Animate Projects seeks three UK based animation artists to work with us to deliver WORK Records, an ambitious, community focused project, exploring, and developing resources in response to three heritage collections across the East Midlands.
Each artist will be part of, and play a role in facilitating, an ‘investigative team’. You will join curators, historians, existing and former workers, to explore a particular East Midlands heritage collection, identifying records and objects, and seeing where they lead us, and to who, and what stories they can tell, about working lives.
You will then develop and produce a short, animated film (c. 3 – 5 minutes) that articulates this new knowledge and understanding, telling previously hidden and untold stories of working lives. All three artists will also be members of the overall Project Community, sharing their experience, joining conversations, and contributing to the development and delivery of, and participating in, the public engagement programme.
The three films will be the catalyst and inspiration for an extensive public engagement programme, including screenings & discussions, workshops, a ‘staff newspaper’ publication. They will be shown online and made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Location: remote working, and in person meetings and activities in the East Midlands
Contract: freelance
Duration: May 2025 – October 2026
A total fee of £18,000 for each artist, with an estimated breakdown as:
- Facilitation, research, pre-production, public engagement:
£5,000 (25 days @ £200) - Film production fee : £10,000 (50 days @ £200)
- Production materials, post-production, insurance: £3,000
Follow this link for more background to Animate, WORK Records and our partners.
Person specification
- Established professional animation practice
- An excellent track record in delivering independent and/or commissioned animation projects, on time, and within budget.
- Experience of working to engage diverse communities in a contemporary heritage and/or visual arts/museum context.
- Experience of working with a range of partners and stakeholders.
- A passion for social history.
- Confident in speaking about your ideas, process and practice with a range of stakeholders, and in public forums.
- Able to work to tight deadlines
- Experienced in managing budgets
- Confident in working with Microsoft Office software, Google Sheets, email, and online file management systems
- Able to work remotely, including access to reliable WIFI for regular online meetings
- Ambitious, resilient, flexible, and creative.
- A commitment to access and inclusion.
Key tasks/Responsibilities
You will:
- Contribute to the development and delivery of WORK Records.
- Participate in and contribute to the WORK Records project community – meet ups, public events, thoughts, ideas, etc.
- Lead, with support from the WORK Records Project Manager, and in collaboration with the WORK Records Heritage and Engagement partners, the investigative team for one of the heritage collections.
- Develop and produce a short, animated film, in close collaboration with the project community, Project Historian, and with production and editorial support and input from Animate Projects
- Contribute to development and delivery of the public engagement programme.
- Taking part in online and in person activities as part of the engagement programme.
- Contribute to the evaluation of the programme and action research on good practice in around situated/collaborative approaches for heritage and arts projects
- Ensure all work is delivered in line with Animate’s policies and procedures, including Environmental Sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
How to apply
If you have any questions or if you require the job description in an alternative form, please email Gary Thomas at: workrecords@animateprojects.org
Application is through CuratorSpace via this link: https://bit.ly/4iy33LC
We ask you to send us the following:
- A statement outlining your relevant experience and suitability, why you are keen to join us and would like to take on this role.
- If you have a preference for working with one of the collections, please state this and why.
- Your CV (maximum two pages)
- Links to up to three relevant examples of your work
If you would prefer to record a 2-3 minute video or voice memo rather than send a cover letter, please send a link to the video on Google Drive or Vimeo or another platform.
If we wish to invite you for a brief interview on Zoom, we will email you by 6 May.
Deadline: noon, Tuesday 22 April 2025
Online Interviews: 12, 13 May 2025
We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
We particularly encourage applications from individuals from low-income backgrounds, those who are ethnically diverse or disabled, and anyone else who considers themselves under-represented within the visual arts.
We ask all applicants to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. We will send this to you upon receipt of your application. The form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application.
If you have any access needs, or barriers to access that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to let us know either before applying or as part of your application.
We will notify all candidates who have not been short-listed for interview, but we are unable to offer detailed feedback.
The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate that they have the right to work in the United Kingdom.
Animate Projects is an Art Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
WORK Records is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players.
