Creative Places Shannon Researcher

Introduction

This is a Request for Quotations for a part–time researcher for Clare Arts Office’s Creative Places Research and Development Programme in Shannon Town, Co.Clare.

The vision for the Creative Places Research and Development Programme in Shannon Town is to empower the people of Shannon to develop the town as a Creative Place by enabling the community to self-determine what such a place might look / feel like.

Creative Places is an opportunity for Shannon to build local arts programmes which will benefit the communities living in the town in the short term, and to plan for a three year phase of further development, subject to securing funding.

Creative Places Shannon is an initiative of the Arts Office of Clare County and is led by a part-time co-ordinator. This co-ordinator is responsible for working with the community, through an established creative team made up of community members and artists, to identify creative needs, organise activities in response to these needs, work with socially engaged artists to deliver arts programmes.

Details of the work to date is available from Creative Places Shannon — Clare Arts

The aims of the Creative Places Shannon programme are

1. To enhance public engagement in the arts through partnerships with community and arts organisations, business and diverse communities.
2. To support the community to explore and discuss possible creative activities that can enhance community wellbeing and inclusion. It will encourage community collaboration and shared environmental sustainable goals to create vibrant cultural activity in Shannon.

Whilst there is much activity on the ground, Creative Places Shannon is most concerned with and wishes to engage with those who, for whatever reason, do not have a creative voice or partake in creative activity.

We are looking to engage the services of a Researcher to work closely with the Creative Places Coordinator to support and develop the Creative Places Research and Development Programme in Shannon and to prepare applications for future / ancillary developments which may enhance the Creative Places Programme.

Applications are invited for the following

Clare County Council wishes to appoint a part-time researcher on a short term contract for services basis for a period of 10 months to support and develop the Creative Places Research and Development Programme in Shannon and to prepare applications for future / ancillary developments which may enhance the Creative Places Programme.

Applications are welcome for the role of researcher from individuals or from research partnerships / teams working in this area.

The Researcher will work closely with the Creative Places coordinator, the Arts Officer and others in the Culture Section of Clare County Council and with other key stakeholders within Clare County Council and in the community.

The main duties of the researcher are as follows:

• Carry out research with key stakeholders, particularly those who may not be represented by organisations or businesses but those living in Shannon town, on the perceived challenges and opportunities present in making Shannon a vibrant Creative Spaces town.
• Collect data through surveys, interviews and focus groups (mixed method approach)
• Analyse the data collected and produce a final report that reflects the community perspective and contributes to the shaping of the future creative vision of Creative Places Shannon.
• Support the Coordinator in the work on the ground through attendance at meetings and various ancillary duties as they arise.
• Work with Creative Places Shannon and the creative team to support participating communities through arts actions and mixed research methods to act as co-researchers and ensure that their lived experiences will be formative to the research process.
• Assess the impact of Creative Places Shannon in supporting a culturally diverse, resilient community to build confidence and a strong sense of place through arts actions and a consultative process.
• Support the preparation of a 2025 application for a 3 year Creative Places Programme in Shannon by
  1. Gathering and analysing data, documenting and producing reports on the potential of Shannon as a creative place.
  2. Identifying opportunities and barriers to participation in arts and creativity.
  3. Producing a final evaluation report on the Creative Shannon Research and Development Phase at its conclusion in November 2024 and to assist with making an application for a three year Creative Places Project in Shannon with an expected deadline of March 2025

The successful candidate will be:

• experienced in their particular field and be able to work independently and as part of a small team
• be fully committed and experienced in socially engaged arts practice and have some knowledge and understanding of creative place making and or experience in community development
• Significant research experience in the use of a range of research methods most suited to the context.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Shannon town context.
• Possess excellent communication skills to connect with individuals and communities.
• Demonstrate a proven ability to work with diversity and inclusivity across a broad range of communities
• Ability to unearth, respond, collaborate and reflect on the needs, barriers and expectations of the people of Shannon
• Knowledge and experience of the needs of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• Accessibility to Shannon

Requirements

The work of the Researcher will involve working with the Creative Places coordinator, the Arts Officer and others in the Culture Section of Clare County Council and with other key stakeholders within Clare County Council and in the community.

Applications for the role of Researcher from individuals or from a team are welcome.

The core work of the researcher will involve supporting the co-ordinator to:

• Work with artists and the steering group to support participating communities through arts actions and mixed research methods to act as co-researchers and ensure that their lived experiences will be formative to the research process.
• Assess the impact of Creative Places Shannon in supporting a culturally diverse, resilient community to build confidence and a strong sense of place through arts actions and a consultative process.
• Support the preparation of a 2025 application for a 3 year Creative Places Programme in Shannon by
• Gathering and analysing data, documenting and writing reports on the potential of Shannon as a creative place.
• Identifying opportunities and barriers to participation in arts and creativity.
• Writing a final report on the Creative Shannon Research and Development Phase at its conclusion and to assist with making an application for a three year Creative Places Project in Shannon.

Specifically the Researcher is required to

• identify barriers to participation in the arts in Shannon particularly for those communities that are / feel disenfranchised currently and research / test methods to overcome these barriers.
• to research the understanding of communities and stakeholders as to what a creative place may look like/ feel like and to provide support to the Creative Places co-ordinator in instigating what may be required to achieve this.
• to make recommendations as to how to enhance and build capacity locally (amongst communities, individuals and artists) to develop and deliver socially engaged projects.
• To research how best to develop structured supports for commissioned artists and participating organisations and individuals.

• Support the preparation of a 2025 Arts Council application for a 3 year Creative Places Programme in Shannon

• Produce an evaluation report on the Research and Development Phase

The Contract

The Tender Budget is a maximum of €14,000 including travel from home base to Shannon.

• The Researcher will report to the Arts Officer, or her nominee. and will work for a minimum of one day per week (8 hours) or two half days is acceptable also. On occasion this requirement may increase to accommodate events, meetings, national conferences etc. This will be agreed in advance with the County Arts Officer.
• The Researcher may work some of the required hours on a remote basis but will be required to attend meetings and events in Shannon town and do face to face research with interested parties and participants.
• The Researcher should have access to their own laptop and phone for the duration of the project.
• Flexibility in a start date can be accommodated but our preference is for a start as soon as possible. In any event the role will need to begin no later than July 1^st, 2024. Key dates are:

i) The submission of a draft evaluation report on the project to the Arts Office by October by November 1^st and a completed report by November 29^th, 2024.

ii) The submission of a Creative Places application to the Arts Council for 3 year funding in Q1 / Q2 2025 (depending on the Arts Council application date)

• The Researcher will be paid monthly in arrears and must provide a tax clearance certificate and professional indemnity insurance indemnifying Clare County Council to the value of €6.5 million minimum. (These are not required on application, but will be required before the coordinator starts the position)
• Business class insurance is required if using own transport to include an indemnity to Clare County Council also.
• The Researcher may be required to attend monthly Creative Places network meetings (normally virtually on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon) as well as monthly Arts Office meetings, normally virtual meetings.
• The Researcher will be required to complete a Garda vetting and reference checking process and will be required to do a Child Safeguarding Course as well as providing a Safe Guarding statement, prior to commencing work on the project.
• The Researcher will be required to abide by Clare County Council’s Child Protection, Communications and Data Protection Policies and any other policies that may be determined as relevant by Clare County Council including procurement and cyber security.

Criteria for the Researcher

• Significant research experience and use of a range of methods most suited to the context.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Shannon town context.
• Excellent communication skills to connect individuals and communities.
• Proven ability to work with diversity and inclusivity.
• Ability to unearth, respond, collaborate and reflect on the needs, barriers and expectations of the people of Shannon
• Flexibility and maturity to work on own initiative and with a team.
• Knowledge and experience of the needs of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
• Accessibility to Shannon
  

Further information

If you have any questions, queries or clarifications please use the Queries/Questions/Clarification tool. All clarifications and answers will be published using this tool for all candidates to see. The person who posed the questions will remain anonymous.