Down to Earth - External Evaluator April 2025-March 2026

ArtsJobs; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 12,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative initiative is seeking a skilled external evaluator to assess the impact of community-led creative projects in Wigan. This role involves analyzing data, conducting interviews, and facilitating stakeholder sessions to provide actionable insights. The successful candidate will contribute to a final report that answers critical questions about public engagement in creativity and culture. Join a forward-thinking programme dedicated to enhancing community connections through art and nature. This is a unique opportunity to influence and shape the future of cultural engagement in the borough.

Qualifications

• Experience in evaluating community-based projects and cultural programmes.
• Strong understanding of creative engagement and public participation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct data analysis and interviews to evaluate programme impact.
• Facilitate reflection sessions and observe community activities.

Skills

Data Analysis

Report Writing

Community Engagement

Interviewing Skills

Education

Degree in Social Sciences or Related Field

Tools

Illuminate Platform

Impacts and Insights Toolkit

Job description

Tue, 06 May 2025">published - Tue, 06 May 2025

Job Summary

Down to Earth is the Creative People and Places Programme working across the Borough of Wigan, the Programme is community led, aiming to connect more people with the borough’s abundance of high quality green space through creative activities & engage local communities as audiences.

Job Description

The Contract

The fee available for the external evaluator role is £12,000 exclusive of VAT but inclusive of all other costs. The contract will be made to a freelance individual or an organisation. The successful candidate will be responsible for their own tax affairs.

The Role

Down to Earth is looking for an external evaluator to write an independent report on activities in the year April 2025 - March 2026. The successful candidate will work with the delivery team to:

• Analyse data collected by the programme through the Illuminate and Impacts and Insights Toolkit platforms.
• Interview consortium members, audiences, volunteers and staff to gain a deeper insight into the impact of the programme.
• Facilitate regular reflection sessions with key stakeholders as the programme develops over the course of the year.
• Observe a number of Down to Earth activities in person for inclusion in the report
• Work with 4 critical friends to incorporate their insight into a final annual report to be submitted 1st May 2026.

The final evaluation report should seek to answer the three core questions set by Arts Council England in line with Down to Earth's role as an action research project:

1. Are more people from places of least engagement experiencing and inspired by creativity and culture and what are the most effective ways to achieve this?

2. What approaches enable us to deliver on our aspiration for excellence, both in the process of community engagement and the creative and cultural experiences on offer?

3. What else are we learning that facilitates better public engagement in creativity and culture?

More information about the reporting requirements of Creative People and Places programmes can be found here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/creative-people-and-places-0/cpp-key-documents-and-guidance#t-in-page-nav-3

Job Requirements

Activity

Down to Earth uses creative activity to connect local people with art, nature and each other. The programme activity broadly consists of:

• A flexible approach to community decision making using panels, consultation and existing community infrastructure to embed community leadership at all stages of the programme.
• Regular open sessions in hyperlocal green spaces that aim to develop new communities around arts and culture.
• Large scale co-created outdoor events including Light Up Leigh, Flashes festival of nature and Down to Earth's Public Art festival that change perceptions of the borough.
• Longer term residencies that dig deeper into targeted communities and develop original work that could be made anywhere else.
• Seed commissions that support grassroots community organisations to explore their own creativity.
• Borough of Joy - a year long project giving creative missions to residents that will surprise and delight their neighbours.

Job Responsibilities

The successful applicant will start in June 2025, and the contract ends in April 2026. Working days and expectations can be discussed as part of the application process.

Job Overview

• Job Title: Down to Earth - External Evaluator April 2025-March 2026

To apply please submit a written application of no more than 4 sides of A4 and, in addition to this, a past example of an evaluation report you have written.

The written application should include:
• Information about your past experience
• Your understanding of the aims and requirements of Creative People and Places projects.
• Your proposal to create an evaluation brief that meets Arts Council England’s requirements and contains actionable learning for Down to Earth (and the wider cultural sector).
• An outline budget covering your proposal.
• Contact details for two referees.

We're supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by Wigan Council.