Art & Engagement Officer
This is an opportunity for a motivated person to use their creativity to bring local people into the heart of regeneration initiatives in Stranraer. Initial community consultation has identified a desire for culture to play a key role in the future of the town through activity and animation of the town’s spaces. This role will help support 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. The Arts & Engagement Officer (AEO) will bring together existing groups and creative initiatives in the town. Working with a production budget and other stakeholders they will develop a programme of creative activity for the town that engages the wider community and supports the sustainable development of the local creative sector. This programme will act as a backdrop for a major consultation exercise to record need and demand for re-development of the site and inform the proposed end use.
The post will be based with the Stranraer Development Trust (SDT), a respected and successful Community Development Trust. The commission is also supported by DG Council (DGC) as a strategic partner in the regeneration of Stranraer and The Stove Network (TSN) a regional arts organisation with a national reputation in Creative Placemaking. DGC will support the post holder to work as part of a wider project team developing capital investment bids for Stranraer and to bring creativity and culture into the centre of these projects. TSN will guide the AEO in techniques of Creative Placemaking that have been developed regionally and nationally for the creative sector to engage local people in the future vison for their area and through this to create a network and opportunities for local creatives.
The post sits within the context of two national arts initiatives currently taking place in Stranraer – What We Do Now (Culture Collective) and Dandelion (Unboxed Festival), and, also a major capital project to develop a creative, culture and/or activity venue on the site of the former George Hotel in the town centre. The AEO will develop their own programme of creative projects in coordination with other initiatives and groups in the town (eg Stranraer Music Town, Stranraer Performance Collective, Millennium Centre and Sea Pyots) – this programme will support and inform the developing plans for the proposed cultural venue and public realm improvements.
The post is funded for an initial 12 months with potential that it will be continued if successful.
Salary £30,000 pro rata with option to opt into a pension.
Hours 25 per week.
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
Person Specification 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?
We know that these documents can never cover everything and can ask more questions than they give answers. We want to do everything to encourage you to apply and will be holding an open drop-in session for anyone who thinks they might be interested but isn’t sure exactly what is involved and would like a friendly and informal chat about what is involved and whether this could be right for you. Members of the team will be at the Stranraer Millennium Centre between 5pm and 7pm on Thursday 21st April with tea, biscuits and a warm welcome.
If you can’t make the Drop-In but would like a chat, please contact Stranraer Development Trust on 01776 748 812 and we’ll do all we can to support you in putting yourself forward for this role. Give us a try!
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.
Please send by email to coord@stranraerdevelopmenttrust.co.uk (max file size of 5MB) with heading
Arts and Engagement Officer
We are happy to provide you with the interview questions prior to your
interview. Please ask us for these if you are shortlisted.
Stranraer is committed to creating a positive and inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued. We are an inclusive organisation and believe our work will be stronger with greater diversity and, as such, we welcome applications from those who bring a difference to our team. We welcome the whole person to work, and understand that each of us bring our experiences, our backgrounds, and our own unique lens to what we do.
We encourage applications from all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from those who are currently under-represented within the sector, including those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled candidates, LGBTQI+ and/or those from a low socio-economic background or requiring flexible working arrangements
Interviews
Interviews will be held in person in Stranraer on Monday 9th May
By applying you are deemed to be making yourself available for interview on
this date, please let us know however in your application should you need to
arrange a different date
Priorities and Working Criteria
Local connections – We are interested in supporting and growing
opportunities for people local to Stranraer with this work and as such this
position requires that you have strong local connections and knowledge. We will add a weighting to applicants based in Stranraer or with strong local connections.
Inclusion and Diversity – An optional Equalities Monitoring Form will be
included in the project application. We are committed to ensuring that these
opportunities are as accessible as possible for everyone. If you have any
questions or suggestions regarding the accessibility of the project, please