Address
Salary The Role
What you’ll do
Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
How to apply
Benefits
Employment Visa
The Role
Award winning Aberystwyth Arts Centre is looking to recruit a Visual Arts Assistant. This position will play an important role in delivering the Arts Centre’s new responsibilities as part of Welsh Government’s ‘National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales’ (NCAGW) programme, providing administrative support for activity within the project. It’s an exciting time to join the team, with investment in the facilities and new work planned, and an opportunity to work with other galleries and museums across Wales within the scheme.
Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of the largest and busiest arts venues in Wales, with facilities unrivalled throughout the UK. It offers a wide-ranging programme of arts events, performances, exhibitions, festivals, workshops and special projects and welcomes over 500,000 visitors a year. The Visual Arts Assistant will provide high quality administrative support within the Visual Arts Department which delivers over 20 exhibitions a year with a focus specifically on contemporary art. This includes new commissioned/ curated exhibitions, touring work from leading galleries in Wales and the UK, and working with major national institutions including National Gallery Wales and National Library Wales. There’s also opportunities to develop your own curatorial skills through co-ordination of some smaller-scale exhibitions, with support from the Visual Arts Manager (Curator).
A high standard of written communication, IT skills, administrative ability and interpersonal skills are required. An active interest in contemporary art is essential; the ability to communicate in Welsh is an advantage but not essential.
The role will include general correspondence and routine publicity, plus organising and scheduling exhibition transport and contracts. There will also be direct contact with the gallery-visiting public.
To make an informal enquiry, please contact Ffion Rhys at fer11@aber.ac.uk
Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.
What you’ll do
This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.
Exhibition Duties
- To promote and foster a welcoming and stimulating atmosphere for all the public in the gallery; being responsive to their queries and able to deal with a wide variety of visitors in a friendly manner while maintaining safety for the artworks at all times
- To contribute to the planning and effective presentation of the exhibitions programme, projects, and Artist in Residency projects, with particular reference to the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project
- To plan and organise exhibitions of Arts Centre classes’ work in Café gallery and other spaces as required, including communication with tutors and artists, disseminating and gathering accurate information, collation of details for labelling and installation etc
- To assist the Visual Arts Technician with the installation and de-installation of exhibitions; including careful and accurate condition checking of works at entry and exit
Administration
- To handle administration for the Visual Arts department using both verbal and written forms of communication and maintaining administrative files
- To communicate with a wide variety of individuals including artists, curators and galleries regarding existing works, new projects, residencies and commissions; using different forms of communication including electronic.
- To liaise with project partners in the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project to support exhibitions as part of the project
- To contribute to the process of developing new income streams
- To ensure an up-to-date inventory of all Visual Arts spaces in the Arts Centre is held within the department in collaboration with the Visual Arts Technician
Finances and Budgets
- To process payments using ABW (the University’s finance programme), raise orders, maintain financial records, collate financial data as required; deal with sales of artworks including Collectorplan
- To provide financial processing support for the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project
- The role-holder will have indirect spending authority and will work within parameters set by the Visual Arts Manager.
Teamwork and Staff Supervision
- To oversee work of casual gallery staff and in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager organise and manage a monthly rota to ensure programme delivery
- Under the Visual Arts Manager, to work with the Gallery team to ensure that the visitor experience is positive and responsive
- To support delivery of outreach and engagement activity with particular reference to the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project
- To take part in forward planning by contributing and taking an active role in regular programme meetings
- To take part in site visits and project team meetings
Health and Safety
- To oversee routine upkeep of current exhibitions as required
- To ensure compliance with all current legislative regulations and Health and Safety guides at all times. This will involve the safe handling of works of art, the safe installation in public areas and safe and secure storage as necessary
- To ensure that University regulations and safety procedures are observed with regard to transportation of goods
- To undertake training in relevant areas of health and safety to include Manual Handling, COSHH and other
- To work with the Visual Arts Technician, in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager, to ensure crates, packaging and artworks are stored appropriately
- To undertake regular checks of the Visual Arts Storage, Residency and Technical spaces and report to the Visual Arts Manager any issues which may need addressing to comply with Health and Safety Regulations
- To work with the Visual Arts Manager and Technician to ensure compliance with the demands of the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project
Team working, Networking and Liaison
- To arrange loans and organise safe transport of works from artists, collections and galleries in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager and Visual Arts Technician, and from National collections as part of the National Contemporary Arts Gallery Wales (NCAGW) project
- To communicate with tutors and artists, disseminating and gathering accurate information, collation of details for labelling and installation of exhibitions and projects
- To take an active role in the origination, research and development of programme in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager
- To assist with the active promotion of exhibitions and projects
- To develop and maintain effective Visual Arts mailing lists
- To work as part of a team with other Visual Arts staff; and to liaise and co-operate with other Arts Centre departments as required, e.g. with Cafe and Bar when organising exhibition openings
- To deputise for the Visual Arts Manager at meetings/events as required
- To identify, develop and maintain links with groups in the community, university and beyond in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager
- To take an active role in supporting development and delivery of engagement activities in consultation with the Visual Arts Manager and Creative Learning team
- To problem solve and take independent decisions which have an immediate impact on your own work and others, within parameters set by the Visual Arts Manager
- To be able to work on own initiative, prioritising and allocating work
- To meet informally with artists and curators to discuss aspects of an exhibition or project
- To report unforeseen problems, for example replacing a projector bulb to the Visual Arts Technician
Any other duties
- To work to deadlines, often with a quick turnaround for quite complicated projects or installations
- Any other duties at the request of the Visual Arts Manager or Director
- To be committed to the University’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post
- To be committed to your own development and that of your staff through the effective use of the University’s staff development and performance review
- Any other duties reasonably requested commensurate with the grade of this role
The position is physically demanding therefore it is essential that the successful applicant has an appropriate level of health and fitness. Appointment to this position may be subject to a satisfactory fitness assessment.
Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
Essential
- A degree in Fine Art, History of Art or a relevant subject area.
- Good communication skills, both aural and written
- Evidence of experience of working on Visual Arts exhibitions, research or projects
- An interest in and knowledge of contemporary art
- Good IT skills and of administrative ability
- Attention to detail is important as is the ability to communicate effectively with many different sorts of people including artists, curators and the general public.
- Able to work well independently or as part of a team.
- Welsh Language Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level: B1 or evidence to demonstrate an on-going commitment to learn Welsh to this level.
Desirable
- Copy writing skills
- Research profile or strong track record of organising projects or exhibiting
- Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level B1.*
- More information on Welsh Language Levels can be found at:
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/policy-and-procedure/welsh-standards/
How to apply
To promote a flexible workforce, the University will consider applications from individuals seeking full time, part time, job share, or term time only working arrangements.
Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Benefits
- Flexible working policy
- 36.5 – hour week for full-time roles
- Generous leave entitlements – 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
- Commitment to Professional Development
- Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
- Staff recognition and reward schemes
- Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
- Staff relocation bursary
- Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
- Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus.
Please keep reading
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and, those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.
We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Employment Visa
Under the UK Government’s points-based system scheme, this role does not meet the criteria to be sponsored by Aberystwyth University (AU) for a Skilled Worker Route (SWR) application.
