We are delighted to be hosting a Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries Fellow as part of a programme to get more people from low socio-economic backgrounds into cultural careers.
Across the UK there will be 50 exciting opportunities to develop a career in the arts, with each role playing an important part in the host organisation. We are welcoming applications for the role of Weston Jerwood Creative Fellow, which will involve working across our events and curating teams.
Click here to find out more and download an application pack.
Even before the pandemic wreaked havoc on career prospects in the arts, those from middle-class backgrounds were 2.5 times more likely to end up in creative occupations than their working-class peers. This is a situation which has not improved since records began in 2014. Social mobility is a greater issue in the cultural sector and wider creative industries than across the economy as a whole. The wider creative industries have created over 300,000 jobs over the past five years, yet the number of creative workers from working-class backgrounds has increased by just 33,000. Just as with the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, it is expected that those who are already finding it difficult to make their way in the arts will be the worst hit by the impact of covid-19.
The Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries aim to redress the balance by funding 50 paid, year-long artistic and creative Fellowships as well as an organisational development programme run by people make it work to embed inclusive practices for the host organisation, with three members of the host team taking part, including a board member and a senior executive.
This is the fourth edition of the programme, which has been running for over 10 years and has 125 alumni to date, many of whom have forged successful careers. This edition of WJCB is the largest yet, with support from Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Programme, Garfield Weston Foundation, Art Fund, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Scotland, and PRS Foundation.
This is a step-change opportunity and we want to work with an early career creative professional who is looking to develop their career as a producer, programmer, event manager or curator in the arts. We want to work with you if you are people-focused, curious about your environment, and interested in how the arts can bring about change – in big or small ways.
We’re really interested in working with people who can bring their life experiences, skills and interests to this role. You will have 2 to 5 years of work experience or have graduated from university within the last 2 years. You will be able to demonstrate an interest in the arts and in how creativity can bring about change but you don’t need to have a qualification in an arts subject or have been to university