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About Us
Vacancies
The Story Museum celebrates stories in all forms and explores their enduring power to teach and delight.
Spoken Word Artist-in-Residence, May - July 2021
The Story Museum is seeking to commission a spoken word artist in a co-creative programme with young people leading to an original piece commissioned in response to the museum and its collection. The piece will be performed at a celebratory public event and will form part of the museum’s ongoing 1001 collection.
A spoken word artist will be commissioned by The Story Museum to work with target schools to create an original piece in response to the museum.
Fee of £2500 to include:
- 4 x workshops with young people (live or online)
- 1 x commissioned original piece
- 2 x public events, one of which will include presenting the piece
- 1 x recording for 1001 collection
- 2 x recording for YouTube Channel
- Advocate on behalf of the Story Museum
- Consult on the 1001 collection
- Support social media activity, eg 3 x blogs
Selection Criteria
We are looking for individuals who:
- Are passionate about working with young people
- Are capable of inspiring ambition, trust and confidence, particularly with children and young people
- Have a demonstrable track record of successful co-creation projects with young people
- Have the potential to have impact with audiences outside of our existing core family audience
- Have published work and or produced work that reflects/is rooted in the experience of the Global Majority
- Have been recognised through accolades and awards
- Want to share their skills, expertise and knowledge with The Story Museum and have an appetite to learn and grow
How To Apply:
Please send your CV and samples of relevant published work in written and/or spoken form (video is fine) and a brief letter outlining why you are interested in this role to hello@storymuseum.org.uk
Closing date: Saturday 3 April 2021
Interviews: Week of 19 April 2021
About the Artist in Residency
The Story Museum Artist-in-Residence programme offers sustained engagement with artist and invites them to:
- Support and develop the organisation’s creative vision and ambitions
- Facilitate great ways of engaging with great stories through a strand of work with schools, communities and the public programme (digital and live)
- Create original work in response to the museum and collection
- Contribute to our 1001 collection, eg recording a story
- Offer advice and consultation on the 1001 collection and creative collaborations
We offer Artists-in-Residence:
- An opportunity to nurture their talent and creative practice
- Access to the museum facilities & expertise
- Opportunities to develop, explore and test new work and formats
- Opportunities to reach new audiences and raise profile
We benefit from our Artists-in-Residence enabling us to:
- Reach new audiences/target groups /increase membership
- Extend our knowledge of different art forms and practices
- Explore and test new ways of working
- Create impactful opportunities for our target audiences
- Contribute to the wider cultural landscape
Creative opportunities
The Story Museum regularly collaborates with talented artists, designers, performers and curators to help bring stories to life.
- If you are an artist looking to appear as part of The Story Museum’s programme, please contact our programming team.
- If you are looking to use our spaces for a performance or rehearsals, please visit our Venue Hire section.
- If you are looking for job opportunities, please scroll down.
Job Opportunities - current vacancies
There are currently no vacancies at The Story Museum.
To find out more about working at The Story Museum, please scroll down.
For information about our volunteering opportunities, please click here.
Introduction to The Story Museum
Founded in 2003, The Story Museum began by taking stories and storytellers into schools and communities. Since 2009, we have been gradually transforming a large, dilapidated building in the centre of Oxford into a most unusual museum, with the help of authors, artists, teachers, other cultural organisations and volunteers of all ages.
The global pandemic prevented the Museum from reopening in April 2020 following a major capital redevelopment project but the Museum is now embarking on a phased reopening with the ground floor Galleries, shop and cafe currently open to pre-booked members of the public on a reduced opening pattern.
To find out more about our work, please visit our About Us page and browse the information on our website about our Galleries, events and schools offer.
Why work for The Story Museum?
- Be part of a team that is committed to sharing great stories and is driven by its values: being brave and resourceful; offering a warm welcome and a satisfied goodbye; always learning and growing; and being seriously playful.
- Help to make a tangible difference to improving 'word poverty' through story both at the Museum and through outreach programmes.
- Help create a wonder - the world’s first Story Museum.
- Work with colleagues for whom exploring cultural differences and working to increase inclusion is integral to their working day.
- Benefit from Continuing Personal & Professional Development programmes and regular team briefings and training sessions.
- Benefit from opportunities for flexible working including part-time, job share and time off in lieu.
- Receive access to an Employee Support Programme which offers confidential advice and counselling.
- Work in an organisation where everyone gets paid above the National Living Wage and gets 25 days annual leave a year (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
- Join a pension scheme with a 5% company contribution.
- Benefit from exclusive offers and concessions in the shop, café and for entry to the galleries and special events.
Important Information
Data Protection
Information provided by you as part of your application will be used in the recruitment process. By signing and submitting your Personal Statement you are giving your permission to your data being stored and processed for the purposes of the recruitment process, equal opportunities monitoring and your personnel record if you are the successful candidate. A copy of the Story Museum’s Privacy Notice for Job Applicants is available to download below.
Equal opportunities
As The Story Museum continues to widen inclusion in relation to our workforce, audiences, visitor offer and collections, we welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in the cultural sector workforce; particularly individuals from the Global Majority.
As a disability confident employer, we are committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment, this includes making reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process for people who have a disability. Therefore if you would like us to provide recruitment information or application documents in an alternative format, please contact us on 01865 790050 or via hello@storymuseum.org.uk providing details of the job you are applying for and how we can help.
Depending on the number of applications, it may not be possible to shortlist for interview all candidates who meet the Essential Criteria however we guarantee to interview the highest scoring disabled applicant.
Work Permits
Under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, we are required to check that anyone taking up employment with us has the legal right to work in the UK. Successful applicants will be asked to provide us with documentary evidence to support their entitlement to work in the UK prior to taking up employment.
References and Certificates
In the event of a conditional offer of employment being made, we will take up references and where applicable (and as identified on the Job Description) a DBS check will made, prior to the offer being confirmed.
Application & Selection Process
The Story Museum uses a range of selection methods in order to provide candidates with a variety of opportunities to demonstrate their suitability for the role. Using these different methods promotes equal opportunities throughout the selection process and helps us to identify the most suitable person for the role.
Methods of selection vary depending on the role requirements however each vacancy is listed with a detailed Job Description and Person Specification which form the framework for the selection process. Each criteria on the Person Specification is categorised as being Essential or Desirable and is followed with details as to how and when during the selection process the criteria will be assessed.
Application Form
The Application and other supporting documentation need to be returned by the deadline detailed in the How to Apply section of the recruitment pack.
- Personal Statement - this is your opportunity to help us understand how you meet the requirements of the tasks and responsibilities outlined in the Job Description. You need to refer to the Person Specification and for each criteria that is identified as being assessed via ‘Application’ please explain why you think you would perform well in this job using examples from your experience (these may be through work, volunteer or other life experiences). Your examples and evidence will be rated and the highest scoring applicants will be shortlisted for interview.
- Curriculum Vitae - we use your CV to contextualise your Personal Statement but unless stated we do not use it as part of the initial shortlisting process.
Interview Day
Shortlisted candidates are invited to the Interview Day.
- Workshop - your interview day may involve a workshop with candidates who have been shortlisted for other vacancies. Candidates participate in a short introductory session and are then divided into smaller groups to carry out a task as a team. As outlined in the Person Specification the workshops are designed to allow you to demonstrate your personal attributes and relationships with colleagues and will not be a test of pre-determined skills or knowledge.
- Assessment Task - these are usually desk based tasks that are designed specifically for each different vacancy. The criteria to be tested are highlighted on the Person Specification.
- Interview - the interview will usually be conducted by at least one member of the senior management team who has not been involved in the workshop observations. Questions will be based on assessing the criteria as listed on the Person Specification.
There is an Information Pack at the bottom of this page. If you have any questions that are not answered within the Pack then please do not hesitate to get in touch with Katharine Clayden on 01865 790050 or katharine.clayden@storymuseum.org.uk.