Assistant Facilitator

About the role

Location:

Community or online (Zoom)

Role Purpose

Artlift has been building expertise in Arts & Health for over a decade. We run Arts on Prescription (an alternative to medication, or medical interventions alone) programmes for people aged 18 and over, living with mental health challenges, long-term pain and cancer. We take referrals to these programmes from healthcare practitioners across Gloucestershire and self-referral for some programmes.

Participants report the positive impact of attending Artlift courses, with 97% stating they will continue to use creativity to support their long term health and wellbeing goals.

We’re seeking to recruit a number of volunteers to support our lead artists in running these programmes.

Role Overview

As an Assistant Facilitator volunteer your role will be to support our artists in hosting and delivering weekly visual arts/creative writing Arts on Prescription sessions, delivered to a group of participants by a professional artist. The courses take place in community settings when safe to do so (Covid 19 permitting), or online via Zoom, and run for 10 weeks, 3 times a year.

The volunteer role will be to help provide a safe and therapeutic environment for all participants, ensuring they feel mutually respected and able to explore their creativity with other like-minded individuals. There will be evaluation paperwork to help participants complete, hands on creative support, programme session planning and helping participants to build upon or learn new skills and confidence.

This is a hugely rewarding role, and a great way to build on your own skills, or learn new ones.

You must be 18 or over to volunteer with us.

Commitment

Ideally you will engage with your Artlift volunteering role for a minimum of six months to a year in order to make full use of the training and support on offer and to provide consistency for the team and Artlift’s service users.

Hours can be flexible dependent on your role.

If you are supporting artists on courses these are regular weekly slots throughout the duration of our 10 week courses, this can be up to a 3 hour period on a week day and will be with the same group each week

We'll need you to attend training and support meetings.

Skills

• Good listening and communication skills are essential
• A caring, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach.
• Commitment to understanding the needs of people living with mental and physical health challenges.
• Have a positive outlook and enthusiasm for arts and the benefits they bring to people’s health and wellbeing
• Willingness to work without direct supervision at times
• Good level of written and spoken English
• Flexibility to approach a number of varied tasks
• Reliable and committed to ensuring a high standard of volunteering within your role
• A passion for the work of Artlift
• Understanding of confidentiality and how it affects our participants experiences, whilst adhering to Artlift’s policies and procedures.

Experience

No experience is necessary for this role, however a background in the arts is advantageous.

Benefits

• Support and training will be provided.
• Experience in a growing Arts and Health sector.
• Charity sector experience
• A chance to meet new people and contribute to our successful Artlift programmes.

·       We'll be able to provide a reference to prospective employers.

• We'll reimburse your reasonable and agreed out of pocket expenses

Appropriate training will always include any Health & Safety requirements which are specific to the environment and the role being performed.

You will also receive an Induction Programme, together with ongoing support throughout your Volunteering.

This is a great opportunity to gain and develop your experience in the arts and health sector, make new friends, and help Artlift to provide compassionate support to people living through their health challenges.

To apply, please click 'Join' and you will be asked a short question. We will then be in touch to discuss the next steps with you.