Purpose: To document the building and opening of The Commons – a new community space at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital
Aim: To create a film and reels that shares the creative process and community impact
Terms: Freelance contract, September – November 2024
Fee: £2,500 inclusive of travel, equipment, expenses and VAT
Location: Hybrid – Sandwell, West Midlands, and working remotely
Deadline: 9am on Monday 29th July 2024
Introduction
Spectra is a neurodiverse creative collective rooted in radical inclusion, people and place. We aim to lift everyone’s capacity to influence change in their lives, their environment and their community.
Using a wide range of art forms, we co-create interactive experiences with local communities through performance, installation and workshops. All of our work uses nature and the environment as an inspiration and motivation. Our activities include:
- Creative sessions for underserved community groups facilitated by neurodiverse teams of artists/performers
- Skills and leadership training for neurodiverse artists, performers and creatives
- Interactive, immersive performances co-created with communities.
Founded in 2013, we have performed to over 10,000 people; hosted 5,000 people in our gardens; and run 500+ co-creation sessions and workshops. We’ve produced 12 performances, from large scale events at MAC and Herbert Art Gallery, to street festivals, to a touring show, to hybrid online events; 1 sector-wide symposium; 1 report on ‘Improving Critical Engagement’; 2 digital interactive experiences including 6 films; and built 2 co-designed gardens on hospital sites. All activities are co-produced and therefore each project is unique.
In 2023, we joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and shifted from project to core funding. The last year has seen us develop our capacity through a part-time office team and a larger pool of freelancers. We have carefully considered how to shift our care-led and radically inclusive artistic practice into a broader operational practice, honing our Vision, Mission and Values to align. We have also dived deep into governance and systems in order to underwrite this.
Header photo credit: Kyle Simms
The Brief
Spectra is looking for a filmmaker to help us document our journey as we create The Commons, a community gathering space on the site of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, in Smethwick.
The Commons is a co-designed space, convening the ideas and inspirations from Spectra, their partners, and a wide range of community groups, including learning disability support centres, refugee and asylum seeker support organisations, a paediatric ward, community hubs, libraries and museums. The build team will begin working on site in Autumn 2024, whilst alongside, creative workshops in the community will be focused on making items for the space such as mosaic tiles, flags and decorative stones.
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. Someone who can take initiative in thoughtfully preserving moments over the course of the project, to create a final celebratory piece of work and demonstrate the impact of the project.
The filmmakers role includes:
- Capturing footage across the project and editing that footage to create a final short film which celebrates The Commons and our wider work with communities, and is an authentic portrayal of what happened.
- Working with Spectra’s Marketing and Communications Lead to create shorter pieces of video content as part of The Commons social media strategy.
- Liaising with the Creative Director and Creative Lead 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.
Timetable
The Commons will be built towards the end of September/October 2024. Workshops will be happening in and around Sandwell, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, throughout September, October and November. The filmmaker can liaise with the Creative Lead to plan which workshops to attend to suit their availability.
The fee is based on a total of 10 artist days. We expect that there will be 5 days (or 10 half days) filming the build on site and off site at workshops. There will be 4 days of editing time and 1 day of meetings/planning.
Support ahead of applying
If you think this job looks great but you’re a bit cautious about putting yourself forward, please get in touch for an informal chat. We’re very happy to talk through the role, to find different ways of communicating this job description, and to explore how different kinds of experience could contribute to fulfilling this role well.
Equitable opportunities
We eagerly encourage applications from people who are from marginalised or minoritised backgrounds. Our welcome extends beyond the recruitment process; we are committed to creating a working space that is safe and caring for all.
If you need or would prefer this job description or the application form below in another format, please don’t hesitate to contact hayley@wearespectra.co.uk to chat through how we can best open this opportunity to you.
Application process
An application form is available here: https://forms.gle/1X7qou6WYg1p5eiw9
When you submit your expression of interest, please also complete the equal opportunities monitoring form here: https://forms.gle/cGq2WQ5AazS4RA4KA. This form and your personal information will be kept separate from your application when it is reviewed by the panel.
Application questions
- What interests you about this Spectra, and this particular project?
- What relevant experience do you have to enable you to tell the story of The Commons?
- What kind of techniques will you use to capture the creative process, the building on site, and the community workshops?
- As well as filming and storytelling techniques, we are interested in how you approach putting a wide variety of people with different communication styles at ease.
- Please include two links to relevant examples of your work.
DEADLINE
DEADLINE: 9am on Monday 29th July 2024
SHORTLISTING DECISION: no later than 6pm on Monday 30th July 2024
INTERVIEWS: in person in Smethwick or via Zoom on 6th August 2024. If you are shortlisted, we will send you the interview questions and information about the panel in advance. We will also ask if any adjustments are needed to make the interview accessible for you.
Please contact hayley@wearespectra.co.uk with any questions or if we can help make this opportunity more accessible to you.
Please visit our website and our YouTube channel to get a good sense of our work: www.wearespectra.co.uk and https://www.youtube.com/@spectraarts2605/videos
Follow us @SpectraArtsCompany on socials too.