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Tag: 2022

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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
Musings News

What’s Your Thing?

By Mia Osborne

Image credit: Kellie Tulloch

What’s your thing?

Painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, poets and a barrage of other creative practices. These are the kind of people I am surrounded by daily working in the creative industries. I work in event production so I have never considered myself a ‘creative’ or at least not in the traditional sense. This idea of not being ‘creative’ has been something that for the last year or so has followed me around and has been reinforced by this same question that keeps cropping up.

Often upon meeting new people in a creative setting, I am innocently plagued with the question;

“So, what’s your thing?”

I seem to tiptoe around the answer, often changing it up depending on the company. They range from “I work in event production” to “sometimes I do a bit of Burns but only ever in
January or when my mum forces me to at family gatherings.” But mostly my response is “I don’t really have a thing.”

This was the response I gave to artist Robbie Coleman when he asked me that question during a dreich derig of DLux Festival in early February. Robbie wouldn’t take this as an answer and I began to tell him that I enjoyed making things with wood, reading poems, cooking, writing, sewing and painting amongst other things. However, I don’t do these things well or often enough to consider them “my thing”. After this conversation, Robbie gave me an answer to that question that I had never considered an option. “That’s easy” he said;

“…Your thing is everything!”

I have spent a large portion of my professional life feeling like an impostor in the creative industries for not honing in on a singular practice but the thing is, we don’t need one practice. All the little things that we do in life that bring us joy are our things. We all have creativity inside us, whether that’s rinsing your favourite song on Spotify or sticking ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ stickers to our bedroom walls. Humans are constantly learning and adapting.
It would be naive to think that we are restricted to one particular job, activity or hobby to define us.

Next time you have got yourself in a tizzy because you don’t know what a G chord is (or if it even exists?) or because you colour outside the lines more than your 4 year old nephew, think about all the little things you do that make your heart sing. That’s what makes you creative. That’s your thing.

Categories
News Project Updates

Sanquhar in Focus

Image credit – Baillie Reid, Sanquhar Camera Club

Young people have been exploring Sanquhar life through a lens and documenting what it is like to grow up in the town. Part of the What We Do Now (WWDN) project, Sanquhar in Focus is the first exhibition of Sanquhar Camera Club (SCC ). It opens on and runs to Friday 8 April to Friday 6 May 2022. 

The five talented young photographers and filmmakers who formed the SCC are Elliot Brydon Brown, Tarian Hunter, Baillie Reid, Hannah Smith and Hollie Walker. They are supported by WWDN artists, Colin Tennant and Saskia Coulson, who have delivered talks and presentations in Sanqhuar Academy including a six-week photo workshop programme.

Image credit – Sanquhar Camera Club

On the creation of the club Saskia Coulson said: “often as artists, we are invited to join an existing group or community to collaborate or share a certain skill set with. For What We Do Now in Sanquhar, a community of young people interested in creative practice didn’t exist from the get-go and there were months of working with A’ the Airts, the local community and secondary school to establish the collective.” 

“I wish this group had been running for years because I love it.”

SCC Student Hollie Walker

SCC students have emersed themselves in learning about the creative industries and developing a wide range of photographic and filmmaking skills. Many of these skills were brand new to the group. 

“I didn’t even know I liked photography and filmmaking, but I really enjoy it now and want to become a professional photographer.”

SCC Student Baillie Reid

The Sanquhar in Focus exhibition of new work by the Sanquhar Camera Club opens on Friday 8  April from 4 to 6pm at A’ the Airts (8-12 High Street, Sanquhar, DG4 6BL). It runs until Friday 6 May during regular opening times. 

Image credit – Sanquhar Camera Club

Sanquhar Spring Half Term Activities 

A’ the Airts is hosting a programme of creative events and workshops for young people during the April half-term holiday.  to learn about other areas of the creative industries including graphic design, screen printing, sculpture and many more. 

The events and workshops, open for all young people between 13-18, have been organised by What We Do Now (WWDN) artists, Colin Tennant and Saskia Coulson and emerging Sanquhar artist, Jack Stancliffe. 

Colin said “we’ve invited several very talented creatives who are all from Dumfries and Galloway and in their 20s and 30s to lead the workshops. We’ve done this because we want the young people of Sanquhar to meet and learn from young adults who come from a similar area and background and are working professionally in different disciplines across the creative industries. Essentially, it’s about connecting them with inspirational people to help them understand that anything can be possible through creativity.”

Find out more

Screen Printing and Sanquhar Stamp Design, Thursday 7 & Friday 8 April, 11.30am to 4pm

Post Office Sculpture Building, Saturday 9 April, 12noon – onwards.

Fashion & Design – The Sanquhar Pattern with Kirsty Geddes, Monday 11 April, 1 to 4pm

Publications & Magazines – DIY (Do It Yourself) ZINES with Callai Watson, Tuesday 12 April, 1 to 4pm

Music Videos – Creating Music Videos and Band Photos with Ruari Barber-Fleming, Wednesday 13 April, 1 to 4pm

Categories
Musings News Project Updates

Atlas Pandemica: A Week in Pictures

Wednesday, 23rd March 2022 marked two years since the first covid19 lockdown in the UK, a moment to reflect on the journey we have all made over the past two years, and the changes that have impacted all of our lives.

To mark this moment, The Stove hosted a series of events over the course of the week Charting Two Years of the Atlas Pandemica project. Atlas Pandemica took place from Summer 2020 to early 2021, and saw ten artists projects working with communities across Dumfries and Galloway and the direct impacts on them as a result of the pandemic.

The project culminated in the publication of a new Atlas, a series of Maps to a Kinder World, with each project contributing a map to help guide us in the next steps we all take. Atlas Pandemica also includes additional documents sharing future ambitions and research developed through the project, all of which can be found on our Atlas Pandemica webpage.

Our Charting Two Years events included:

  • The Cafe at the End of the World, hosted by Robbie Coleman, Jo Hodges and guest Joe Woods as part of the Distance: Proximity: Loss project.
  • Conversations were hosted around care and the work of unpaid carers hosted by Annie Wild and Emma Jayne Park.
  • A memorable guided walk around the Spring Fair was supported by TS Beall including a shot on the waltzers!
  • An official oak tree planting and writer’s readings afternoon at Dumfries Museum, featuring JoAnne McKay and Karen Campbell, with one of Karen’s stories inspiring the planting of an oak tree.
  • The Atlases have also been installed in the form of a temporary exhibition in the Dumfries & Galloway Council HQ building on English Street, and The Stove Cafe.

Alongside this, a limited number of print edition Atlas Pandemica’s are being gifted to influential and inspiring people up and down the country. We hope that the impact of the Atlas Pandemica project will continue to live on long after the conclusion of the individual activities.

Ceremonial Oak Tree Planting at Dumfries Museum hosted by Dumfries and Galloway Council
Artist's event led by Jo Hodges and Robbie Coleman as part of Atlas Pandemica: Charting Two Years
Ceremonial Oak Tree Planting at Dumfries Museum hosted by Dumfries and Galloway Council
Atlas Pandemica: Maps to a Kinder World, physical publication
Artist's event led by TS Beall as part of Atlas Pandemica: Charting Two Years
Artist's event led by TS Beall as part of Atlas Pandemica: Charting Two Years
Maps featured in Atlas Pandemica
Artist's event led by Mark Zygadlo as part of Atlas Pandemica: Charting Two Years
Exhibition of maps presented in Dumfries and Galloway Council HQ as part of Atlas Pandemica: Charting Two Years
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
Categories
News Opportunities

Emerging Producer

Deadline for Applications extended to: Sunday 1st May, midnight

Emerging Producer

Part-Time: 2.5 days per week (17.5 hours)

Fixed Term 12 months

Salary: £20,000 pro-rata (equates to £10,000)

Holiday entitlement: 17 Days

Start Date: May 2022

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your skills in the creative sector?

Know how to connect with and inspire people under 30?

Are you looking to work with a community focussed team to deliver innovative projects and activities?

Then you’re in the right place…

We’re on the hunt for an Emerging Producer to join our team, primarily to support the work of the Creative Spaces (CS) project.

This is an exciting role that will work to support the Creative Spaces Associate Artists on the design and facilitation of a programme of creative activities to engage and inspire people under 30 in Dumfries & Galloway.

As part of our dynamic and award-winning team, the successful candidate will work alongside us in shaping the over-all development of our community venue programme as well as support our vision to be an innovative organisation dedicated to a community-led future for Dumfries & Galloway.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Act as the first point of contact for all enquires relating to the CS Project
  • Identify engagement opportunities for the target demographic of the CS project within Dumfries & Galloway
  • Assist with the Design and facilitation of the CS Programme of events
  • Work with the CS team to design and implement a marketing and communications strategy for the CS project 2022 (with the support of the Head of Communications and Engagement)
  • Lead the planning and delivery of messaging on the Creative Spaces social media channels (with support from the Creative Spaces Associates and Stove Marketing team)
  • Research potential partners, external organisations, groups, and community initiatives that may be of interest to the CS team
  • Support the Creative Spaces Associates with identifying networking opportunities
  • Monitor and evaluate the CS programme of activity, including event details, participation/audience numbers, demographics, etc
  • Participate in creative and programming sessions with The Stove Team to develop the community venue programme
  • Lead the commissioning of a series of 6 short films spotlighting young creatives in Dumfries & Galloway

Desired Experience:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Good IT skills
  • Some experience in events and production
  • Some experience working in youth-orientated projects
  • Interest and/or experience in community development and the creative industries
  • Knowledge of the local area and existing network of connections
  • Ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, communities, and external partners

Person specification:

  • Adaptable
  • Engaging
  • Creative

How to Apply

Deadline for Applications extended to: 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.

Please send by email to [email protected] (max file size of 5MB) with heading Emerging Producer.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL JOB PACK HERE
DOWNLOAD THE CLEAR TEXT VERSION
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