Tees Valley Arts have been awarded some funding through the Synergy consortium to run the stART project for young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training, in Stockton.
Brief
stART is an intervention designed by TVA, which has received national attention (Children and Young People Now journal, Arts Award nationally). Its aim is to ‘capture’ young people who are disengaged and/or disaffected, to help them break out of negative spirals, to learn to turn up and take part, to discover and develop skills, to enjoy themselves and to achieve accredited learning – Bronze Arts Award. This intervention then allows other agencies to help the young people build on this positive achievement and to make better choices about their next steps in life. This may be to college (previous stART graduates have gone on to study arts and media courses, fashion, retail, hair and beauty, accountancy, child care, animal husbandry, access to university etc) or to employment.
stART works through the arts and creativity, but participants don’t need to be ‘arty’ – as long as they like something out of: music, fashion, games, movies, comics, hair and beauty… then we can work with them.
stART has previously been delivered in Middlesbrough and Stockton, in partnership with IYSS teams. Participants have been 16-20 years old, with any/ many of the usual problems that young people have to contend with. Over the years stART has had over 80 stARTers, and 60 have successfully completed the course, achieving Arts Award.
This cohort of stART will work with up to 12 young people, attending for 8 weeks, for 3 days a week, from 10am-2.30pm; it will be based at Thornaby Youthy (211/13 Thornaby Rd, TS17 6LS). The participants receive £4pd towards their expenses, and receive a ‘half time’ £15 and a full time £20 voucher, as a reward.
The stART project leader will be Tim Coyte (TVA Youth and Community Officer); he will oversee and lead all ‘on the ground’ activity including premises set up, materials, preparation, recruitment, liaison with IYSS and others as necessary, administration, petty cash management, ‘participant management’, Arts Award activity, liaison with IAG, local colleges etc.
Each week there is a session led by an artist; usually we have contracted 2 different artists – eg a photographer and a model maker, each delivering 4 sessions. There is a trip to an arts venue – such as the Baltic or Yorkshire Sculpture Park. All participants keep an Arts Award diary which is regularly updated and worked on/ decorated/ enhanced. The project leader and support worker are line managed and intensively supported by TVA.
stART activities and the Arts Award are focussed (carefully and stealthily!) around the development of interpersonal skills, self-management, collaboration, self-confidence and reflectivity; previously stART has worked with many very challenging and lost young people and has helped them to relax, join in, conduct themselves responsibly, make progress, feel proud of themselves and thus make positive choices about their next steps.
The Support Worker
This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in working with young people through the arts to gain top notch experience. We welcome applications from people with a youth work background, and/or an arts background.
The Support Worker will support the project leader in all activities, as required, and will be line managed by him. The SW will help the young people engage and make progress, and will help the project run smoothly in all its interpersonal, practical and administrative aspects, as directed. The SW does not need to be ‘arty’, but does need to be open to creative activities, and will need to be reliable, responsible, responsive and relaxed around young people.
The Support Worker does not need to be a trained Arts Award Adviser (though that would help) and will be expected to understand the requirements of Arts Award and to help the young people achieve it.
Dates:
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays for 9 weeks, beginning Weds 1st May (first week will be spent with project leader, based at TVA; delivery begins Weds 8th May).
Hours:
9.30am – 3pm each day
Venue:
First week will be project set up, based at TVA and as required by Project Leader; delivery venue (8 weeks) is Thornaby Youthy, 211 Thornaby Road, TS17 6LS.
Fee:
The Support Worker will be paid £100 per day; thus total fee = 9 weeks x 3 days x £100pd = £2700
- This fee will include any VAT, travel and subsistence.
- Purchase Order number: 4060 – to be quoted on any invoice
To apply:
Please send a CV (no longer than two sides of A4) and a letter of application (no longer than two sides of A4). Your letter of application must address:
- Your understanding of and any experience of participatory arts in the youth sector
- Your understanding of the barriers to achievement that these young people may experience
- Your understanding of the issues of eg behaviour, lack of focus, lack of confidence and so on that participants may present, and how you think those issues can be best addressed and managed
- Your personal qualities that equip you for this role
- Why you want the role and want to work for TVA
- You must be able to provide an up to date – ie no older than two years – CRB or DBS certificate; please note, people already working for Stockton Youth Support Services can tell us this and we will check with them
- You will need to provide evidence of public liability insurance at the point of the awarding of contract
- You will need to make your own transport arrangements
- You MUST be able to make ALL the dates
Your letter of application must address every point given above to be considered.
You may include a small amount of other evidence, such as photographs, reports, publicity for projects etc. If you send these as actual documents and you wish to have them returned to you, then you must include self addressed envelopes/ packaging with sufficient postage stamps affixed. TVA cannot accept any responsibility for possible loss of or damage to materials sent by candidates.
Deadline for applications:
Your application must arrive by 5pm Thursday 18th April 2013.
Send applications to:
Rowena Sommerville
Tees Valley Arts
Melrose House
Melrose Street
Middlesbrough
TS1 2HZ
Or email to: rowena.sommerville@teesvalleyarts.org.uk
Please note: email applications are preferred.
Selection:
Selection will then be made on paper in the first instance.
More Information:
For any further information, please contact Rowena Sommerville, TVA Director, on 01642 264655 or rowena.sommerville@teesvalleyarts.org.uk