18 hours per week at real living wage £9.30 per hour | Length of contract: 9 months
Overview
South Square is looking for its first enthusiastic and conscientious Heritage Activity Trainee to work with Alice Withers (South Square’s Programme Manager and Heritage Activities Officer), Yvonne Carmichael (South Square’s Managing Director) and volunteers to deliver an exciting programme of heritage activities, workshops, events and community partnership projects. The successful candidate will need to be an excellent communicator, self-motivated and able to use social media and video conferencing. The traineeship and many of the activities will be adapted to fully adhere to the current social distancing guidelines. Equipment to enable the candidate to work effectively from home can be provided.Aimed at emerging professionals looking to gain experience of heritage and community projects working with a variety of audiences and practitioners. This is an excellent development opportunity to work for grassroots art, community and heritage organisation South Square Centre.
As a member of the South Square team you will have a key role in the development and delivery of heritage activity programme, activities will include marketing (social media and print), programming and installing (window) exhibitions, delivering (online) workshops and events. (Heritage Activity Plan is available on request.)
During your traineeship you will have the opportunity to work with material from Thornton Antiquarian Societies archive as well as developing connections with local schools, colleges and care homes.
Throughout the traineeship you will receive continual support, mentoring and training to develop a range of key skills.
The role will include:
• Working in partnership with the Thornton Antiquarian Society supported by the Heritage Activities Officer to develop activities and exhibitions. This will bring to life archive materials relating to local textile production, South Square’s history as an arts centre and Thornton’s literary connections as birthplace of the Brontë sisters.
• Learning about heritage, supporting with heritage research, feeding into the range of heritage activities.
· Collecting oral histories and local people’s stories, encouraging workshop participants to use and contribute to the Thornton Antiquarian Societies Archive.
· Developing and supporting workshops, including working with volunteers
· Supporting marketing of exhibitions and events including; writing press releases, designing invites and marketing material, organising distribution of printed material, producing stories/content for online marketing.
· Liaising with and attending meetings with programme team Heritage Activities Officer, SSC Director/Project Manager, Activity Consultants, organisational partners, Heritage Mentor and Project Evaluator
· Curating and installing exhibitions, setting up/clearing away for events
· Documenting activities
· Collecting and collating feedback and project evaluation
Person Specification Essential
• Ability to work in a self-directed manner and show initiative
• Experience using social media to promote events
• Excellent communication, written and IT skills
• Knowledge and experience of the regional cultural scene in Bradford and its audiences
• Experience and understanding of how to engage with a range of audiences
• Interest in organising/producing exhibitions, cultural or heritage projects
• Understanding and knowledge of exhibitions, events and/or community projects
Deadline for Applications: 10am Monday 18th May 2020
Interviews will be conducted online on Thursday 21st May 2020
Application Process: Please submit a covering letter and CV as one document with a maximum 4 pages, outlining your relevant experience and interest in the role – feel free to also include images. Applicants are also welcome to submit applications in audio or video format, files can be sent by WeTransfer, we request that they are within a duration of 15 minutes.Applications can be sent to info@southsquarecentre.co.uk
About the project
This Heritage Activities Traineeship is part of South Square Centre’s successful application to National Lottery Heritage Fund to undertake a capital refurbishment of Grade II workers cottages as well as a three year programme of heritage activities. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players there also will be an exciting activity programme of events, workshops and exhibitions. These will highlight local industrial heritage, Thornton as the birthplace of the Brontë’s and South Square’s own history as a grassroots cultural and arts centre.
About South Square Centre
South Square Centre is run by registered charity Thornton and Allerton Community Association Ltd (1122128). On site there are art galleries, community and workshop spaces as well as the many businesses including Plenty at the Square Café, Rushworth’s Fine Art Framers, and recently launched bar The Watchmakers. Importantly South Square also provides a safe and publicly accessible home for Thornton Antiquarian Societies local history archive; as well as studio spaces for a range of artists, community groups and organisations.
South Square is currently closed to the public and project staff are working from home.
