Fellowship in Residence: Making the World Differently

Applications are now open for an exciting fellowship hosted by Watershed’s Talent Development team.

Donor Name: Watershed

Country: All Countries

Type of Grant: Fellowship

Deadline: 08/21/2023

Size of the Grant: £20,000

Duration: 10 months

Details:

This paid fellowship is open to people aged 18-30 years old.

The Fellow will spend 10 months researching the question – What skills and training opportunities do young people need for a career in creative technologies? The Fellow will work with young people to undertake action research about what training and skills opportunities are required, and what support might mean in practice. They will work in a team of Producers to help design, deliver and reflect through 10 months of activity.

What is Action Research?

A research method that “tackles real-world problems in participatory, collaborative, and cyclical ways in order to produce both knowledge and action” (Zina O’Leary). For this Fellowship, they are looking for people who are interested using this collaborative ‘learning through doing’ method, to investigate the skills and training opportunities young people need for a career in creative technologies.

What is a Fellowship?

MyWorld is a creative technology programme that Watershed are a partner of.
As part of MyWorld, Watershed and other organisations in the West of England are hosting Fellowships – where individuals work with organisations for a set period of time with a specific research focus.
The MyWorld Fellowships are aimed at freelancers, practitioners, industry, and academics. They invite people to think about these Fellowships as a period of collaborative thinking and experimentation, applying practice, expertise or relevant experience. This Fellowship is hosted by Watershed, based at the Pervasive Media Studio.
MyWorld believe the work will be stronger with greater diversity and welcome applications from those who are currently underrepresented in the culture, technology and higher education sectors. They understand that each of them brings the experiences, the backgrounds and the own unique lens to what they do so no one is expected to represent any specific groups.
This Fellowship is part of Watershed’s MyWorld IDEAS programme, funded by UKRI.

What do you get?

A grant of £20,000 for 10 months at roughly 2.5 days/week (incl. expenses)
Access to an interdisciplinary community across MyWorld and the four partner universities.
Support from a Watershed producer (relationship management, contracts, networking, signposting to opportunities, etc.).
For the duration of MyWorld’s programme: desk space and access to facilities in the Pervasive Media Studio at Watershed in Bristol, connecting you to a vibrant community of artists and creative technologists.
Access support.
Sharing opportunities for any work done, via Pervasive Media Studio Lunchtime Talks and/or blogs, Watershed First Friday programme, and other opportunities.

What do they expect from you?

You will join as a MyWorld Fellow, embedding yourself within Watershed and at Pervasive Media Studio.
Your Fellowship will enable you to robustly examine what skills and training opportunities young people need for a career in creative technologies through a combination of research into what current sector and industry reports state are their needs and compare these to your own findings through practical workshops and conversations with young people.
You will document your work in order for it to be shared with wider audiences.
You will have an open and collaborative approach towards peer networks and sharing.

Key Responsibilities (outputs)

Support the design and delivery of work experience and creative technology engagement sessions with a wide range of Secondary School Students to explore areas of skills and training interest in a way that ensures mutual value both to this research and fellowship but also the secondary school students themselves.
Work alongside young makers in residence at Pervasive Media Studio to investigate and reflect on the skills that they require and utilise during the various stages of their projects from planning and design, making and testing, to sharing and evaluating.
Bring together your findings to make some suggestions on what the creative technology sectors could do to support young people.

Essential Experience and Skill Set

This is an opportunity for a person aged 18 – 30.
Open and collaborative, comfortable sharing early ideas and giving/receiving constructive feedback with care.
Experience of working successfully on a project to complete all requirements on time.
Able to work independently but also as part of a team.
Able to design and organise events, host focus groups and facilitate workshops.
Able to reflect on and evaluate projects to draw out key insights and learnings.

Desirable Experience and Skill Set

Experience of working with young people as a mentor, producer, support worker or other.
Experience of working and engaging with groups from underrepresented backgrounds.
Innovative workshop design and facilitation skills.
Experience working with creative technologies.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants can be based anywhere in the world. However, this is a face to face commitment so you will need to be physically present and part of the team for the duration of the Fellowship. You may need a visa to come to the UK to visit, study, work or receive a grant. You are responsible for organising this and any costs incurred.
The eligibility criteria states that on the application submission date, which is 21 August 2023, you must be aged between 18-30 years old. If your birthday falls a few days either side of this and you are keen to apply.

Details