Creative Places Co-Ordinator

THE COMPETITION

Clare County Council is currently inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the above competition. Clare County Council will, following the interview process, form a panel for the post of Creative Places Shannon Co-Ordinator 36-month Specific Purpose Contract from which future relevant vacancies may be filled subject to sanction approval from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Positions will be offered in order of merit as per the panel. This panel will exist for 12 months and may be extended for a further period of 6-12 months at the discretion of the Chief Executive.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Clare County Council and partner organisations recently announced their successful award for the Arts Council Creative Places programme for Shannon. Through this milestone achievement, Creative Places Shannon will develop the creative potential of the town and environs, through engagement with creatives and the community. A ground-up approach will embrace a culturally diverse creative programme, centered on capacity building, collaboration, sustainability, and community development principles.

VISION AND MISSION

Creative Places Shannon is an ambitious three-year community-based artistic programme for Shannon and will be developed in collaboration with project partners for maximum cultural and social impact. Underpinned by socially engaged art practice and community development principles, it will be informed by the community's stories, experience and Shannon's social, economic, and cultural traditions. Through a Creative Places Shannon Research and Development Phase, the following priority areas have emerged for the next phase of Creative Places Shannon. The report is available at Creative Places Shannon — Clare Arts https://clarearts.ie/programme-areas/creative-placemaking/

The 4 priority areas for development which have been identified are:

Community Participation – a continued and deepened focus on developing socially-engaged art projects with the local community. This work should have a particular focus on working with disadvantaged and marginalised groups within the community including young people, older people, ethnic minorities and other marginalised and less-engaged groups.

Creative Spaces - the urban environment is an integral element of Shannon’s identity given its unique history as new town and a place with a different type of ‘town centre’ than most other places in Ireland. This priority area should focus on creative placemaking in the built environment but also include the many wonderful green and blue spaces that the town has.

Supporting Local Artists – Shannon can and should have a thriving artist community. The focus of work under this priority would be on working with and supporting existing and established artists and creatives and proactively seeking to engage with new and less-established artists with a view to supporting the emergence of a dynamic and vibrant artist community that can help drive the Creative Places Shannon programme and the broader creative and cultural development of the town.

Capacity-Building and Long-Term Sustainability – Shannon views Creative Places as providing a starting point and a catalyst for developing a more vibrant, socially-engaged arts infrastructure and community in Shannon. This will be a gradual and ongoing process that will require building capacity within local organisations and stakeholder groups to develop and manage socially engaged arts projects and programmes.

AIMS

• Cultivate a ground up approach to arts and creative engagement

• Grow existing synergies between artists and communities

• Develop new opportunities for a diverse range of artists working with communities

• Embed a rich, supportive, and sustainable culture for socially engaged art

• Create high quality socially engaged art

• Co-create with partners an innovative programme of opportunities for artists and communities to innovate and work together creatively.

KEY FUNCTIONS

The Co-Ordinator is responsible for the development, implementation, and delivery of Creative Places Shannon programme of socially engaging arts/collaborative arts commissions and creative community consultations in partnership with Clare County Council, local partners, and stakeholders, for communities and artists. The successful candidate will be accountable to the Guidance Team made up of local key stakeholders and community representation and line managed by Clare County Council Arts Officer. The Co-Ordinator will take a leading role in all areas of project management, programme delivery, producing, marketing, and communicating with artists, community members and local and national stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE FOR THE ROLE

The ideal candidate for the position shall:

• Experience working directly with artists and supporting their development.

• Experience in arts production and public event planning.

• A proven track record of leading projects and working collaboratively

• Strong understanding of socially engaged arts practice, community development and grassroots cultural participation.

• Skilled in building partnerships across statutory, voluntary, and community sectors.

• Experience in financial planning, reporting to funders and securing funding from multiple sources.

• A proven track record of working within communities using a community development approach and understanding of community issues

• An understanding and experience of working in socially disadvantaged communities and socially excluded groups.

• An understanding of the complexities of working in a local context.

• In-depth knowledge of the arts sector, including local and national arts policy, and ideally Arts Council reporting structures.

• PR, marketing and social media skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Excellent group and community facilitation skills

• Excellent ICT Skills

• Self-motivated, with strong initiative and problem-solving skills.

DUTIES

The duties to be assigned include the following although this list is not exhaustive and may be reviewed from time to time as organisational needs require. The duties will include but will not be limited to the following:

• Work in partnership with stakeholders and agencies in the Shannon area to ensure the effectiveness of the project and to augment the work that is happening in the area currently

• Support the Guidance Team responsible for the decision-making process around programme delivery to maintain a ground up approach

• Work with the Guidance Team and the Creative Team to design and deliver a series of creative community consultations/meetings to support the community to identify its needs within this programme and within the resources available

• Work with the Guidance Team to write briefs for artistic call outs, residencies, bursary awards, commissions, training, and capacity building to support the community to identify and select artists for same

• Manage the Creative Places budget and seek additional funding to sustain the programme beyond this 3-year period.

• Ensure that project timelines, concepts and marketing needs are met at regular intervals throughout the project which will include updating the Creative Places Shannon web presence at www.clarearts.ie

and organising documentary evidence of all related programme activities.

• Support skill development for artists, creatives and community facilitators development opportunities related to the project.

• Support artists in residence to make work with the local community that is socially engaged and support community groups and individuals to participate in the making of the work to be produced within all best practice guidelines

• Support the artists and community through commissioning processes.

• Show commitment to supporting artists and programmes that represent inclusion and cultural diversity.

• Lead the development of a long-term vision plan, beyond 2028, with strategic partners.

• Build an evaluation framework from the start to capture ongoing data and be able to disseminate the learning from the Creative Places Shannon programme through the 3-year programme and at a sharing event in 2028.

• To actively participate in documentation and evaluation of the programme and ensure that evaluation is embedded in all programmes and support the independent evaluator and commissioned artists in this regard

• Participate in information sharing and support opportunities provided by the Arts Council, for the Creative Places programme countrywide, through the Co-ordinator’s network.

• Risk assess and manage the risk and insurance for Creative Places Shannon.

• Have cognisance for Clare County Council's Corporate Plan, Local Area Plans and Climate Action programme and use environmentally friendly practices

• Support the establishment of an identity, brand and social media presence for Creative Places Shannon

• Build relationships with local, national and international press and media to market the work and update and maintain websites, blogs, social media sites, e-bulletins etc.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Character

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Education, Training, Experience, etc.

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:

a) Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms, hold an ordinary degree (Level 7 or higher on the National Framework of Qualifications) in an Arts/Cultural Discipline and

b) Have at least three years satisfactory relevant arts and administrative experience including experience in the area of programme development and budget management and

c) Have satisfactory knowledge of public service organisation and

d) Driving Licence - Hold a current full Class B driving licence free from endorsements

Failure to input and upload proof of essential educational qualifications in your application form will deem you ineligible for this competition. Failure to upload photographs (front & back) of your driving licence will deem you ineligible for this competition.

*Non-Irish Qualifications must be accompanied by a determination from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish their comparability against the Irish National Framework of Qualifications, overseas qualifications must also be accompanied by a translation document.

4. Age

Each candidate must be under 70 years of age on the latest date for receipt of completed Application Forms for the office if they are deemed not to be new entrants to the Public Service as defined by the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. However, the age restriction of 70 years does not apply to "new entrants" to the Public Service as defined by the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004.

5. Citizenship:

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

(a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway; or

(b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

(c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

(d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa; or

(e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015, or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a stamp 4 visa or

(f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa.

Salary:

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time. Holders of the post will be paid at the appropriate point on the salary scale in accordance with the relevant Department Circular. Where the appointee has been serving elsewhere in the public service in an analogous grade and pay-scale and will be moving without break to another part of the public sector at an analogous grade, the appointment may be made at the appointee’s current point of scale. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy. Starting pay for new entrants to the sector will be at the minimum of the scale. The current salary scale applicable to the post is €51,722 - €53,266 - €54,844 - €56,454 - €58,076 - €59,967 (1st LSI) - €61,865 (2nd LSI) (August 2025).

Working Hours:

The working hours effective from 1st July 2022, provide for a five day, thirty-five hour working week. The post may require flexibility in working outside of normal hours, including evenings and/or weekends, as necessary. The provisions of Clare County Council’s Leave Policy is applicable to this grade at the current time. In general the post holder will be required to work Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the work involved, candidates must be available to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required. The role will be split between Shannon and Ennis – a minimum of 2 days per week in Shannon. The coordinator will be based in the County Arts Office when in Ennis and in the Shannon Family Resource Centre when in Shannon. The Council reserves the right to alter the number of hours worked each day/each week and/or the times at or the days on which the hours are to be worked. The post-holder will be given as much notice as is reasonably practicable of any change in the schedule of hours worked.