.