Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is delighted to share a new commission opportunity...
Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is delighted to share a new commission opportunity for a part-time creative practitioner to engage with the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities in Warwickshire. The role will support the work of Warwickshire Libraries’ Hidden Stories programme which is helping to reveal hidden or forgotten voices and stories about Warwickshire's GRT communities.
The creative practitioner will play a vital role in researching and identifying archive photographs and local records as a starting point for co-creating content with local GRT communities. Through this process, the project aims to identify new narratives that further enrich our understanding of Warwickshire’s diversity and culture.
In collaboration with GRT communities, including children and adults, from April to May 2024, the creative practitioner will deliver a minimum of one co-created creative output such as an exhibition, performance, or display. This will tour across Warwickshire Libraries during Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month in June 2024, offering a platform to showcase the diverse and unique perspectives within GRT communities.
As part of the project's outreach efforts, the creative practitioner will also conduct at least six workshops with primary-aged children within their school settings in North Warwickshire. These workshops will extend to involve parents and carers in April and May 2024, and foster a collaborative environment that encourages creative exploration and community participation.
Proposals are encouraged from creative practitioners who have lived experience, or identify as, being part of GRT communities.
For more information and to request a commission pack, please contact Anjna Chouhan at anjnachouhan@warwickshire.gov.uk. The closing date to apply for this role is Monday 25 March 2024.
Dr Anjna Chouhan, National Portfolio Organisation Creative Producer (Area Librarian), said:
“This creative initiative aligns with our commitment to promote inclusivity and celebrate the cultural diversity of Warwickshire. By engaging local Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in our Hidden Stories programme, we aim to showcase and preserve their unique heritage.
“The creative practitioner role is a great opportunity to promote Warwickshire’s vibrant, safe, and inclusive communities, and we look forward to seeing the creative outcome that emerges from this collaborative project in time for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month later this year."
The work delivered by the creative practitioner will contribute towards Warwickshire Libraries’ Hidden Stories programme in response to Heritage and Culture Warwickshire’s Local Studies, museum, and record office collections. The Hidden Stories programme is part of the Year 2 Activity Plan for Warwickshire Libraries as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) and is informed by Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy, which focuses on how villages, towns, and cities thrive through a collaborative approach to culture.
In 2023, Warwickshire County Council's library service achieved NPO status in Arts Council England's funding plans for 2023-26. This has granted Warwickshire Libraries with up to £630,000 of funding from Arts Council England's Investment Programme over the course of three years. The fund enables Warwickshire Libraries to deliver cultural and creative programming, including outreach activities such as working directly with Warwickshire’s Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.
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