Employment Opportunity: Artists/Teaching Artists/Arts-Based Content Creators Baycrest@Home – Culture, Arts and Health Program
Background:
Baycrest@Home is a virtually based health service delivery program located at Baycrest in Toronto, Canada focused on caring for older adults with dementia living in the community and those that provide care for them. The Culture, Arts and Health portfolio harnesses the arts to tap into creative potential, target physical and emotional health, increase feelings of confidence and wellbeing, enrich relationships, and decrease isolation. https://baycrestathome.ca
Baycrest@Home is seeking to hire artist facilitators/content creators to contribute to the build out and running of a virtual arts-based program offering. We have opportunities for two types of engagements:
- Contracting with artists or arts organizations working in a variety of mediums (drumming, poetry, dance, storytelling, music, theatre) to facilitate live, virtual sessions over a zoom or webinar platform in their specific modality appropriate for older adults with cognitive impairment.
- Contracting with artists/arts organizations for the creation of pre-recorded content (audio, video or both) that would live on a digital content library for Baycrest@Home users.
Artist may facilitate or develop content from their own home/studio space but must meet our production standards in term of audio quality, space and lighting to ensure maximum accessibility for our clients. Baycrest@Home has an onsite production studio and a digital content producer that can support artists.
Program Goals:
- Develop and deliver unique arts based programming for older adults with cognitive changes
- Capture and celebrate the lived experience of older adults through arts engagement, providing avenues for older adults to share their story, explore creativity and connect with others.
- Develop a robust offering of virtual arts based digital content programming through the use of a variety of artistic media to be accessed by clients at home, on demand.
Expectation of work:
The artist will be expected to undertake:
a. The design, preparation and facilitation of 10-12 sessions (with opportunity for more) of live, interactive arts based groups with older adults and caregivers running 1 x week for 60 minutes at a mutually agreed upon time.
and/or
b. The development of a pre-determined amount of pre-recorded content (exact details depending on the nature of the art and the work proposed) that will remain on the Baycrest@Home digital platform. The content will be accessible by Baycrest@Home registered users only, and will not be able to be downloaded or shared. This content could potentially be a replica of a facilitated class customized for on-demand viewing, performative or instructional videos etc.
Payment:
Artists will be competitively paid for their work including time and materials required. Artists must be willing to have a consultation with our digital media coordinator prior to a contract being signed.
Qualifications:
Artists across arts disciplines are welcome to apply. We’re looking for a practicing artists with an aptitude for working with groups and a proactive, flexible and collaborative approach that will engage older adults. An interest in the cross section of arts and health with wellbeing and aging is a strong asset.
Artists should have comfort working with digital technology. Prior experience working through a virtual delivery platform is an asset.
The successful candidates will have:
- Proven artistic ability demonstrated by professional experience
- Experience in facilitation of arts experiences
- An openness and interest in the challenge of adapting to virtual program delivery
- Sensitivity to the special considerations of an aging population and a realistic awareness of the diverse needs this will represent.
Support:
Artist will have support from the Baycrest@Home team including clinical staff to orient to the populations needs, management to support the development of the offering, and digital media coordination to support production and technical requirements. Final editing for pre-recorded content can be done in house at Baycrest with the guidance of the artist.
HOW TO APPLY:
This is currently an ongoing opportunity without an application deadline. Applications will be considered as soon as they are submitted and successful applicants can begin immediately.
Artists are asked to submit:
1) An expression of interest and a proposal briefly outlining which type of involvement you are interested in pursuing (live programming or pre-recorded content or both), how you might engage the specific populations, and your general artistic approach.
2) A curriculum vitae in standard form.
3) The names of two (2) references and an explanation of their ability to comment on your work in relation to this particular opportunity.
4) 2-4 samples of images/videos/brief written material of previously produced work. We ask that you submit jpeg files titled as follows
(Your last name)_(Title of artwork)_image1.jpg
Please direct your application to: Melissa Tafler, Manager Culture, Arts and Health Services
Submissions should not exceed 10 MB total size Candidates will be contacted for an interview.