Creative Facilitators and Assistants for art groups for autistic children and young people
We're looking for female or non-binary applicants. Autistic people are encouraged to apply, to help us have an autistic majority staff team, to reflect the participants our spaces are for. (Our staff teams will include autistic and non-autistic people)
'Being Me' is an arts programme, devised and led by Can't Sit Still and funded by The Barnwood Trust. 'Being Me' spaces invite autistic people to explore ways of being themselves through creative play, or by 'just Being'.
Our growing portfolio of projects includes:
- Creative clubs for autistic children aged 4-11, 11-16 & 16-25
- A community newspaper for and by autistic people
- Creative transition support for autistic children in mainstream school
If applying for a facilitator role, you'll have a professional arts practice (e.g. visual arts, performance, music, writing, something else), will have experience of facilitating groups, be experienced / interested in participatory arts practice, and have a neuro-affirmative understanding of autism. Sessions will be planned with another facilitator, and delivered with a team of assistants and volunteers.
If applying for an assistant role, you will either have a professional arts practice, or engage in creative arts as a hobby, and will have experience or interest in working with autistic people. Assistants will support facilitators to deliver the sessions, under their guidance / briefing.
At the moment our best guess is that from April we'll be running sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 3pm in central Cheltenham. We'll be running irregular weekend sessions and our schools project will be during school hours from September 2026.
What will creative facilitators do?
Facilitators will co-lead sessions in pairs. This involves the session itself, as well as time in between for planning, preparing and group reflection sessions. Facilitators are responsible for briefing the assistants and volunteers, and for capturing observations & learnings to contribute to the project evaluation.
Before the sessions begin, all facilitators will be sent paid research and reading tasks and attend paid planning and development time with the Can't Sit Still team.
What will creative assistants do?
Assistants will support the facilitators to deliver the sessions. They don't need to do anything in between sessions - just turn up on the day. They will be responsible forfollowing the facilitators briefing and in-session guidance, and for helping to capture observations & learning to contribute to the project evaluation.
Before the sessions begin, all assistants will attend a paid planning and development day with Can't Sit Still.
Fees offered Creative Facilitators:
Training and Planning Days = £200
Club delivery = £200 per club
Creative Assistants, a sliding scale, based on experience
1 x training & planning day = £130-£175
Club assistant approx 3 hours of work (set up, club delivery and pack away) = £60-75
How to Apply
Monday 23rd February: Deadline for applications
Wednesday 25th February: All applicants notified if they have an interview or not w/c
2nd March: Interviews
w/c 23rd March: Planning & development days / training
April onwards: The sessions begin!
HOW TO APPLY:
Email lucy@cantsitstill.org with these 2 things:
1. a video, audio or written application answering these questions:
Are you applying to be a facilitator or assistant or is there another way you’d like to get involved?
Is there an area of work that you are particularly drawn to?
Would you prefer to work at one or more group?
What makes you suitable for this work?
What excites and/or interests you about facilitating or assisting the Being Me Clubs?
Written applications should be no longer than 500 words, and video or audio applications should be no more than 3 minutes in length.
2. A CV of your relevant work (in whatever format works best for you) OR link to your website (if you have one!)
Contact name: Lucy Kingsley
Contact email: lucy@cansitstill.org
Opportunity Link: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/cbc456d04c.html
insta: @cant_sit_still_arts
e: lucy@cantsitstill.org
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