Community Engagement Officer - Colours of Redbridge

Creative Lives in Progress; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000

Job description

Location: Redbridge Central Library, Ilford

Type: Part-time (3 days per week), fixed term contract until 31st March 2026 with a potential to extend subject to fundraising targets

Colours of Redbridge is a vibrant programme of community-led arts and culture in Redbridge, East London. It is part of the pioneering Creative People and Places (CPP) programme from Arts Council England, empowering local people to decide what culture happens in their area. We are reaching new audiences through high-quality work and making a real difference to people’s lives through our projects which include South Asian truck art, a cultural food festival and a disability-led street carnival.

We are looking for a passionate and dedicated Community Engagement Officer to work with local communities in Ilford and Loxford. You will facilitate community empowerment and decision-making processes in order to realise the community’s artistic ambitions and work with a group of Community Producers to develop projects in the area. Additionally, you will sustain engagement with our target communities via regular events and maintaining networks with local community groups and organisations.

Job requirements:

• To recruit, support and inspire a group of Community Producers for sustained involvement with Colours of Redbridge.
• To research, develop and maintain a rich engagement network of local groups in your priority area.
• To facilitate Community Producer meetings, allowing all voices to be heard and to ensure community voices drive the projects.
• To develop and implement methods of co-design so that the community are at the centre of the programme from start to finish.
• To develop new and grow existing audiences for creative programmes and events through the delivery of appealing and original marketing campaigns, peer networks, local groups and online media.

Essential requirements:

• Experience of working in a role developing and sustaining a network of engaged community groups and individuals.
• A track record of engaging and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, such as those from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, those on lower incomes, young people, or older people.
• Experience developing models of community participation, such as steering groups and citizen assemblies, participatory budgets, co-designing projects, or community seed-funding grants.
• Experience of developing, coordinating, promoting, and facilitating arts or community projects such as events, performances, activity clubs, sports clubs, neighbourhood projects etc.
• Facilitation and active listening skills to ensure a wide range of opinions are equally and fairly heard and captured.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to form strong relationships and influence a range of stakeholders to ensure effective participation.
• An understanding of the lived experiences of communities in Redbridge, some of the issues they face, and some of the barriers and motivations to participate in community programmes.

In the Supporting Statement section, please address how you meet all of the criteria listed in the Personal Specification on pages 7 and 8 of the Job Description in the link above (no more than two pages of A4).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.