Community Art Worker

While looking for creative art projects carried out within the community, to get inspiration for my own project, I have came across this information about community art workers and this could be another thing to write about in my dissertation.  It is also something I'd personally be interested in doing after university.

 http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/develop-your-career/template/community-art-worker 

Community art worker

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Community art workers work closely with community groups to engage and involve them in arts projects.

These could include:

• Drama and dance
• Visual arts – painting including murals, photography and textile art
• Model-making and crafts
• Creative writing
• Film and video production

They may work with children, adults and those with disabilities, ensuring equal opportunities and inclusion for all sectors of the community. Community art workers often engage with excluded sections of society, including homeless people, drug and alcohol users, the unemployed and those with mental health problems.
Some projects have a particular cultural or environmental focus. Improving quality of life is an important goal for community art workers.
Community art work is very varied and often involves participating in the creative work with members of the community.
The work can include:

• Developing innovative ideas alongside a community group for diverse arts projects
• Helping to develop art projects that meet the needs of the community
• Enabling people to develop art-work for their own community
• Teaching and demonstrating art techniques through workshops and classes
• Obtaining funding to support the work by writing bids and applying for grants
• General administration including managing budgets
• Networking with a very wide range of people including community artists
• Liaising with statutory and non-statutory groups including other community organisations
• Marketing and publicity including press, radio, internet and increasingly social networking sites
• Evaluation and project management
• Managing volunteers and developing their skills

Community art workers work in a variety of settings including:

• Hospitals
• Prisons
• Schools, especially in the after-school setting
• Local community and neighbourhood groups
• Carnivals
• Community theatre groups
• Care homes

The working hours can be irregular and may include evenings and weekends as well as usual day-time hours. Community art workers may also travel considerably as part of their role.