Applications are now closed. We’re very excited to be working with 4 Creative Community Activists to create experiences for those in lockdown over the next couple of months. More updates coming soon!
Are you aged between 18-30 and based in Gloucester?
Are you an emerging artist with an interest in making a positive impact in your community?
Would you like to take part in a new, paid, short term scheme with training delivered by Strike A Light?
Do you have a creative idea that would support your community during Lockdown 3 with a particular focus on vulnerable people, that you’d like to be paid for to develop and deliver?
What is it?
Strike A Light would like to support 4 young emerging artists/creatives, based in Gloucester between February – March 2021 to develop and deliver a creative idea that offers support and hope to people who are isolated and vulnerable during this latest lockdown. We are particularly interested in creative ideas that are not just digital, we know that many people are tired of interacting online or simply don’t have the technology to allow them to do that.
Do you have an idea that we could support you to make a reality that will develop you as a creative community activist and bring some joy to others in your community?
It could be a letter writing scheme
Deliver a painting to your neighbour
A pavement concert
A dance in the street
What we really want are your ideas, they’ll probably be much better!!!
What we will offer:
A fee of £1920, based on £120 a day for 16 days through February and March.
A budget of up to £200 for materials/costs to deliver your idea
An artist mentor to support you with your idea and help make it a reality
Access to the wider Strike A Light team, helping you think about what being a community artist can do and be.
A project manager to support you through the process.
How do you apply?
Share your ideas with us. Please let us know:
What you want to do?
Who is it for?
What you need to make it happen?
How and when will it happen?
What positive outcome you hope it will make?
This can be a written proposal (no longer than 1000 words), or a video (no longer than 3 minutes). If this application process doesn’t work for you then please email events@strikealightfestival.org.uk to arrange an alternative.
Please send your ideas to us by Wednesday 27 January 2021.
We will let you know whether your idea has been successful by the 3 February and you will have February and March to deliver your project (ideally starting week beginning 8 February).
We particularly welcome applications from those from under-represented groups in the creative sector or those who have experienced racism or discrimination.
Please send your application via email to Hannah at events@strikealightfestival.org.uk with the subject line ‘Community Activist Application’.
Awesome people making this project happen! 🙏🎉
This opportunity is funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.
Applications for Stage 1 have now closed. You can still read over the information on this page for reference but the deadline for expressions of interest has now passed. You can follow the rest of the process as it unfolds on our Updates page. Thanks for your interest!
Earlier this year we put a proposal out there– what happens if you employ an artist for a year, to just be an artist?
The pandemic has highlighted the inequalities and challenges that artists face. We don’t want to go ‘back to normal’ and so we’re proposing a different way of working.
What would happen or change if you were employed for a year? If you were trusted to lead your own creative work, and have paid time to think, have conversations and create if you want? If you could get off the project treadmill for a bit and explore what being an artist means in this COVID/ post-COVID world?
What is the offer?
One full time and one part time role, on a year long contract at £27,000 salary (pro rata for the part time role). The roles would be PAYE so would include paid holiday, sick pay, pension, Christmas party- all the benefits that someone normally employed through an organisation would have.
We would provide support as you shape your year of work but what you do in that year is up to you. It’s about your creative practice, what you want to explore and develop. There is no pressure to create specific projects or shows. It is not an artist in residence role – you don’t have to deliver on Strike A Light programmes or work to particular themes.
Start date in March/ April 2021 to be agreed with the artist.
Who is it for?
Artists who are excited about the possibility of developing their work in this brave new world, embrace change and would relish the chance to have a year to explore what works and what doesn’t
Artists who work in artforms that lend themselves well to a collaborative process, both in the creation and sharing
Artists who have an idea of who their work speaks to, is for or is created with. Artists who are interested in working with communities as part of their work. This can be communities of geography, interest or other common factors and how, when and why this engagement happens is decided by the artist.
Artists who want to base their work in Gloucester and/or Bristol. This does not mean that the artists cannot work elsewhere or work nationally over the year, but this opportunity is for artists who are excited about working in these places and want to focus their work there
Artists who work in a self-directed way, create their own projects and have a clear creative vision and practice. This vision and practice can still be developing but the artistic work of the year will be driven by the artist
Artists who have something to say, and particularly those who are under-heard and under-represented in the industry
Artists who are happy to share and articulate their experiences to support the research/ documentation aspect of the process. (We are sharing this idea as it develops with the wider industry)
Artists who want to use this year to build things which can support the sustainability of their career in future
Stage 2 will consist of online discussion workshops through which applicants can ask questions and get to know us better, followed by a written, video or audio application.
Those who are shortlisted from this will move on to Stage 3. They will be paid for their time to plan and attend a final workshop/ interview, which they can design to suit them, in order to share their work comfortably.
FAQs about the role
Where did this idea come from and who is involved?
This is a conversation, and something we want to develop with you. For the artists we appoint we will work together to create a job description so you are clear about how everything will work but ultimately it’s about your creative practice, what you want to explore and develop.
What do you want me to make?
There are no specific outcomes that have been decided. It’s a question- what happens if you employ an artist for a year? You don’t have to do a specific number of projects or shows and can choose when and how you create.
Who’s the artist working for? What is the role of the partner organisations?
Strike A Light will be employing the artist on a year long contract and we will be the main point of contact and support. You will not be delivering for us or for the partner organisations though. Your job is to be an artist – to think, plan, have conversations, and explore how to develop your work and create in the world in which we find ourselves.
The partner organisations have come together to make this happen because they want to try a different way of working. They want to understand what experiences the artist has over the year, what works for them and what doesn’t, how they make work (or don’t) in a COVID/ post-COVID world. This can then support organisations to think about how they work with artists, employ, commission, programme etc in future. This is NOT about the artist providing a solution for the organisations but IS about their experiences and ideas being listened to. If you want to meet with some or all of the partners during the year then that would be great because they can provide a network of support, contacts, opportunities etc but you are not reporting to them.
What does full time and part time mean?
Strike A Light have standard full time contracts of 37.5 hours and so would expect a full time contract to equate to 5 days per week of work and the part time contract to equate to 2.5 days per week of work. Like all Strike A Light staff you would not be expected to do timesheets. Our working relationships are based on trust, commitment and mutual respect. We don’t check up on staff or scrutinise their hours- we work to the best of our abilities and work flexibly to suit our needs (childcare, mental health, working styles etc). For these roles, as with the rest of the SAL team, your time is paid for whether that’s planning, thinking, meetings, creating or delivering. If you’ve had a busy week you take time back the next week. This is not about forcing creativity into a 9-5. If you’re in the zone at midnight on a Sunday no one is going to demand you’re sitting at a desk at 9am Monday. We will create the contract with the artists and it is not set in stone- we can definitely have conversations about how the contract works, amount of time, working patterns, structure etc.
In my stage 1 expression of interest, what are you looking for? We’ve asked about which of the Strike A Light principles you particularly connect to. You can choose one or more to write or talk about. This isn’t a test, there’s not a right answer. We want to see what interests or excites you about working in this way. The whole application process is designed to help us get to know you, your work and your values, and vice versa, to make sure we’re a good fit.
We are holding informal information sessions on Thursday 7 and Tuesday 12 Jan 2021. You’ll be able to ask questions and hear more about the opportunity.
If you need to talk about a different way of applying please contact us.
Do you give feedback? For the first stage expressions of interest we will provide general feedback about the applications which we’ll share on email. For stages 2 and 3 we will give individual feedback wherever requested.
The fantastic Can’t Sit Still are recruiting Gloucestershire based artist-facilitators who have experienced pregnancy and birth, to lead groups for new mother’s and babies as part of their new arts & wellbeing project Invisible Thread.
We are seeking professional, freelance artist-facilitators who have experienced pregnancy and birth, to lead a series of 6 weekly ‘walking for wellbeing’ groups for new mothers and babies up to 12 months old, as part of ‘Invisible Thread’, an arts and wellbeing project devised and led by Can’t Sit Still.
The groups accommodate up to 12 mothers and their babies and will take place outdoors, adhering to social distancing and current Government Guidelines. Facilitators will work in pairs to deliver these groups.
Invisible Thread is a development of our pilot 2019 project that demonstrably improved maternal wellbeing. Funded by Gloucestershire NHS, Bristol City Council, Arts Council England, Barnwood Trust, Strike A Light, Gloucestershire Libraries and Kingshill House, this 2021 project has developed in recognition of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of those experiencing pregnancy and birth during this time.
Who are we looking for?
We want to meet people with any professional artistic practice (including but not limited to visual arts, performance, music and writing) who are likely to be experienced participatory arts practitioners and who feel that they are able to create and hold a space for new mothers to come together through outdoor creative practice to enhance wellbeing.
We believe that innovation occurs through the interactions of people with diverse experiences, expertise and points of view (Collective Genius – Hill, Brandeau, Truelove and Linebeck, 2014). This is why it’s important to us to welcome all voices into the Can’t Sit Still family. With this in mind we are very interested in receiving applications from people whose lived experiences are currently under-represented in our team. This includes people who:
experience racism
have physical disabilities, impairments or differences
are neuro-divergent.
Due to possible Covid-19 restrictions, we can only consider applicants who have a permanent residence in Gloucestershire.
What you will deliver
We are recruiting facilitators who will work 1 day a week for 6 weeks in pairs. Facilitators will lead 2 groups in 2 different areas of Gloucestershire per day – either Matson and Moreton-in Marsh (team MM), or Dursley and Lydney (team DL).
Before the sessions begin all facilitators will attend a planning and development day with lead artists from Can’t Sit Still. During the day we will discuss the wider context of the Invisible Thread project and what we hope to achieve. Together, we will share practice and co-design the session delivery and evaluation framework.
There will also be a paid weekly online reflection session with the other facilitators and Can’t lead artists lasting for 1.5 hours.
Essential criteria:
Professional artistic practice (including but not limited to theatre, dance, music, circus, visual arts, writing).
Experience of participatory arts practice.
Lived experience of pregnancy and birth.
Availability for ALL wellbeing groups sessions. We have some flexibility around which days of the week your sessions will run, but all sessions must run on the same day each week.
Availability for planning and development on Friday 8th January.
Availability for weekly 1.5 hour online reflection session, likely to either take place in the evening or first thing on a Friday morning.
Use of a car: travel between locations will be paid by Can’t Sit Still.
Current DBS check.
Public liability insurance.
Willingness to work outside, whatever the weather!
Timeline:
Deadline for applications: 9am on Monday 7th December
Interviews: 16th-18th December
Offers made: Week commencing 21st December
Planning and development day: Week commencing 4th January. Please note – our aim is to host this day IN PERSON at a venue in Gloucestershire, but this will depend on current Covid-19 guidelines.
Weekly groups begin: week beginning 18th January 2021.
Weekly groups finish: week ending 26th February
Fee offered:
£150 per day for wellbeing groups x 6 = £900
£150 for January planning day
£50 per 1.5 hour reflection session x 6 = £300
How to apply
Please email contact@cantsitstill.net:
A brief video, audio or written application to share why you would like to contribute to Invisible Thread 2021 and to demonstrate your suitability for the role.
A CV of your relevant work OR link to your website.
Whether you are applying to be on team MM or DL, or if it doesn’t matter.
Covid-19 restrictions:
We are working closely with Gloucestershire NHS and Public Health England to ensure this work can go ahead. If there are any changes imposed on us by the tightening of Covid-19 restrictions we will work with our facilitators, group members and partners to adapt and re-schedule wherever possible.
What do we mean when we talk about ‘co-creation’? How does creating together enrich our projects and ideas?How can it be challenging?
Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) and Strike A Light invite you to explore these questions on Tuesday 8 December, 5-7pm, as part of an interactive discussion event.
Find out who is co-creating creative work in your area, hear from brilliant people who are working together to make positive social change, and join us as we start to build a network of allies and co-creators in the region.
What you can expect:
a warm welcome
a discussion about co-creation: what is it? What has worked and what hasn’t?
four artists and community members sharing their stories of co-creation
time to ask questions and share what you are working on
find out who else is co-creating in our region
space to explore next steps, might this be the start of a regional network of co-creators, what might that look like?
The event is free and we have some bursaries to support access & childcare.
This is a workshop for Women of Colour to consider and reflect on the tools of resilience needed in leadership.
Drawing from her experience in business and activism Kalkidan will guide the audience through common patterns of discrimination, micro aggression, and racism experienced by BIPOC Women in Business. What to look out for, who relevant parties are and how to navigate them. She will instruct listeners on tools that can help them realise their goals despite adverse environments they may be placed in. This will focus on raising finances and managing others. Crucially illustrating that leadership for WOC is often learning to navigate the biases of those in your network who may be gatekeeping your success.
You will be asked to structure your experiences into the framework of your goals in order to build meaningful strategies for your life.
This hour long session has been programmed as part of a series of activities to support women who might wish to apply to the Women Leaders South West programme. This new project aims to enable women to tackle the barriers they face in becoming leaders in the arts.
About this Event:
Date & Time: Tuesday 3rd November 6 – 7.00pm
Location: Zoom
What you will need:
– A wifi connection and access to the internet
– The Zoom app downloaded on your laptop/phone/device. You will be sent a Zoom link & password on the day of the workshop
Access:
BSL interpreters Rabira Dachi and Pettra St. Hilaire will provide BSL interpretation.
Kalkidan’s presentation will be fully captioned.
Please let us know if you have any other access needs to help you participate in this event.
About Kalkidan:
Kalkidan Legesse is a social entrepreneur and black woman. As an ethical fashion activist, she is working to make the industry truly sustainable and truly inclusive. Find out more about Kalkidan at kalkidanlegesse.com or on Instagram at @wowsancho.
After being postponed earlier this year due to COVID-19, we’re delighted to announce that the Slam will be going ahead and in partnership with Gloucester Culture Trust and Strike a Light we’re looking for the most exciting poets aged 18-25 from the South West. Could you be one of the finalists this year?
This year’s Slam final judges include writer and poet Anthony Anaxagorou, poet, editor and essayist Will Harris and Cultural Producer and writer Tobi Kyeremateng.
By taking part, you’ll get….
• The chance to showcase your talent in front of live and online audiences. • The opportunity to make industry contacts, raise your profile and network with peers and professionals in the spoken word industry. • Have the opportunity to compete for the title of Roundhouse Slam Champion and win a cash prize if you finish in the top three or win the audience vote. • Finalists’ performances will be professionally filmed and uploaded to the Roundhouse YouTube Channel, which has over 16,000 subscribers. Past finalist videos have been reposted by global online publications and accumulated views in excess of 5 million. • Cash prizes for the runners up
Please note, this year we will be hosting the Slam Heats online via Zoom. We are on track and hoping that the final can take part live at the Roundhouse in London, but will of course be keeping an eye on the latest government advice. We understand that for some people, travelling or being in groups is not feasible or safe at this time so we will work with each finalist to figure out the best option for them.We will be able to provide financial support for finalists who need help paying for travel to London from within the UK.
Last year’s winner Kareem Parkins-Brown has been developing his first full-length solo show with support from the Roundhouse and Battersea Arts Centre, featured at an event for Stormzy’s #Merky Books and continues to develop his writing.
KEY DATES:
• Apply by 26 October, midday • Heat 1: 10 November – Online (Zoom) • Heat 2: 11 November – Online (Zoom) • Heat 3: 12 November – Online (Zoom) • Final: 26 November, 7:30pm – Roundhouse, London
1. Complete the application form, including links to video footage of you performing a poem you have written. Deadline: midday, 26 October 2020 2. We will invite a shortlist of poets to perform in the Slam Heats which this year will be hosted online via Zoom on 10th, 11th and 12th November 2020. 3. The winner of each heat will progress directly to the Slam Final on 26th November 2020, along with the nine top scoring finalists from across all three heats.
They have released new guidance that outlines what has changed to make the fund more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during Covid-19.
We are hosting a space for artists and producers to talk through the guidance and ask any questions on Tuesday 4 August at 2pm.
The chat will take place on Zoom. The meeting link will be sent to the email address you provide when booking your place.
If you have any questions please email Jess on info@strikealightfestival.org.uk.
Created from poetry and text submitted by the public, the artwork will be embedded within communities and presented in over 25 locations across Gloucester for people discover and enjoy.
Call Out for Your Words! If you’re based in Gloucestershire, we are seeking your original words and poetry for this new art project. Read and complete the submissions form here!
The text and poetry for Of Earth and Sky will come from the community through this call out and a series of online workshops delivered by Luke Jerram and Gloucestershire based poet JPDL.
As we begin to cautiously emerge from the lockdown, there is a sense that we better appreciate the value of local parks and green space for our wellbeing, mental and physical health. This installation will celebrate the city’s outdoor spaces and encourage people to look differently at Gloucester – to see the beauty in its heritage and in its green spaces. Find out more.
We welcome applications from individuals from communities who are under-represented both in the arts and in climate conversations, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic/POC creatives.
Strike A Light are seeking an experienced director/writer/theatre maker to collaborate with an amazing group of young climate activists from Gloucester, to create a new piece of work.
The project will explore their relationship to the climate, their fears for the impending crisis and their place in the world as young activists.The journey to making this would connect with other young activists from across the globe, linking up and sharing fears, concerns and activism, as well as curating a collective voice.
The global pandemic, the fact we want to engage young people from around the world and the negative environmental impact of traditional touring theatre, means that we’d like to work with someone who has experience in using digital media and online tools creatively and is excited to explore different formats for performance and touring.
We want to explore lots of questions:
Can we create something with a live audience which still responds to social distancing guidelines?
Can we integrate in person and digital performance and audiences?
Can we create a format which can be shared or replicated by other groups of young people?
We would like the piece, (working title I Stand For What I Stand On), to preview in October underneath Gaia at Gloucester Cathedral.
Due to the changing nature of all of our working patterns at the moment we are flexible as to how this work is made and open to new ideas. SAL are firmly committed to the young climate activists in Gloucester and their strong will to change legislations and ultimately help save the planet.They fear for their future and we believe we should listen to them.
What are are looking for
A creative or company/collective who:
is good at and likes working with young people
makes extraordinary work
understands digital stuff and is excited about the potential of it
is an activist and has a deep understanding of the issues that the work is about
wants to change the world through performance
can lift up under-represented voices in the climate debate
can work with us during these times and support an amazing group of young people to make a life-changing piece of theatre that will help them feel better about their future.
How to apply
Please send no more than 2 x pages of A4 ( or a video) with information about a piece of work you have made that you feel has a similar approach, and how you might approach this project.
Please also include a CV or link to a bio or similar online.
Fee: £8,000 (based on the project proposal we will work with the successful applicant to develop a role description to clarify what is expected within this fee. Due to the nature of the project the role will combine developing, writing and directing).
Initial timeframe: July-October 2020 Closing date: Monday 13 July 9am
A fantastic opportunity from Gloucester History Festival to create digital projects as part of their City Voices programme, including commissions to support local artists to create accessible programmes of activities to develop audiences and bring Gloucester’s heritage sites to life.
Gloucester Looking Up is a city-wide heritage venue response to Covid-19 inspiring new communities to look up at the buildings, look up online, look up their heritage and ensuring the city’s built and lived heritage is part of our shared recovery. It is funded by Historic England.
This brief details the first stage of this process, commissioning a range of digital outputs that will be hosted by the new Gloucester History Festival website (currently in development, to be launched in July 2020) as part of our community education programme City Voices. A second phase of creative commissions will be advertised in July, for projects which are not exclusively digital, and can be accessed within social distancing guidelines across the city.
Background Gloucester History Festival (GHF), run by the Gloucester History Trust, is a flagship festival for a city rich with high-profile heritage venues. City Voices is a key part of our programme, working with local communities, artists and historians to engage new audiences to explore the rich social history in the city. GHF is a key member of Gloucester’s Heritage Forum (HF) which includes Gloucester Cathedral, Llanthony Secunda Priory, St Mary de Crypt, the museums and other heritage sites. GHF and HF are collaboratively tackling the impacts of the current crisis by:
Providing an immediate city-wide response working with the community to provide virtual access to our venues
Providing a relevant, innovative activity programme, bringing together heritage and cultural sectors, attracting new, younger and diverse audiences
Building capacity and resilience by embedding collaborative partnership working at our core, working with our communities to make heritage part of everyday lives
Raising the profile of our organisations and city as having some of the richest heritage buildings in the UK
We will be programming 3 interconnecting activity strands which will directly respond to the current crisis and contribute to the recovery of the heritage sector. 1. Digital Map – providing virtual tours of venues across the city 2. Living History – working with communities to capture history being lived right now 3. Cultural Commissions – supporting local artists to create accessible programmes of activities, developing audiences and bringing heritage sites to life
Brief This first series of commissions is for digital artists, illustrators, graphic designers and filmmakers to create product which is hosted on the GHF website initially and also on a Visit Gloucester website when that has been revised. The product will be accessed through an interactive map that is designed for this project.
The map should represent modern Gloucester in scale and layout, it may be helpful to have a full city with wards, as well as a detailed city centre map. The heritage buildings below should be represented as a minimum requirement, with further selections from the list on the right, reference to sites outside the centre, and travel links indicated.
Gloucester Cathedral St Michaels Tower
Llanthony Secunda Priory Olympus Theatre
Museum of Gloucester National Waterways Museum
St Mary DeCrypt church Robinswood Hill- Wildlife Trust
Gloucestershire Heritage Hub Gloucester Guildhall
Westgate Street/ The Folk Soldiers of Gloucester Museum
Blackfriars Priory Mariners Church
Kingsholm Stadium Alney Island
There is a maximum budget of £1,500 for this element
2. Film ‘tours’ of heritage venues/ areas. We are particularly interested in receiving film proposals that use different narratives and community voices. We will be able to support filmmakers in contacts with the venues and their volunteers
There is a budget of £500 – £2,000 for this element per film. Given the range of locations we are keen to explore, an exceptional application may identify several films that link together, to a maximum budget of £7,500.
3. Digital Content. We are interested in receiving applications that explore Gloucester heritage in innovative ways that can be shared via the website platform. This could include, but is not limited to, resources that are downloadable and support individual exploration of the City.
There is a budget of £500 – £1,500 for this element
All commissions will need to be completed and uploaded to website by 1 September 2020
Application process To apply please submit your CV, and a proposal no longer than 2 sides of A4 which includes: – Which commission(s) you are applying for – A proposal detailing how you would run the project, including how you would engage with the community and your ideas for style and content – A budget breakdown – Links to relevant previous work, website or social media – Anything else you may feel relevant to support or add value to your application
For further information or queries please call Jacqui Grange, Project Manager on 01452 840565, or email jacqui@creativesolutions.org.uk
Please send completed applications to Kim Kenny, Kim.Kenny2@gloucestershire.gov.uk by Monday 6 July 2020
Shortlisted applicants may be invited to interview via Zoom
