CREATIVE MENTOR TRAINING OPPORTUNITY – SCEP MEMBER ORGANISATIONS ONLY

We are inviting SCEP Member organisations to nominate early career creatives for the Creative Mentoring Training Scheme, to mentor young people in Southampton

  • Timescale: October 2022 – March 2023
  • Fee: ÂŁ4,500.00
  • Application Deadline: 20 September 5PM
  • Interview Dates:  28/29 September in Southampton

This opportunity is part of Southampton Cultural Education Partnership’s (SCEP) Better Lives Through Culture Programme, in partnership with Artswork.

This is a paid training opportunity open to early career creatives in Southampton to develop mentoring skills and provide 1-2-1 support to young people aged 11 – 18 years.  Successful candidates will be trained as Creative Mentors, developing their mentoring skills, knowledge and experience. Throughout the programme they will be supported to mentor a Southampton-based young person to achieve their goals.

The SCEP’s objective is to develop a cohort of Creative Mentors as local role models in Southampton, who will work directly with and inspire Children and Young People, including those from at risk, marginalised backgrounds or NEET (not in employment education or training).

What being a Creative Mentor involves

Six early career creatives will be trained as Creative Mentors, and mentor a young person over a six-month scheme, guiding them to gain confidence, connections and the advice they need to succeed in their chosen goal/subject/industry. With the support of a Creative Mentor Trainer, mentoring pairs will decide on each young person’s individual goals and work towards achieving them.

Each Mentor pair will meet over an agreed number of sessions.

What is a Nominating Organisation and how will they support the Creative Mentor

The nominating organisation (person) is a cultural organisation that has a relationship with the early career creative.

It is expected that mentoring meetings will be face to face at the nominating organisation, however some remote meetings may be necessary during the course of the programme, as well as email communication between sessions.

Early Career Creatives

This opportunity is open to early career creatives* who would benefit from this training opportunity to develop and grow their skills, knowledge and experience to support a diverse range of young people with their own creative aspirations.

*By early career creative, this means anyone who is at an early stage in their professional creative career. This includes recent school leavers or people who have recently made a career change into the cultural sector/creative industries.

Training

A fee of ÂŁ4,500.00 based on completing 42 days is available for each Creative Mentor.

As part of the Creative Mentoring Training scheme, participants will develop the skills and tools to be an effective mentor and will:

  • work with a trainer to develop their mentoring practice through small group training sessions.
  • Work with and support a young person to develop their own goals over an agreed number of sessions.
  • gain direct experience and transferable skills including coaching, safeguarding and structuring mentoring sessions.

Person Specification

Essential:

  • An early career creative from any art form; including but not limited to visual arts, music, performing arts, written and spoken word, dance, film making and design.
  • Southampton based;
  • Experience of working with young people;
  • Good at problem solving and/or talking through issues;
  • Reliable and committed;
  • A good communicator;
  • Able to provide insight from your personal experience;
  • Willing to undertake a DBS Enhanced check.

Desirable:

  • Experience of supporting another person to develop personal goals. (You will be given training to do this);
  • Experience of working with vulnerable young people.

Timeline for Creative Mentor Scheme

Shortlisting for mentors from 21 September 2022

Interviewing of mentors 28/29 September 2022

Confirmation of outcomes of interviews for Mentors w/c 3 October 2022

Creative Mentor training and programme begins October 2022 – March 2023

Celebration event for Mentors and Mentees April 2023

Nomination Criteria:

  • Nominating cultural organisations must be SCEP members or willing to join the SCEP*
  • Candidates should self-define as early career creatives and have a connection to their nominating  organisation e.g. artist, freelancer, staff member, participant.
  • Nominating cultural organisations must provide a reference for their candidate, please see the section on the form marked ‘Questions for Nominating Organisation’.

* To join the SCEP you must be a Southampton-based cultural and/or educational organisation. For more information email scep@soton.ac.uk

How to apply:

  • CANDIDATE:  Please complete the online form
  • NOMINATING ORGANISATIONS: Please complete the section on this form marked nominating organisation. Or email a word document answering the ‘Questions for Nominating Organisation’  as detailed in the online form to scep@soton.ac.uk stating the name of the candidate at the beginning of the document.
  • DEADLINE: Submit the online application form (And Word document if applicable) by Tuesday 20 September 2022, 5pm
  • INTERVIEWS: To take place in 28/29 September in Southampton

Access Support & General Enquiries

We want to ensure the application process is accessible, and to give everyone the information they need to decide whether they might be suitable. If you require this description or any further information in a different format, or have questions before you apply, please get in touch with Jodie Sadler, Programme Manager, Better Lives Through Culture: J.Sadler@soton.ac.uk please provide a contact telephone number. Please note that queries may not be answered immediately due to the working hours of the team.

We’re especially keen to hear from people who may have shared experience with our mentees, such as people who are Black, Asian or from a minoritised ethnic group, LGTBQIA+ people, disabled people and those who have identified as working class.