We’re excited to announce that ARC is one of 50 arts organisations to be funded to host a Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Fellow as part of a programme to get more people from working class and low socio-economic backgrounds into cultural careers. Across the UK there will be 50 exciting opportunities to develop a career in the arts, with each role playing an important part in the host organisation. [Hostname] is welcoming applications for the role of [job title], which will involve [brief description].
ARC is now welcoming applications for an Artist of Change (salary £20,000) to work with us over a 12 month period to help us create art with and for our community. We’re really interested in exploring all the different ways that artists can work with arts centres, not just as creators, but as programmers, as curators, and as community connectors. We want to put more of the decision making into the hands of our community, but in a collaborative way, which enhances the artistic experiences for everyone.
We want to explore what artistic leadership in an arts centre, committed to creating positive social change, should look like.
Even before the pandemic wreaked havoc on career prospects in the arts, those from middle class backgrounds were 2.5 times more likely to end up in creative occupations than their working-class peers. This is a situation which has not improved since records began in 2014. Social mobility is a greater issue in the cultural sector and wider creative industries than across the economy as a whole. The wider creative industries have created over 300,000 jobs over the past five years, yet the number of creative workers from working-class backgrounds has increased by just 33,000. Just as with the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, it is expected that those who are already finding it difficult to make their way in the arts will be the worst hit by the impact of COVID-19.
This is the fourth edition of the programme, which has been running for over 10 years and has 125 alumni to date, many of whom have forged successful careers. This edition of WJCB is the largest yet, with support from Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Programme, Garfield Weston Foundation, Art Fund, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Scotland, and PRS Foundation.
Lilli Geissendorfer, director of Jerwood Arts, comments:
‘I’m delighted that ARC Stockton has been selected to host a Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Fellow. ARC applied to be part of the programme before COVID-19 had been identified, so it is heartening that making their organisation more diverse and inclusive is still high on their agenda despite the additional challenges they are facing. It speaks to the resilience I have been inspired by from all corners of the arts and cultural sector in recent months to find the silver linings in the bleakest of times and commit to creating a stronger sector that everyone will benefit from.’
Daniel Mitchelson, Producer at ARC, comments:
‘We’re excited to be working with Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries to host this new role, and we can’t wait to see the impact that the Artist of Change will have on our staff, community and artists.’
The Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries 2020-2022 programme is designed and produced by Jerwood Arts. It is funded and supported by Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, Art Fund, Arts Council of Wales, The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, British Council, Jerwood Arts and PRS Foundation.
In addition to the full time role of Fellow, we are also inviting applications from artists for a freelance contract (fee £10,000) to be delivered on a flexible, part-time basis over 12 months.
For more details about both posts, and to apply, please click here.