Artist

Artist

Spectra Closing date: Tue, 17 Mar 2026

Artform: Combined arts
Role: Creative
Contract: Contract
West Midlands

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 "> published -

Job Summary

Spectra is seeking an artist to tell the story of The Commons - a new community garden space at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital

Job Description

If you need or would prefer this job description or the application form below in another format, please don't hesitate to contact Maisy, mailto:[email protected] - [email protected]

Purpose: To work with the community to collect stories about growing and the garden space. To develop, design and deliver a creative output based on these stories.

Aim: To have a permanent creative output for The Commons garden space.

Terms: Freelance contract, April 2026 - March 2027 (open to discussion)

Fee: £4200 for a minimum of 14 days

Location: Hybrid - Sandwell, West Midlands, and working remotely

We seek to support access costs where possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss further.

The full artist brief can be found here: https://wearespectra.co.uk/2026/02/17/artist-the-commons/

The Commons is a co-designed space, convening the ideas and inspirations from Spectra, their partners, and a wide range of community groups, including learning disability support centres, refugee and asylum seeker support organisations, a paediatric ward, community hubs, libraries and museums. Spectra built the space in Autumn 2024 and has been artist in residence since Spring 2025, working both in the garden, inside the hospital, and on outreach work in community venues nearby. For more information, https://wearespectra.co.uk/the-commons/ - take a look at our website.

We are seeking an artist who will work with the local community to collect stories about gardening, growing and nature, which will result in a creative output which will live on in the garden after the project finishes. We would like the storyteller to reflect the work occurring in the garden, particularly around the current development of the Apothecary Garden and the work being done to heal the soil in this post-industrial site.

Job Requirements

We are really open to ideas and inspiration from applicants regarding the creative output of the stories they gather. Perhaps you are a poet, and propose running workshops in the garden space, which leads to beautifully designed metal plaques displaying the co-written pieces. Or you're a musician working to develop a song through creative engagements on the wards, which future visitors can listen to through a QR code they find in the garden. Or you're a map maker who wants to make a guide for moving through space and engaging the senses as you go. Or perhaps you're offering something entirely different!

We are looking for someone who will engage with the current programme of activity occurring in the garden by liaising with and being supported by the artist in residence and the gardeners in the space.

Job Responsibilities

The storyteller role includes:

  • Managing media consent in partnership with Spectra in public spaces and when working in communities, and ensuring that all consent is informed.
  • Working alongside the artist in residence and engaging with the program of activity occurring in the garden.
  • Engaging with the gardening team to understand the work occurring in the Apothecary Bed.
  • Planning and delivering workshops in the garden space.
  • Designing and liaising with fabricators to create a physical outcome for the Commons space.
  • Creatively documenting the development of the Apothecary Garden in The Commons and the community's reactions to it.

Useful Links

Job Overview

  • Job Title: Artist
  • Salary: Under £10K
  • Hours: Part time
  • Artform: Combined arts
  • Role: Creative
  • Contract: Contract
  • Closing date: Tue, 17 Mar 2026
  • Location:
    West Midlands

How to Apply

We eagerly encourage applications from people who are from marginalised or minoritised backgrounds. Our welcome extends beyond the recruitment process; we are committed to creating a working space that is safe and caring for all.

If you need or would prefer this job description or the application form below in another format, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] to chat through how we can best open this opportunity to you.

If you think this job looks great but you’re a bit cautious about putting yourself forward, please get in touch with Maisy Neale ([email protected]) for an informal chat. We’re very happy to talk through the role, to find different ways of communicating this job description, and to explore how different kinds of experience could contribute to fulfilling this role well.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/z8LDT59t9hu9TZ28A