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- Help local communities plan and take part in activities like drama, dance, painting and photography
- Requires creative skills, the ability to work well with others and sensitivity and understanding
- Your work will be based in places like community centres, libraries, youth centres, schools, prisons and care homes
As a community arts worker you'll work to improve the quality of life in communities where there may be social or cultural issues. You'll be involved in practical creative work, or be responsible for recruiting and managing others.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Working with local community groups to identify needs and concerns
- Developing new groups and activities
- Creating artwork and helping community members develop their own ideas
- Promoting and organising input from other arts workers
- Leading meetings and training activities
- Advising on grants, sponsorship and other sources of funding, writing funding bids and proposals
- Managing budgets and general administration
- Publicising activities through the press, local radio, leaflets and social media
- Managing and assessing projects
- You'll often work with organisations like health, housing, youth and education services
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in the community, at an adult care home, in a prison or at a school. Your working hours will depend on the needs of the community and the projects you're involved in. Weekend and evening work is common, and longer hours are often needed as you get close to a deadline or a performance. You may be involved in outside events like festivals, carnivals and street theatre and travel between sites may be required.
Contracts are often short-term or part-time. If you're freelance, you'll usually charge a daily rate, and the amount may depend on your experience and the budget.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with an interest in the arts, who has creativity, the ability to work well with others and has sensitivity and understanding.
You can apply directly for jobs if you've got paid or voluntary experience of working in the community. For example, in adult education, art teaching or youth work. Experience of working with disadvantaged or vulnerable groups will also be helpful. To gain experience you can find out about local community arts projects from the arts officer at your local council, or by checking Voluntary Arts, Arts Council England and Do-it.
You may also find a community arts qualification such as a level 2 Certificate in Community Arts Administration and a level 3 Certificate in Community Development useful for getting a job as an assistant. Or you could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in community arts, creative expressive therapies, art and design or community education.
Alternatively, you may be able to do a cultural learning and participation officer advanced apprenticeship, or an apprenticeship in community arts. Experience is just as important for getting onto a community arts course as it is for finding paid work.
You will need to pass enhanced background checks for this role.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could work freelance and run larger projects with bigger budgets. In larger organisations, you could move into a more senior or management role.