Community Producer

For full information on how to apply go to: http://www.frictionarts.com/opportunity-community-producer/

Friction Arts are seeking a unique individual to help them develop and deliver their responsive programme of socially-focused arts. We are looking for an energetic and inspiring person who can shapeshift and communicate from the strategic to the grassroots and can show commitment to the arts, equality and social justice. This post is highly demanding and diverse and is only partly desk-based and would be ideal for practitioners who want to help facilitate art that makes a difference. For details, see below. 

Title: Community Producer

Salary: £28-30k per annum (pro rata)

Reporting to the Lead Artists and the Board

Contract terms: This is a full time position, hours to be negotiated (Flexible working)

Initially fixed term for 24 months (with option to extend)

Annual leave: 28 days (pro rata)

Office/Hours: Usually 11-6 Mon-Fri with occasional evening and weekend work (compensated by TOIL)

Application deadline: Midnight 31st May 2019

Interview dates: 21st/22nd June

About Friction

We are a small, yet highly respected community arts organisation, an ACE NPO and a grass-roots multidisciplinary artist-led organisation working locally and internationally.

Friction believe

that art should be at the centre of everyday life

that everyone should get the chance to enjoy art and the making of art

that art is a powerful tool for personal and societal change

that inequality and climate change are the most important issues facing us today

that if you’re not doing what you say you are doing, then change what you’re doing or change what you’re saying

Friction’s current programme of work includes;

A Word From The Wise – celebrating and documenting the work of underappreciated artists over the age of 60

Walking Over Coals – a Continuing Personal, Practice and Professional Development programme for emerged and submerging artists 25 and over

MMM (multicultural music-making) – changing the way music is taught in schools to reflect the world we live in

YP Drama – anti-‘jazz-hands’ performance training at inner-city schools, seeking to grow confidence and connect

Creative Reach – working with Afro-Caribbean elders to develop their artwork and share it with the world, working with photographer Vanley Burke

International – working on a long-term project with the Jostedal region of Norway on a climate change festival and connecting young people from the UK and Norway on climate change projects. MESH – 5 nation partnership looking at connecting migrants to the cultural heritage of their adopted home and sharing their own.

Birmingham Sunday Market – co-running a street market for the city’s least advantaged, providing wellbeing and cultural activities among the bargains

Art Club – long-running free contemporary arts club for young people

The Edge – our studio space is also used for events, exhibitions, performances, rehearsals and generally making a wonderful mess

We run a rolling programme and, while projects are running, others are being developed alongside

Friction work from their self-owned building, the Edge in the Deritend area of central Birmingham, where we have been based for over 25 years, and are closely connected to the nearby low-income district of Highgate, as well as the burgeoning creative quarter of Digbeth and Deritend. We work hyperlocally, across the city, regionally and internationally with all kinds of communities and communities of interest. The successful applicant will be based at the Edge, but much of the work will also be out in the field.

You can find out much more about us by using the search engine of your choice (we recommend DuckDuckGo). If you’d like to speak to us, in the first instance contact polly@frictionarts.com.

About the Role

This is a new position we have created as support to the Lead Artists, and is a management role with responsibility for helping to deliver our ambitious programme of work as we head into our second year as an ACE National Portfolio Organisation. Working closely with the board and the Lead Artist you will be responsible for the delivery of our programme and the management of our people. Alongside our finance officer you will be responsible for helping to manage the company’s finances and will be required to support company fundraising, so experience in this area is essential. More info in the full job description and application form.