Transformations is a project run by Imagineer Productions targeting the most marginalised young people in our community and supporting them to take up further training and achieve jobs/leadership roles in the creative industries. The programme has been running for eight years and key to our success is offering opportunities for young people to create their own authentic outdoor projects as well through the framework of our professional work. We have successfully secured ESF/CCC funding for this project for the next two years as part of a City Council initiative Your Vision Your Future, creating pathways for young people into employment.

There are three Transformations programmes each year, each one working with a cohort of 10-15 young people and lasting approximately three months with the group generally meeting once a week. Each programme will have a creative leader and will have a specific activity as its focus – for example in April 2022, one cohort curated OCEAN’S FAIR – TURNING THE TIDE, an exhibition/installation about the health of the world’s oceans, to accompany Imagineer’s production of MILESIANS – THE COMING OF THE GAELS.

There are four more programmes in the current phase, which runs to the end of December 2023. Each programme will require 2-3 artists to work with the young people on whatever is the focus of that particular programme – it may be visual arts, performance, technical skills – and we would like to hear from artists who are interested in working on the programme. Please see below for specific requirements for each programme, but we are willing to receive applications from anyone who would like to be added to our supplier list to be considered for a future programme.

Applications should take the form of a CV and accompanying letter explaining why you would like to work on Transformations programme, what experience of similar work you have and what skills you can bring. Artists will be selected on the following criteria, which should be addressed in your letter:

Artistic practice/skills

Experience of working with young people

Experience of teaching/supporting/mentoring young people

Ability to work with neuro-divergent/learning disabled/vulnerable young people

Ability to relate to people who may find it hard to engage with conventional approaches to education and training

Ability to work collaboratively

Artists will be required to be DBS checked.

Please email your application to joe@imagineerproductions.co.uk. A fee will be paid for engagement based on the number of days worked and the level of experience of the artist.

Cohort 2 – 16 June – 25 August 2022

Lead Visual Artist

Role –

· Take the lead role for this programme, defining its aims, content and outcomes

· Identify any other skills/experience needed to deliver the programme and help recruit suitable people

· Lead planning activities

· Support graduate apprentices to lead to freelance artist status

· Lead all workshop sessions, creating a safe environment within which the participants can flourish

· Take part in evaluations of the programme and project.

· Work within budgets

Person specification –

· Must be highly experienced and demonstrate ability and commitment to working with young vulnerable, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people aged 16-29 years

· Be able to work with groups whilst also being able to focus on complex needs and individual people’s creative development

· Show experience of working across disciplines/artforms including visual art, craft, construction, digital with an understanding of film, video, sound lighting

· Demonstrate creative flexibility in processes of working reflecting the goals and ambitions of the individual young people involved

· Demonstrate understanding of safeguarding policies and issues

· Be able to lead a project with genuine co creation engagement

· Be able to advise young people on career development as well as working with them on projects which develop self employed status

Cohort 3 – October – December 2022

To be announced shortly

FREELANCE SUPPORT WORKERS

We also need to engage freelance support workers to provide mentoring, advice and support to the young people and to help them to find routes to employment once they have completed the programme. This will run for the rest of the project through to December 2023 and require approximately 5/6 days work per month. The roles are as follows:

Career Mentor and Recruitment Officer

Role –

· Work with The Transformations team to run a safe, successful project that engages and develops NEETS young people

· Attend Transformations days (normally Thursdays 10.00am -3.00pm)

· Enrol young people onto Transformations and set career and personal goals

· Support and guide young people through the course ensuring that they hit their goals and working with the Personal Mentor ensuring graduation of participants

· Oversee daily register and contacting young people who fail to attend

· Find suitable referrals if a young person is in need of outside professional support

· Order food and oversee the food preparation

· Be an ambassador for Transformations supporting the recruitment programme

· Work within any set budgets (travel and food)

· Attend planning meetings

· Support Transformations Recruitment Officer to achieve ESF recruitment targets

· Create and innovate across the Transformations team and with young people to help them achieve further training, employment, self-employment status and other creative means of earning money collectively or as individuals

· Bring in inspirational people from the creative industries especially artists with disabilities to share their creative journeys

Person Specification –

· Must be highly experienced and demonstrate ability and commitment to working with young vulnerable, neurodivergent and learning- disabled young people aged 16-25.

· Demonstrate high level experience and success in working with young people on goal setting and finding career pathways in the creative industries.

· Understand how the creative industries work

· Demonstrate understanding of safeguarding policies and issues

· Be able to advise young people on career development as well as working with them on projects which develop self employed status

Personal Mentor

Role –

· Work with The Transformations team to run a safe, successful project that engages and develops NEETS young people

· Attend Transformations days (normally Thursdays 10.00am -3.00pm)

· Work with individuals on their career pathways and exit strategy

· Support recruitment campaign

· Take part in evaluation

· Providing appropriate information to Transformations Administration and Finance Officer for ESF reporting purposes

Person specification –

· Must be able to demonstrate high level experience and knowledge of working with vulnerable, neurodivergent and learning- disabled young people aged 16-29

· Preferably experience in the creative industries

· To be able to advise, support, mentor individuals setting life goals and monitoring them

· Hold the register of participants and a full understanding of their complex needs, family contacts and support networks GP’s

· Lead group embedded evaluation process and have clear experience in delivering this

· Be the key point of contact in relation to attendance

· Have the knowledge and ability to signpost young people to accessing outside professional help or support if needed