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Opportunities Project Updates

Project Assistant

The Unexpected Garden – Stranraer

Summary

We’re seeking an enthusiastic, organised, and sociable Project assistant to join our team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with the Unexpected Garden project and support our Creative Producer to manage the garden and deliver exciting activities in a new community garden in the heart of historic town of Stranraer in the Southwest Scotland.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to get find their way into events, and working with the public.

The Unexpected Garden – Stranraer is part of Dandelion, a national community food growing initiative that is taking place across Scotland. It is part of the UK wide UnBoxed Festival; a celebration of in 2022.

Find out more about Dandelion here.

About the Job

Title: Project Assistant

Location: Stranraer, Harbour Street, DG9 7RD. What3Words code: armrests.farms.lilac

Client: Stranraer Development Trust

Rate: £90 per day (freelance)

We are looking for a commitment of 2 days per week, which could extend to 3 days per week as we approach the Harvest Festival in September 2022. Days and times will be flexible, and some evening and weekend working will be required. We will be flexible to your needs as we hope you will be to ours

Type: Hybrid – working from home and support on site in the Unexpected Garden – Stranraer. 

Start: 4th July – or nearest possible date

Ends: 31st October

About You

The person we are looking for is will be enthusiastic and committed to the project. You will have some experience of working as part of team that produces events and activities for the public, but above all you will be quick to learn and willing to try your hand at just about anything. You’ll be comfortable working outdoors and good with people. You will have good administrative skills and be comfortable communicating with different people.

What You’ll be Doing

You’ll work with our small project team and our volunteers under the direction of our Creative Producer. You’ll help to organise working sessions in the garden for simple garden maintenance through to being a support worker at small musical events and family yoga sessions. You’ll be available to show people and contractors around the Unexpected Garden and support volunteers to set up tents, gazebos and outdoor lighting etc. You’ll know where all the tools and important things needed to run the project and garden are and who to contact in an emergency.

The project is working towards a big public event in mid-September, a ‘Harvest Festival’ – you will be a key team member for the festival, involved in the team that plans and delivers it working with all the people working at the festival from musicians to chefs.  

How to Apply

If you would like to discuss this role further, please get in touch with a letter (or video) of interest that also states why you think you would be suited to this role and we can have a chat

Please send your letter/video of interest to [email protected] by Monday 24th June

It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too. Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you.

We will accept applications from anyone and everyone who feels they have the skills required to fulfil this role.

OPTIONAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FORM
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Opportunities

Garden Consultant

About the Role

We’re on the hunt for a resident gardening expert to join our team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with the Unexpected Garden – Stranraer production team to deliver a new community garden in the heart of historic town of Stranraer in the Southwest Scotland.

The Unexpected Garden – Stranraer is part of Dandelion, a national community food growing initiative that is taking place across Scotland. It is part of the UK wide UnBoxed Festival; a celebration of in 2022.

Find out more about Dandelion here.

Title: The Unexpected Gardener – Garden Consultant

Location: Stranraer, Harbour Street, DG9 7RD. What3Words code: armrests.farms.lilac

Client: Stranraer Development Trust

Hourly Rate: £25 (freelance)

(We are looking for a commitment of approximately 3 hours per week, which will extend to 6 hours per week as we approach the Harvest Festival in September 2022)

Type: Hybrid – working from home and support on site in the Unexpected Garden – Stranraer. 

Start: 4th July – or nearest possible date

Ends: 31st October

About You

Providing specialist support and advice for the team working on the garden, you’ll be knowledgeable about plants and growing (mostly edible plants). The garden is situated on the waterfront of Stranraer’s famous harbour and as a coastal garden is prone to strong winds from all directions so we’re looking for someone who can oversee the planting of the Unexpected Garden with knowledge of coastal gardening.

You will join us with an already established broad and deep knowledge of horticulture, gardens, and plants, gained by proven and extensive experience as a Head Gardener, Garden Manager or Horticultural specialist or from previous work on community gardens.

You will be up to date with the latest trends and developments in sustainability, which will help us achieve our ambitious sustainability policy.

What You’ll be Doing

You’ll work with our team of volunteers to ensure they are equipped to care for the garden to ensure it can be enjoyed by many people. You will be working as part of a team and have a passion for sharing your knowledge and enthusing those who you meet.

You’ll work collaboratively with the production team to plan a schedule of work to be carried out, based on the needs of the garden.

The garden will be a place for members of the community to come and have a go at gardening, we will be looking to attract people who are new to gardening as well as experienced gardeners and so making sure the space is inclusive and accessible is one of our main aims.

How to Apply

If you would like to discuss this role further, please get in touch with a letter or video expressing your interest in the role we can have a chat

Please send your application to [email protected]

It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too. Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you.

We will accept applications from anyone and everyone who feels they have the skills required to fulfil this role.

OPTIONAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FORM
Categories
Opportunities

Join the Cafe & Venue Team

Job Opportunity

We’re looking for an energetic and enthusiastic person, who’s full of beans, to join our busy cafe & venue team. 

The Stove Cafe is a social enterprise, community hub and arts & events venue in the heart of Dumfries High Street.

Serving as the HQ of the Stove Network, the Stove Cafe, serves as the ‘front door’ to our eclectic range of projects and events. From open mics to sign painting, bread clubs and live music, we facilitate and house a range of creative community events made with, for, by and about Doonhamers, old and new.

If you’re a team player who loves communicating with customers and delivering the highest levels of customer service, who wants to get involved in the delivery of our dynamic programme of events and cares about creating an enjoyable atmosphere for customers and staff, this might be for you…

About The Job

Job Title: Cafe & Venue Team Member

Hours: We’re offering a minimum of 15 hours /week over six days; Monday – Saturday including some evenings and weekends.

Pay: Up to £9.50/hr

About You

You’re a strong team player with a can-do, positive attitude with excellent customer service and communication skills, who is also comfortable working independently. With the ability to work under pressure and to prioritise in a fast-paced environment, you’ll be able to multitask, follow instruction and have great attention to detail, all the while putting the customer first.

Responsibilities

  • Establishing welcoming and relaxed atmosphere
  • Taking orders and engaging with customers
  • Coffee making
  • Food preparation
  • Loading/unloading dishwasher
  • Maintaining a high standard of hygiene throughout the cafe, including the bathroom
  • Knowing and understanding the menu
  • Some light physical lifting will be required    
  • Supporting set up and delivery of evening events and activities

Desired Experience (but not essential)

  • Experience in providing high-quality customer service
  • Barista/coffee making experience
  • Experience in food preparation
  • Food and hygiene certificate 

Our Cafe & Venue team are responsible for delivering the best possible experience to our customers, whether serving food and drinks to our customers or supporting the production team during events, we’re looking of the right person who can support our mission to support our community wherever we can.

How to Apply

Please send us a short covering letter explaining why you feel this role is the right one for you and an up-to-date CV to: [email protected]

Closing Date for applications is midnight 31st May 2022.

Categories
Opportunities Project Updates

Dandelion – Volunteer Call Out

The team at Dandelion are looking for passionate, reliable and enthusiastic people (Change Makers), who share the belief that people really do lead change.

If you’re passionate about community, place and planet and want to come together with like-minded people to support a programme anchored in driving positive social change, they’d love to hear from you.

Volunteer opportunities are available at the Unexpected Garden Site in Stranraer and across the other Dandelion project site throughout Scotland.

The deadline for applications is 12pm on 20th May 2022

No experience is necessary, however, there are some qualities they’re looking for:

  • Enthusiastic, reliable and flexible;
  • Friendly personality with good communication skills and initiative;
  • An interest in contemporary culture;
  • Ability to commit to a minimum of 2 x 4hr shifts at the festivals or across other public facing events
  • Be 18 or over

Dandelion Change Makers roles consist of four distinct areas, working alongside one another to support the Festivals and Free For All events.

  • Meet and Greet: these volunteers really are the face of Dandelion, they are the friendly faces from whom audiences gather programme information, highlights and guidance from the minute they enter one of our live events. The Meet and Greet team will be around to answer audience questions throughout their visit to the festival, offering insight into the programme or sign posting people to key areas of the site. Our Meet and Greet volunteers are super knowledgeable and love talking with people and supporting our audiences to have the best experience ever. So, stop by and say hello!
  • Event Support: these are the volunteers who support us to help things go smoothly across our events – you might find them signposting the crowd during a walkabout performance or greeting audiences when they enter the a tent for one of our performances or talks. Event Support volunteers are on hand to help our events run smoothly and efficiently, with audience experience always front and centre.
  • Artist Support: not always visible to the public, our Artist Support volunteers will be behind the scenes supporting the artists to make sure not only that their individual shows go smoothly, but that they get a fantastic welcome to Dandelion and the community in which our events are taking place – they are the people who ensure that our artists go home shouting about how amazing festival and our places really are!
  • Access: these are the volunteers who go the extra mile to make sure that visitors who may have access and or additional support needs get the most out of their visit to our events. They are able to answer all your questions and guide you to the right places at the right time to make sure that you get to experience all our performances, talks and workshops.

How to Apply

The online application form gives you the opportunity to make either a written, audio or video application. Whichever format you choose, you’ll be asked to answer the same questions. No assessment will be made of the writing style or the production quality of audio or video recordings. The application form can be found here.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL APPLICATION PACK HERE

Categories
News Opportunities

Arts & Engagement Officer

Our friends at The Stranraer Development Trust are seeking to appoint an Arts & Engagement Officer to help support the development of a thriving cultural sector and a potential major capital project for the re-development of a derelict heritage building in the town centre of Stranraer.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated person to use their creativity to bring local people into the heart of regeneration initiatives in Stranraer.

Arts & Engagement Officer – Stranraer Development Trust

Salary: £30,000 (pro rata).

Hours: 25 per week.

Duration: The post is funded for an initial 12 months with potential that it will be continued if successful.

Key Responsibilities

  • Developing and delivering a creative programme in partnership with local stakeholders in and around Stranraer town centre.
  • Developing and delivering creative community engagement projects that support and inform potential re-development projects for the town.
  • Supporting the development of a multi-artform network of creative practitioners in Stranraer
  • Setting up and programming a small ‘Project HQ’ (eg small empty shop unit or under used space) for the project that will help facilitate the aims of the project and serve as focus for
    creative vibrancy for the town
  • Working as part of a project team comprising SDT, DGC and TSN and other consultants involved in capital project development
  • Working as part of Stranraer Development Trust team to support the charities wider aims and objectives
  • Providing project monitoring and reports as required
  • Managing project budget

Skills and Experience

We recognise that all types of work experience are valuable and provide useful transferable skills, so please do tell us about your previous work history and the skills you can bring to the role of Arts & Engagement Officer for Stranraer.

It is essential that you have:

  • Commitment to being based within the community of Stranraer for the role
  • Experience of working with artists
  • An ability to build relationships with communities, colleagues, external partners, and stakeholders
  • The ability to manage different priorities and work to tight deadlines
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Competent IT skills
  • An interest in community wealth building

Personal Qualities
We are looking for people who are:

  • Familiar with Stranraer
  • Open and engaging
  • Approachable and empathetic
  • Curious and creative
  • Resourceful and adaptable
  • Team players

Interested, but want to know more?
For all of the details you’ll need and to find out more about the role visit the Stranraer Development Trust website.

How to Apply

Deadline for Applications: Sunday 1st May, midnight

Please provide a CV and covering letter of no more than 500 words, identifying what interests you about this opportunity and why you feel you are suited to the role.

Please send by email to [email protected] (max file size of 5MB) with heading Arts and Engagement Officer

Categories
News Opportunities

Creative Spaces Associates

Three paid Creative Spaces Associate opportunities for young creatives* to work and learn within a dynamic arts and community organisation

Fee: £560 pcm freelance contract (equates to 8 days per month at £70 per day)

Duration: 10 months (8 days per calendar month from May 30th 2022–March 31st 2023)

Start Date: 30th May

Are you creative? Do you want to make a difference through what you do in your work? Do you like creatively solving problems and working as part of a team? If so, keep reading…

We are looking for 3 young people (18-30) who have a passion, and commitment, to building a creative career and working with communities. As a Creative Spaces Associate you will join The Stove team for a period of 10 months (May 30th 2022 – March 31st 2023) and work with us on professional arts projects as well as develop your own creative work through self-reflection, programming and production.

The Creative Spaces Associates are paid, part-time opportunities that run over a year of carefully programmed activity designed to give you active working experience across a range of skills needed for a career in the creative sector. You will work collaboratively as part of our team, who will support you at every stage and in any form of creative work you are interested in, to develop your potential. Previous Associates have benefitted from the extended network and wide range of experience from marketing to event production, workshop facilitation to film making and used their time with us as a step towards successful careers in arts, culture and/or community focused work.

Desired Experience:

  • Good communication skills
  • Relative IT skills
  • Interest and/or experience in the creative industries and community work
  • Interest and/or experience in working with other people
  • Ability to self-manage you own work flow

Person specification:

  • Adaptable
  • Engaging
  • Creative

These opportunities are open to those wishing to develop and grow a creative practice*. You do not need to define yourself as an ‘artist’ or ‘creative’ to apply for this opportunity as long as you are under 30, have an interest in working with people and communities (see About The Stove in Application Pack) and have some form of creative work you wish to develop. It does not require you to have studied and is open to those from all backgrounds and disciplines.

*We define ‘creative practice’ as anything from photography, to drawing, cookery, theatre and activism. Try us!

How to Apply

Deadline for Applications: Sunday 1st May, midnight

Please provide a CV and covering letter of no more than 500 words, identifying what interests you about this opportunity, why you feel you are suited to the role and any aspects you hope this opportunity will help you to develop.

(you can submit this written or in video format with the maximum video length being 5 mins).

Please send by email to [email protected] (max file size of 5MB) with heading Creative Spaces Associate

DOWNLOAD THE FULL JOB PACK HERE
DOWNLOAD THE CLEAR TEXT VERSION
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