OPEN CALL: Creative Facilitator
Melting Ice | Rising Tides: Art and Environment Symposium
Friday 27 June 2025
‘Melting Ice | Rising Tides’ is a new exhibition by Royal Academician Emma Stibbon at The Burton at Bideford (10 May – 5 July 2025). The exhibition considers how the warming environment of the polar regions is impacting on the changing UK coastline, and makes connections between the remote extremes of our planet and our more familial local landscapes.
To coincide with the exhibition we are hosting a symposium, bringing together artists, scientists and academics to discuss the role of art in capturing climate change, and the role of arts organisations to engage audiences and encourage action. The event will include two panel discussions featuring artists and academics, and a round table discussion bringing together local environmental agencies to ensure there’s a real relevance to the North Devon coastline and the area in which we live.
We are looking for a creative facilitator to close the day with a workshop to bring together key strands of discussion. The workshop should be a space for discussion, creation and reflection – a fun, relaxed way to round up the symposium. There is no emphasis to create a visual output; instead the workshop should be an opportunity for delegates to express their thoughts on the day in a creative way.
The workshop must be:
- Following the themes of the Symposium: climate change, coastal erosion, seas and the environment
- Deliverable in one hour
- Suitable for an audience of 80-100 (you can propose to split into smaller groups)
- Have sustainability at its core in terms of materials used
- Allow a space for discussion and experimentation
The facilitator must:
- Be available for a planning meeting with The Burton at Bideford in early June
- Be available to run the workshop on Friday 27 June 2025
- Have their own public liability insurance
- Be responsible for their own travel and transport of materials (if required)
- Have demonstrable experience of facilitating workshops with adults
The creative facilitator will receive:
- An artist fee of £250
- A materials budget of up to £200
- A free ticket to the full symposium day
- Support from Carole Evans, Learning and Engagement Manager, The Burton at Bideford
How to Apply
The Burton at Bideford is an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer who understands the benefits of diversity so that everyone – irrespective of individual identities, background, or any personal characteristics – receives fair and equal treatment in a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment.
If you are interested in this position, please submit the following by to Carole Evans, Learning and Engagement Manager carole@theburton.org by 10am on Friday 30 May:
- A short proposal: Briefly outline your idea for a workshop in one page of A4. Alternatively, you can submit an audio or video file as a web link – no longer than 3 minutes long
- A CV
- A budget for materials
- This equal opportunities form
Shortlisted candidates will be notified the week beginning of June, and invited to an informal online chat to discuss their proposal.
The successful candidate will be notified by 13 June at the latest.
The ‘Melting Ice | Rising Tides’ symposium is supported by Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and The Friends of The Burton.
Find out more about ‘Melting Ice | Rising Tides’
Find out more about Emma Stibbon RA
