KIND | Rosehill (rosehilltheatre.co.uk)
What will the roles be doing?
Each creative will initiate, lead, and deliver projects that blend aspects of creative well-being, social prescribing, social inclusion, and community collaboration by, for, and with the people of Whitehaven.
They will work on one of two new commissions:
KIND - Time to Change Project
Established in June 2013, Time to Change partners with local authorities, corporate organisations, and the charity sector to improve lives through warmth and kindness. They provide help and support to those most in need in our communities. Based within Kells, Whitehaven, a community space has been established for residents across Kells, Green Bank and Woodhouse.
We have partnered with TTC to provide a new opportunity which places creativity at the heart of the centre. We are now looking for an artist to work closely with the organisation and develop innovative projects for and with the communities that will interact with the space.
The Welcome Hub Artist in Residence
Since September 2022, a weekly KIND welcome space has been open in Whitehaven Town Centre to help reduce social isolation in the community. Held every Monday, it is invaluable to the residents who regularly attend. Local organisations within the social care sector are strongly linked with the space to aid in organising, attending and supporting their vital services.
Every Welcome Hub offers a creatively led activity. The creative sessions are a safe space within the hub for attendees. Evaluation from last year indicated that the sessions helped participants to form better connections and improve their well-being.
We are now looking for a creative, friendly, and relatable Welcome Hub artist in residence who will be present at the Hub session (Mondays between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm) from September 2024 to March 2024 to devise and deliver a project that collaborates with the communities and services and links to other projects/community groups across Whitehaven.
How will the roles be involved in the delivery of the KIND project?
Each commission will aim to provide equitable spaces which foster togetherness and expressiveness. Rosehill recognises its role in creating spaces where communities can be together and feel nourished. We believe that artists are crucial to making these intergenerational environments and that democratic art-making practices prioritising communities' freedom, autonomy, and imaginations, experienced in community with each other, can develop experiences rich in creativity, learning and connection.
To deliver this, creatives will.
• Provide a creative space that is collaborative, connected and made by, with and for the community.
• Create a consistent welcoming space for participants to participate in creative opportunities that unite people.
• Support, involve, and enable communities to collaborate with us and participate in creative activities such as workshops, events, festivals, and drop-in sessions, bringing communities together and sharing ideas.
• Remove language, learning, or social barriers which prevent people from working together.
• Provide spaces and workshops that enable people to try new things, stretch their imaginations, and stimulate cross-cultural/community dialogue.
What are the details of the roles?
Community Commissions—We are looking for two community creatives on a freelance basis. Each role will receive a £4000 fee, equivalent to approximately 32 half-day (3.5-hour) sessions between September 2024 and March 2025. A project budget will also be available to support delivery.
Where will the roles be based?
Given the nature of the projects, we would require all roles to deliver and work within Whitehaven and surrounding areas and be willing to travel regularly to the area.
How to apply?
Please click here
The deadline for proposals is midday Friday, 2nd August.
Open Interviews will take place on Monday, 12th & 13th of August.
What support is available for the applications?
If you need help writing the application or have any access requirements, please contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Our Recruitment Approach
We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are underrepresented in the sector, such as those who identify as D/deaf and disabled, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and people who identify as part of the Global Majority. In using the term ‘Global Majority,’ we refer to people who identify as Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities.
Who is Rosehill Arts Trust?
Rosehill Arts Trust is a cultural charity in West Cumbria. We are based out of our unique rural venue, Rosehill Theatre, on the outskirts of Whitehaven, situated on a hill overlooking the Solway Firth. We deliver cultural and community projects on and offsite by, for, and with residents and beyond.
Work so far on the KIND project.
One of our key projects in late 2022 and early 2023 was to set up a Warm Hub space in partnership with Copeland Council Social Prescribing Teams, Copeland Wellness Service and Groundwork, which both served as a space to support communities through the cost of living crisis but also enabled us to speak face to face to residents about their experiences and stuff that they would like to see happen across the area. We have taken inspiration from the people that we have encountered during the action research phase, and particularly the Hub space, including, but not limited to, volunteers, the partners that we have collaborated with, newly arrived communities wanting to feel welcomed, and residents who needed a space to come to help them feel better connected and get access to support. Through these conversations and creative connections, we have been inspired to reshape our mission and develop and launch what is now called KIND.
Over the past year, the KIND programme has been supporting participants’ connectedness to others in the community. People have been practising and learning new skills, participating in gentle physical activity, meeting new people, and trying new things, demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness to others. Sessions have supported mindfulness by distracting participants from everyday troubles and enabling them to experience joyous moments in their day. Partner organisations report a positive impact on their beneficiaries, and the programme is effectively joined up with the work of other service providers. Financial barriers to participation are removed through free activities with refreshments provided. Participants have encountered a variety of art forms in their community and are experiencing enjoyment through making and seeing art and performances. As we move into the next stage of the programme, there is potential for our work to lead to community involvement in creating art that engages with challenges experienced by the local community and influences change.
For more information about the roles, please email lara.schwab@rosehilltheatre.co.uk.
