Job Description Lead Artist - Musician, Where We Are (Starcatchers)

Job Description
Lead Artist - Musician, Where We Are (Starcatchers)

Accountable to: Head of Artist Development
Contract type: Fixed-term freelance contract for 9 months
Fee: £11,250 (based on £150 per day, 2 days per week for 9 months)
Hours: Two days per week on average
Location: Fife
Key dates: Project starts April 2021
Where We Are
Where We Are is a new creative initiative from Starcatchers, Imaginate and Lyra. encompassing
a travelling ensemble, creative play, and participatory performance making, all co-designed with
children and young people across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife.
Supported by the Creative Scotland Youth Arts Targeted Fund, Where We Are will recruit up to 17
artists, practitioners, and production staff to engage over 6 months with refugee families, young
mothers and babies and groups of children through a programme of inspirational artistic activity.
In partnership with groups focused on tackling inequality, incl. Refuweegee, Multicultural Family
Base and Fife Gingerbread, the organisations’ three distinct project strands will be informed by the
wellbeing and needs of the children and young people involved. 
The project partners will deliver a comprehensive training and development programme for
the artistic team including anti-racism and trauma-informed child protection training, with
opportunities to share artistic practices and project learning. We aim to create a supportive and
shared experience across the whole project.
Where We Are is all about connecting with children and young people through performance
making, creative arts and play as we begin to look towards life beyond the pandemic.
Starcatchers strand of this project will be focused in Fife. Starcatchers residencies will build on
the success of Starcatchers’ previous community engagement activity in the region - Expecting
Something which had provided a creative play space for young parents under 25 with babies under
2 years old in and around Lochgelly.
Our artist team of two lead artists and two trainee artists will be supported by a Co-ordinator.
Working in partnership with Fife Gingerbread Teen Parent Project, we will engage with young,
teenage parents who have babies under 36 months.
The Starcatchers artist team will engage directly where the babies and their young parents are –
in Glenrothes, Cowdenbeath, Methil, Leven and Kirkcaldy. The artists will work with the infants and
parents/carers to develop a programme of arts activity that responds to their needs and interests
and allows for the voices of the participants – both babies and young parents - to be reflected and
heard.
The artists will also have budget to create a work-in-progress performance/event inspired and co-
created by the participants. This piece may then be developed further through Starcatchers’ New
Work Development Programme later in 2022.
Lead Artist - Musician

We are looking for an experienced, socially motivated musician to lead Starcatchers’ Where We Are
project in Fife alongside our other Lead Artist who is a visual arts specialist.
You will be brimming with ideas and able to create beautiful experiences for babies and young
children aged 0-3. In this project you will be able to explore your own artistic specialism in
collaboration with the other lead artist and the two trainees.
Ideally you will have proven track record in devising creative projects or activities with participants
and have a personable nature that makes people of all ages feel welcome and at ease.
These roles would suit someone based in (or within easy access of) Fife. Exceptional artistic skills
and people skills are both required, as this role involves creative programming and planning, as
well as hands-on delivery of participatory arts experiences.
As one of two Lead Artists you will work closely with Starcatchers’ Creative Babies Co-ordinator,
who will input creatively as well as leading on the logistical and practical project planning and
support the two trainee artists.
These roles include full access to training and will include peer support and sharing meetings with
the other artists taking part in the Imaginate and Lyra strands of the project.
Purpose of the role
To lead on the delivery of the Where We Are project.
Key activities
o Create and lead the artistic vision for Where We Are

o Ensure the project achieves excellent artistic and social outcomes
o Work with Starcatchers’ Creative Babies Co-ordinator to plan and deliver the sessions each
week and to ensure smooth running of the project
o Develop positive relationships with local partners so that they understand the project and
the benefits to families with whom they are working
o With Starcatchers’ Creative Babies Co-ordinator, ensure materials and artist fees and other
expenditure stays within the set budget
o With the Coordinator, ensure the Project documentation is kept up to date on Starcatchers’
online shared working platform (Session plans, Visiting artist details, Reflection Logs)
o Support and mentor the Trainee Artists on the project
o Work with the Starcatchers team to ensure evaluation, reporting and funding targets are
met.
o Attend relevant training as and when required
Qualifications and experience required
o Degree (or equivalent professional experience) in arts/music

o Minimum three year’s work experience in creating/leading high-quality arts or music
engagement activity
o Experience working with early years children
Essential skills and abilities
o A proven track record of delivering high quality arts/music experiences

o A proven track record of collaborating with other artists and practitioners
o Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
o Excellent interpersonal, organisational and planning skills
o An ability to deliver activities for a variety of groups and participants with varying needs
o An ability to work as part of a small team and show initiative
o An ability to develop good working relationships with artists, project partners, funders and
other staff, retaining your own artistic vision while valuing the importance of the skills
others bring to social projects
o Knowledge of how arts can support social change
You must be based in Scotland to apply for this role. The Lead Artist will be required to undertake
a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland.
Desirable
o A full driving licence and access to own car, or ability to travel within Fife.
o An understanding of the developmental stages in early childhood development
o Knowledge of the Young Audiences sector in Scotland
Covid-19
Delivery will take place outdoors or socially distanced in community spaces. Should severe
restrictions or lockdown be put in place, we will look at online delivery, but only as a last resort.
Expression of Interest
To express your interest in this role and to find out further details about the application process,
please contact Jenny Phillips, Head of Artist Development, at jennifer.phillips@starcatchers.org.uk
or call 07863 029333.
We are happy to consider a joint application or job share.
Deadline for expressions of interest: 30th April 2021
Equalities
Starcatchers welcomes applications from all sections of our community. We recognise there are
barriers to working in performance and that these challenges are experienced more acutely by
some people. We are committed to increasing the diversity of artists working in our sector and
especially welcome applications from those who identify as having characteristics currently
under-represented in our sector. This includes people with protected characteristics as defined by
the Equality Act 2010 across age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership,
pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation alongside those with
chronic illness, neurodiversity, parental/caring responsibilities, experience of the immigration
system and people from working-class backgrounds.
Starcatchers Equal Opportunities Statement:

Starcatchers wholeheartedly supports the principle of equal opportunities and values the
individual contribution of people, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and
civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, history of
illness, needs of dependents and/or parenthood.
We believe that it is in the company’s best interests, and all those of who work in it, to ensure that
the human resources, talents and skills available throughout the community are considered when
employment and training opportunities arise.  To this end we are committed, within the framework
of the law, to achieving and maintaining a workforce who broadly reflect the local community in
which we operate. Every possible step will be taken to ensure that individuals are treated equally
and fairly and that decisions on recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career management
are based solely on objective and job-related criteria.
Starcatchers fully supports this policy statement.  All employees and those engaged in our
activities are responsible for playing their part in achieving these objectives.

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Job Description

Lead Artist - Musician, Where We Are (Starcatchers)

Contract type: Fixed-term freelance contract for 9 months

Hours: Two days per week on average

Key dates: Project starts April 2021

Lead Artist - Musician

Purpose of the role

To lead on the delivery of the Where We Are project.

o Create and lead the artistic vision for Where We Are

Qualifications and experience required

o Degree (or equivalent professional experience) in arts/music

Essential skills and abilities

o A proven track record of delivering high quality arts/music experiences

We are happy to consider a joint application or job share.

Deadline for expressions of interest: 30th April 2021

Starcatchers Equal Opportunities Statement:

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