Art Work - Covid Recovery - Employment and Skills Initiative for the Arts Sector

Overview

The funding aims to deliver interventions to address labour market barriers faced by individuals in light of the impact of the pandemic on the economy. The interventions are to have a particular focus on the arts, creative industries, heritage, sport and voluntary community sectors.

The Department for Communities has appointed Future Screens NI (FSNI) in partnership with Arts Council NI to deliver this programme to organisations specifically within the arts sector.

Purpose:

The purpose of this programme is to create employment opportunities for individuals to work in a recognised arts organisation, which will in turn support organisational and sectoral growth. The programme will achieve this by offering organisations financial support to create fully-funded fixed-term work opportunities aligned to career paths for people from across all age ranges and backgrounds, and with a range of appropriate abilities in the arts/creative industries.

Who is the Scheme Aimed At?

• any small to medium-sized not-for-profit arts organisation
• organisations which can provide employment and skills development for an individual who wishes to enter into, or progress within, the arts sector
• organisations that can show how involvement in the scheme will support and strengthen the arts sector as a whole
• organisations based in Northern Ireland

Available Funding

A grant to fund the salary and associated costs of a new entry level position for 3 years. This is calculated on the Real Living Wage plus on-costs and includes an anticipated % increase year on year.

An additional and optional grant of up to £3,000 to fund skills and development needs of the newly appointed staff and, where appropriate, mentoring and support of existing staff within the organisation. This should add real value to the individuals involved, to the organisation and to the sector.

Applicant organisations must:

• be not-for-profit organisations, constituted, with two unrelated people able to sign on behalf of the organisation;
• organisation’s primary purpose must relate to arts;
• demonstrate that the new post created would provide a good quality job opportunity (providing transferable skills, contributing to future employability, enhancing the sector); and
• demonstrate a credible plan to prevent the need for further public sector funding for the new post after 2025 such as absorbing the post into the organisation.

Applicant organisations will be required to:

• show how the role will improve the individual’s future employment opportunities (by providing on the job training);
• have a credible proposal outlining the support and management of the new employee;
• have the ability to ensure the new post holder will be supervised by another member of staff to facilitate learning and development;
• have a strategy for planning for at least the next 3 years;
• set out how they will endeavour to employ someone who would not otherwise have the opportunity to enter employment in this sector; and
• indicate how the employment will add value for the sector.
• encourage new talent to enter employment in sectors where talent has been depleted and/or there is an ageing workforce.
• allow individuals to fulfil their potential and add value to their organisation and sector, by training in sector-specific skills.

A broad range of roles across the arts sector can be supported by this programme. Applicants are asked to demonstrate that the new posts would provide a good quality job opportunity for individuals which will in turn support organisational and sectoral growth.

Roles could include, but are not limited to posts in:

• marketing,
• digital skills,
• operations,
• finance,
• sales,
• technical support,
• administrative support
• audience engagement.