Jobs & Call-outs

We are a small core team of employees that expands as projects require.

Our staff work predominantly from home for computer-based work, coming together for meetings and practical delivery as required.

Many of our projects require artists, producers, workshop leaders, designers and other freelance contractors to support us in delivering our work. Here we advertise any of our open calls to creatives for project-based roles.

Current Opportunities

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Mini Build Artist Commission

Bedford Creative Arts is looking for an exceptional community artist with a background in design/ architecture/ sculpture to deliver a series of workshops where communities can test their ideas for community hubs/structures along the riverside.

BCA has been working with the community of Kempston and using creativity to help engage residents more the riverbank on their doorstep. Residents, including school pupils, have expressed a desire to see areas along the river developed to enable them to have a greater use, potentially in the form of seating and dwelling space, play areas, way-markers for walkers and runners and performance space.

We hope that through this commission residents will be able to explore which sculptural structures could be built along the river and to create prototype models of these sculptures to be used in further community consultation. We envisage that there will be a minimum of 20 workshops/ interventions and that the programme of activity facilitated by the artist would include, but not exclusively entail:

• Maquette-building workshops where participants can learn basic sculptural terminology, contribute ideas for structures and be involved in co-designing proposals (there may be an opportunity to share their work at the symposium).

• Building temporary prototype sculptures (for outdoor or indoor display) will be built in varying sizes through these community workshops.

• A larger temporary and /or digital outdoor structure will be installed to demonstrate a location and use (scale subject to funding) 

• Communities will demonstrate their learning and skills acquired through the project e.g. contributing to a project symposium event, learning about environmental policy and planning.

• Communities will become advocates for funding the capital builds (it’s our hope that we will use this stage of the project to raise funds to build permanent structures in the near future). 

Fee

The fee is in the region of £5,000 for labour to cover planning and workshop delivery time as well as attendance at meetings and events. 
There is a separate budget available for materials held by BCA of £2,500 (max).
Reasonable travel expenses will be provided and agreed in advance. 
This is a freelance contract. The artist will be liable for their own equipment, tax, insurance and pension contribution.  This is not an employment contract.   

Application Process

Candidates wishing to apply should submit an outline proposal of no more than 2 sides of A4 explaining how they will respond to the brief and outlining the following: 

• Their relevant experience.
• Examples of previous work or links to these online. 
• How they will approach the brief (ideas do not need to be worked up in detail but we need to understand the artist’s approach to delivering the brief). 

If we have not worked with the artist previously, we will obtain references from the successful candidate before appointment. 
Artists are welcome to supply this information in video or audio format (no longer than 5 minutes) if they prefer. If you require any other support to apply, please contact us to discuss how we can support your application.   
For informal enquiries, please email our Programme Producer, Ami Aubrey, amia@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk.     

We welcome joint applications or applications from artist collectives. 

Deadline for applications 11.00am Thursday 20^th February 2025
Interviews: Week beginning 24^th February (contribution to travel expenses agreed in advance).
Please submit applications and a completed Equal Ops Form to: office@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk

Eligibility
We welcome applications from artists at various stages of their career and from a variety of demographic backgrounds.
An Enhanced DBS check will be required for any unsupervised work with the community.

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Mini Build Producer Commission

Bedford Creative Arts (BCA) is looking for an experienced community producer to deliver the next phase of our project, River/ Flow/ Connect (RFC). 

RFC is a project that invites residents in Kempston, Bedford, to engage further with the river on their doorstep through creativity. In the long-term, we hope to create a permanent legacy along the riverbank between Kempston Mill and Queen’s Bridge that encourages residents to use the area for greater recreation, relaxation, commuting, water-sports, and performance. This could be in the form of up to 3 sculptural spaces or hubs where a permanent artistic installation is installed by the riverbank that encourages resident use.

We are looking for a producer for our next phase which is to work with participants and an artist to design prototype sculptural structures so that we can consult more widely with the community on which options they would like to see installed.

The producer will work closely with BCA’s Programme Producer, Senior Projects Manager and Lead Artist to enable the delivery of a minimum of 20 participatory workshops/ interventions and that the programme of activity facilitated by the artist would include, but not exclusively entail: 

• Build links with communities and recruit participants to engage in the events and workshops programme of activities. 

• Maquette-building workshops where participants can learn basic sculptural terminology, contribute ideas for structural concepts and be involved in co-designing proposals. 

• Temporary prototype sculptures (for outdoor or indoor display) will be built in varying sizes through these community workshops (3-6 anticipated). 

• A larger temporary and /or digital outdoor structure will be installed to demonstrate a location and use (scale subject to funding)  

• Communities will demonstrate their learning and skills acquired through the project e.g. contributing to a project symposium event, learning about environmental policy and planning. 

• The delivery of a creative symposium to showcase the programme of activities and celebrate the culmination of the work. 

• Communities will become advocates for funding the capital builds (it’s our hope that we will use this stage of the project to raise funds to build permanent structures in the near future).

Fee

The fee for this work is £6,000.
Travel expenses agreed in advance will be provided, capped at a value of £500.
This is a freelance contract. The producer will be liable for their own tax, insurance and pension contribution. This is not an employment contract.

Application Process

Candidates wishing to apply should submit a CV (a description of their relevant work history and any relevant training, learning and skills) alongside a letter or email (no more than 2 sides of A4) explaining:

• Why they would like the role.
• Why they think they have the relevant experience and skills to deliver the brief.

We will obtain references from the successful candidate before appointment.
You are welcome to supply this information in video or audio format (no longer than 5 minutes, please) if you prefer. If you require any other support to apply, please contact us to discuss how we can support your application.
For informal enquiries, please email our Programme Producer, Ami Aubrey, amia@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk.     

Deadline for applications 11.00am Thursday 20^th February 2025
Interviews: Week beginning 24^th February (contribution to travel expenses agreed in advance).
Please submit applications and a completed Equal Ops Form to: office@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk

Eligibility
We welcome applications from artists at various stages of their career and from a variety of demographic backgrounds.
An Enhanced DBS check will be required for any unsupervised work with the community.   

Artists need to be able to travel independently to and from locations in Kempston and our store at Brickhill Drive, Bedford, therefore a driving licence and car is desirable. 

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