Creative Lives is looking for four new volunteer advisers to support, inform and influence our work. 

Would you like to help us champion, support, promote and nurture local creative groups in order to build more sustainable communities? 

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a charity working across the UK and Ireland to support thousands of local community and volunteer-led creative groups. We are currently looking for volunteer advisers with the following expertise and experience:

• Current or recent experience of working for a local authority - to join our Programmes & Strategy Committee (which oversees Creatives Lives’ place-based development projects).
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural and/or community policy issues and processes in Northern Ireland - to join our Policy & Nations Committee (which oversees Creatives Lives’ work to influence policy affecting everyday creativity).
• Knowledge, understanding and expertise related to environmental and climate-change issues - to join our Policy & Nations Committee (which oversees Creative Lives’ work to take meaningful actions to reduce our environmental footprint and mobilise positive change to contribute to the pathway to net zero emissions).
• Digital knowledge and expertise, particularly in relation to AI, social media or contact relationship management - to join our Profile & Data Committee (which oversees Creative Lives’ communications and our work to raise the profile of everyday creativity).

Who we are looking for

We are looking for people from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, as we are keen to continue to diversify the voices that inform our work. You might be:

• someone who takes part in an amateur arts group or practices creative activities as a hobby.
• working as an artist or in a professional arts organisation, the creative industries, a charity, community organisation, local government, or a media organisation - whether as a paid employee or a volunteer.
• someone who has studied or has knowledge of everyday creativity, amateur arts, wellbeing, cultural democracy, volunteering or communities.
• living anywhere in the world - as long as you are interested in everyday and community-based creative activity in the UK and Ireland.

Practicalities

• The advisers are voluntary (unpaid) roles.
• Our committee meetings use digital communications by default, in line with our Environmental Sustainability Policy, but we will pay reasonable travel expenses for any in-person meetings.
• Each committee meets four times a year (usually online).
• Advisers will be asked to complete an annual anonymous equalities monitoring form.
• Advisers will be invited to join a committee for an initial 12-month period (i.e. 4 meetings) with the possibility of extension.
• We will publish a full list of our advisers, with short biographies, on the Creative Lives website.

How to apply

Please submit an expression of interest to [email protected]. You can simply send us an email or submit a short video if you prefer. Please answer the following questions:

1. Name
2. Email
3. Why would you like to become a volunteer adviser?
4. What personal perspectives or lived experience would you bring to this role? (i.e. from your own background, community etc.)
5. Which disciplines or areas of expertise would you bring? (i.e. from your professional work, volunteering or hobbies)  

Our selection will ensure that Creative Lives’ volunteer advisers include a diverse range of voices across geography, demographics and expertise.

If you need any help with the application process or would like an informal chat about these volunteer opportunities, please contact us on [email protected].