Creative Lives

Organisation

Creative Lives is a registered charity that was established in 1991. We champion community and volunteer-led creative activity, and work to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative. In particular, we celebrate and promote people expressing themselves creatively with others, recognising the benefits this can bring.

Location

Edinburgh shared office/meeting use, within H&S guidelines. Otherwise remote working.

Project

‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity.’  

In the last two decades Scotland’s reputedly positive attitude towards migration has seen some of the most significant changes to the cultural diversity and ethnic origins of its people. 

At the same time our understanding of how culture informs and shapes society has expanded, underpinning much of contemporary cultural policy and investment.  

However, within participation data we can see there is still a significant lack of recognition regarding the breadth of everyday cultural and creative activity undertaken by people of colour within minority ethnic communities.  

Building on our previous ‘Open Conversations’ research from 2016, ‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity’  seeks to address this knowledge gap by surveying everyday creative activity undertaken by people of colour in Scotland. 

In addition, with a UK wide backdrop of increasing political polarisation, ‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity’  also seeks to move beyond barriers to instead examine ways in which stakeholders might work together to address identified issues in the short, medium and longer term. 

An understanding of race equality issues is desirable for this post. 

Outputs

A range of potential outputs have been highlighted for ‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity’, including; 

  • A Literature Review of existing research 
  • A Scotland-wide Stakeholder Identification process 
  • A Survey of active groups and organisations  
  • Up to six interviews with stakeholders, identifying issues, turned into case studies. 
  • A UK-wide Learning and Sharing Seminar (online). 
  • A publication, podcast or short film for wider distribution. 

Timescale

Flexible. This role can be undertaken part-time over four to six months. 

Examples include: 

  • Single block of 12 weeks 
  • Multiple shorter blocks 
  • Longer less intensive engagement, e.g. one day per week, one week per month 
  • Mixture of the above. 

Benefits to the Host

‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity’ has been developed to create a better understanding of the breadth and diversity of everyday creative and cultural activity undertaken by people of colour from minority ethnic communities in Scotland. It similarly seeks to create a better understanding of barriers, providing potential solutions and suggested joint action. 

‘Cultural Diversity and Everyday Creativity’ will raise the profile of everyday creativity as it is practiced by a more diverse range of individuals, organisations and groups.  

Outcomes will also support our own ongoing advocacy work with a variety of stakeholders, including with local, regional and national government, and during policy and funding debates. 

The project will additionally support individuals, organisations and groups within Scotland and the UK to connect, promoting peer learning and inclusion.  

These outcomes are in line with our Strategic Objectives, as detailed here. 

This research also builds on our 2016 ’Open Conversations’ report, available here. 

Benefits to the Researcher

The researcher will gain valuable professional experience, practical networking and presentation skills alongside published research outcomes. 

Whilst learning about the diversity of everyday creative and cultural activity undertaken by people of colour from minority ethnic communities, the researcher will also have the chance to refine stakeholder identification, facilitation, evaluation/impact assessment and reporting skills. 

The researcher will have the opportunity to help shape how outcomes are developed, presented and published and subsequently examine the impact for the sector. 

Our previous doctoral intern commented that; 

“During the internship I worked with a great team who helped me to find my 'public engagement' voice as a researcher. The opportunity to delve into the everyday creative cultural activity that is happening now has also helped me to identify new ways in which my PhD research could inform key debates about creativity.” 

Key Relationships

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with the small and dedicated team at Creative Lives, including our diverse Board, with a supporting role undertaken by Trustee and Diversity Panel member Maryam Wasim. 

Further details of our Board and Advisory Groups can be found here. 

We are also currently seconding maternity cover for our Scotland Director and are working with various ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations to fill this post. 

The candidate will additionally have the opportunity to interact with a broad range of community groups, voluntary arts and creative practitioners from across the UK., including individuals from a range of multi-arts, cultural associations and specialist interest groups, as identified.  

We also have good established links with a range of representative groups, third sector organisations and specialist academic partners. 

Subject Areas

Archaeology and Classics 

Creative Arts and Design 

     

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Prehistoric Archaeology 

x 

Architecture 

x 

Archaeology of Literate Societies 

x 

Creative Writing 

x 

Archaeology of Human Origins 

x 

Dance 

x 

Archaeological Theory 

x 

Design 

 

Maritime Archaeology 

x 

Drama & Theatre Studies 

 

Landscape and Environmental Archaeology 

x 

Music 

 

Industrial Archaeology 

x 

Visual Arts 

x 

Classical Literature 

x 

Curating 

x 

Classical Reception 

 

 

x 

Philosophy, Thought and Religion 

 

 

 

Epigraphy and Papyrology 

 

 

x 

Languages and Linguistics 

 

 

Cultural and Museum Studies 

History 

 

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x 

Museum and Gallery Studies 

x 

Cultural History 

x 

Museum Policy & Management 

x 

Political History 

x 

Cultural Geography 

x 

Imperial/Colonial History 

x 

Heritage Management 

x 

History of Science/Medicine/Technology 

 

Conservation of Art and Textiles 

x 

War Studies 

x 

Art History 

x 

Religious History 

x 

Policy, Arts Management and Creative Industries 

x 

Economic and Social History 

x 

Gender and Sexuality 

x 

American Studies 

x 

Cultural Studies and Pop Culture 

x 

Post-Colonial Studies 

x 

Information and Knowledge Management 

x 

Scottish Studies 

x 

Archives 

 

 

x 

Records Management 

 

 

x 

Information Science and Retrieval 

 

 

x 

Library Studies 

 

 

x 

Information and Knowledge Management 

 

 

x 

Computational Studies 

 

 

Law & Legal Studies 

Linguistics 

 

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Jurisprudence/Philosophy of Law  

x 

Textual Editing and Bibliography  

x 

Human Rights  

x 

Syntax  

 

Criminal Law and Criminology  

x 

Semantics and Pragmatics  

 

International Law  

x 

Phonetics  

 

EU Law  

 

Language Variation and Change  

 

Public Law  

 

Lexicon  

 

Comparative Law 

 

Linguistic Theory  

 

Common Law, including Commercial Law 

 

Morphology and Phonology  

 

Law Regulated by Statute 

x 

Applied Linguistics  

 

Law Relating to Property 

x 

Linguistics (General)  

 

Legal History 

x 

History of English Languages  

Media, Comms, Film & TV 

Modern Languages 

       

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x 

Media and Communication Studies  

x 

Interpreting and Translation  

x 

Journalism  

x 

Scandinavian Studies  

x 

Publishing  

x 

Asiatic and Oriental Studies  

x 

Television History, Theory and Criticism  

x 

Middle Eastern and African  

x 

New Media/Web-Based Studies  

x 

Italian Studies  

x 

Film History, Theory and Criticism  

x 

Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin Studies  

 

 

x 

English Language   

 

 

x 

Comparative Literature  

 

 

x 

French Studies  

 

 

x 

Celtic Studies  

 

 

x 

Australasian Studies  

 

 

x 

German, including Dutch and Yiddish  

 

 

x 

Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages and Literature  

Philosophy 

Literatures 

 

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Select all 

x 

Political Philosophy  

x 

English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh Literature  

x 

Philosophy of Mind  

x 

Literature from the Anglophone world  

x 

Aesthetics  

x 

Colonial and Post-Colonial Studies  

x 

Metaphysics  

x 

Lifewriting  

x 

History of Ideas  

 

Children’s Literature  

x 

Language and Philosophical Logic  

 

Science and Fantasy Writing  

x 

Epistemology  

x 

Poetry  

x 

Ethics  

x 

Literary and Cultural Theory  

x 

History of Philosophy  

x 

Ethnography and Anthropology  

x 

Philosophy of Science and Mathematics and Mathematical Logic  

x 

Gender and Sexuality  

x 

Philosophy of Religion  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theology, Divinity & Religion 

 

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Old Testament  

x 

Sikhism  

 

Modern Theology  

x 

Alternative Spiritualities/New Religious Movements  

 

Judaism  

 

Atheism/Secularism  

 

Islam  

x 

Inter-faith Relations  

 

Liturgy  

x 

Contemporary Religion  

 

Systematic Theology  

 

 

 

Church History and History of Theology  

 

 

 

New Testament  

 

 

x 

East Asian Religions  

 

 

x 

Buddhism  

 

 

x 

Hinduism  

 

 

x 

Jainism  

 

 


Person Specification

Media, Comms, Film & TV 

Modern Languages 

       

Select all 

        

Select all 

x 

Media and Communication Studies  

x 

Interpreting and Translation  

x 

Journalism  

x 

Scandinavian Studies  

x 

Publishing  

x 

Asiatic and Oriental Studies  

x 

Television History, Theory and Criticism  

x 

Middle Eastern and African  

x 

New Media/Web-Based Studies  

x 

Italian Studies  

x 

Film History, Theory and Criticism  

x 

Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin Studies  

 

 

x 

English Language   

 

 

x 

Comparative Literature  

 

 

x 

French Studies  

 

 

x 

Celtic Studies  

 

 

x 

Australasian Studies  

 

 

x 

German, including Dutch and Yiddish  

 

 

x 

Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages and Literature  

Philosophy 

Literatures 

 

Select all 

 

Select all 

x 

Political Philosophy  

x 

English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh Literature  

x 

Philosophy of Mind  

x 

Literature from the Anglophone world  

x 

Aesthetics  

x 

Colonial and Post-Colonial Studies  

x 

Metaphysics  

x 

Lifewriting  

x 

History of Ideas  

 

Children’s Literature  

x 

Language and Philosophical Logic  

 

Science and Fantasy Writing  

x 

Epistemology  

x 

Poetry  

x 

Ethics  

x 

Literary and Cultural Theory  

x 

History of Philosophy  

x 

Ethnography and Anthropology  

x 

Philosophy of Science and Mathematics and Mathematical Logic  

x 

Gender and Sexuality  

x 

Philosophy of Religion  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theology, Divinity & Religion 

 

Select All 

 

 

 

Old Testament  

x 

Sikhism  

 

Modern Theology  

x 

Alternative Spiritualities/New Religious Movements  

 

Judaism  

 

Atheism/Secularism  

 

Islam  

x 

Inter-faith Relations  

 

Liturgy  

x 

Contemporary Religion  

 

Systematic Theology  

 

 

 

Church History and History of Theology  

 

 

 

New Testament  

 

 

x 

East Asian Religions  

 

 

x 

Buddhism  

 

 

x 

Hinduism  

 

 

x 

Jainism  

 

 


First published: 16 September 2021