Spectra Seeks Filmmaker for Abundance
Spectra is looking for a filmmaker to help us document our journey as we create Abundance, a natural, all ages, inclusive play space on the site of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Through this project, we will be working with the Birmingham 2022 Festival, a six-month celebration of creativity across the region and part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In Abundance, Spectra, partners, and a diverse mix of local communities will co-create an interactive, multi-sensory play space through which people can reconnect with all that nature offers. Audiences will step inside a world rich in colour, flavour, scent, texture, and the invitation for children and adults alike to move, create, grow and play. Far from a traditional playground, this open provocation with myriad access points will encourage creative engagement. Participants will find their own way through a rich sensorial experience: sound making with natural elements; walls of herbs to smell and taste; a barefoot walk to encourage a slower pace and alertness; hidden nooks and expansive arenas to spark wild imagination.
We are looking for someone with experience of using film to tell stories who can document the creative process on site and in the community, our opening and closing ceremonies, and who can capture the sensory wilds of Abundance. Someone who can take initiative in thoughtfully preserving moments over the course of the project, to create a final celebratory piece of work.
The filmmaker’s role includes:
- Capturing footage across the project to create a final short film which celebrates Abundance and is an authentic portrayal of what happened.
- Working with the Producer to create shorter pieces of video content as part of the Abundance social media strategy.
- Liaising with the Producer and Creative Director to ensure a filmmaking schedule that allows for a wide array of activities to be documented.
- Managing media consent in public spaces and when working in communities, and ensuring that all consent is informed.
The following timeline outlines project structure; The filmmaker will not be required to attend all the sessions outlined below.
| Date | Activity |
| Tue 15 Mar | Initial Meeting |
| Mon 21 March – Wed 23 | Residency with Wild Rumpus at The Whirligig to explore nature, play, and sustainable installation building |
| Mon 28 March | Planning community co-creation workshops, session with Spectra’s Sensory Designer, Kaye Winwood |
| Tue 29 March | Planning community co-creation workshops |
| April 2022 | Co-creation workshops led by teams of 2 artists focussing on design (teams to be agreed based on interest and availability) |
| Tue 3 May | Incorporating feedback from co-creation workshops and agreeing design, session with Spectra’s Sensory Designer, Kaye Winwood |
| Wed 4 May | Incorporating feedback from co-creation workshops and agreeing design |
| By Fri 13 May | Designs finalised |
| 6 – 24 June | Building installation |
| 6-24 June | Co-creation sessions delivered by teams of 2 artists to create aspects of installation (teams to be agreed based on interest and availability) |
| Sat 25 June | Opening Ceremony |
| Sat 3 Sep | Closing Ceremony |
| Mon 12 Sep | Evaluation |
It may be useful to refer to our growing mood board for this work, which can be found at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deardrclaw/abundance/.
Our company is neurodiverse and we are dedicated to using our work to cultivate a world that celebrates difference in all its wonderful forms. Our creative process and the work we create are actively inclusive. We take the same approach to curating the pool of freelancers we work with, seeking to shift imbalanced representation within our sector by warmly welcoming and prioritising applications from Black and Brown practitioners and those who identify as working class, D/deaf, Disabled and or LGBTQI+.
Application process: please tell us why the work interests you and how your experience relates specifically to the list of tasks above by sending your expression of interest to hello@wearespectra.co.uk. This should be no more than two sides of A4 or a 4 minute video/audio recording. Please also include a link to a showreel or an example of your previous work. If you have access requirements, please get in touch to talk about how we can support you in making your application.
When you submit your expression of interest, please also complete the equal opportunities monitoring form here: https://forms.gle/WuVVYyMCN5SX5B8x6. This form and your personal information will be kept separate from your application when it is reviewed by the panel.
Deadline 12pm, Monday 14th February 2022
Interviews will be held on Friday 18th February. We will send you the interview questions in advance.
Timeline Contract from Feb/Mar – Sep 2022
Fee: £2,500 inclusive of travel and expenses. This is based on a rate of £200 for 12.5 days. There is the potential for additional work, but this is funding dependent.
Location: Abundance will be built on the site of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, B66 2RT and community workshops will take place within the locale. Meetings will take place in Sandwell and Birmingham; the residency will be held on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border; preparatory work will be done remotely.
Insta: @spectraartscompany
Facebook: @SpectraArtsCompany
Twitter: @Spectra_Arts
YouTube Channel: Spectra Arts
Background Information on Spectra
Spectra creates fierce and joyful creative interaction through authentic collaboration. We seek to cultivate a world that celebrates brains that work in different ways. Our neurodiverse company produces interactive adventures that engage all of our audience’s senses. We’ve developed a reputation for aesthetically-driven work that is both gentle and fierce, inviting our audiences to imagine intensely positive possibilities: ‘It made me laugh and cry. It was delicious in every way. Renewed my faith in the world!’ (Audience).