Paid Opportunity! Youth Arts Leader Assistant

Application Deadline: 4th October, 9am

Interview Date: 7th October

Selection Date: 8th October

Start Date: Week beginning 11th October 2021

End Date: 14th March 2022

Fee: £600 (60 hours@£10p/h)

Availability: You must be available for weekly evening sessions on Mondays between 18th October and 14th Feb, as well as 3 full days over October half-term holidays. These sessions will be in-person, unless COVID restrictions mean sessions must move online. Responsibilities outside of sessions can be arranged flexibly around your own availability, with the possibility to be done remotely if needed.

Overview: The GAP will soon be starting an exciting new project that will form a new, long-term group of local young people aged 15 – 21 that will meet regularly to engage in creative and cultural activities, critically reflect on their needs and interests, develop arts leadership skills, and collaborate to produce artworks, events and exhibitions as part of The GAP’s programme. This group will grow to play a vital role in shaping the future direction of The GAP’s creative and cultural provision for young people in Balsall Heath, wider Birmingham and beyond.

We are looking for a young person aged 18 – 21 years to join us as a Youth Arts Leader Assistant for the first four months of this exciting journey, supporting the smooth running of the project, documenting the process, and contributing towards enhancing youth voice within The GAP’s governance. This role is a fantastic development opportunity to gain skills in arts leadership that can be applied and genuinely make a long-term difference within an arts organisation. As well as participating in project sessions, you’ll gain additional insights into the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of a small arts charity and receive mentoring from members of The GAP team. You will be offered training and progression routes that will enable you to continue your youth-leadership role at The GAP, whilst also providing highly transferable skills that will increase employability elsewhere.

Responsibilities:

  • Attending, participating, and assisting with all workshop sessions
  • Documenting the project through photography, regular social media posts and blogging
  • Shadowing some planning sessions with The GAP team and contributing your ideas and insight from a young person’s perspective
  • Acting as a peer-mentor to the other young people participating in the project
  • Undertaking Board Member training, with a view to joining The GAP’s Board of Trustees post-project (non-paid post)
  • Attending and contributing towards one of The GAP’s Trustee meetings by presenting a report of what’s been happening with the project and sharing this with Trustees

Person Specification: You must:

  • Be aged 18 – 21
  • Live in Birmingham
  • Have a real interest in arts and culture
  • Be excited by The GAP’s work and feel a desire to contribute towards its development
  • Be able to communicate effectively with people of different ages and backgrounds

Ideally you will:

  • Live in Balsall Heath or the surrounding area
  • Care deeply about the needs of young people and the local community, and be curious about how creativity and culture can be used to respond to these needs
  • Have skills in photography, writing and/or social media
  • We especially welcome applications from people not in education, employment or training, and those from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the arts

To apply:

Fill out this application form – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xYLPP-xPjzpiFPJ-dHlUlFwvJhUNTmElV0kNtfRiNUE/viewform?edit_requested=true

If you prefer, you can send an audio or video recording of your responses to these questions via WeTransfer to admin@thegapartsproject.co.uk with the subject ‘Youth Arts Leader Assistant Application’

Any questions you’d like to ask before you apply? Send an email to admin@thegapartsproject.co.uk