Community arts worker

Community arts workers help local communities plan and take part in activities like drama, dance, painting and photography.

• Starter salary£19,000 a year
• Experienced£29,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 39 a week

What you'll do

As a community arts worker, you could:

• work with local groups to identify needs and concerns
• develop new arts groups and activities
• create artwork and help others develop their ideas
• advise on grants, sponsorship and other funding options
• promote activities through adverts, leaflets or social media

Working environment

You could work in the community, at a library, at a school, at an adult care home or in a prison.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• leadership skills
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work on your own
• excellent verbal communication skills
• business management skills
• active listening skills
• the ability to organise your time and workload
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

How to become a community arts worker

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• volunteering

University

To become a community arts worker, you could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• community arts
• creative expressive therapies
• art and design
• community education

You'll usually need to be qualified and experienced in a certain art form, such as visual arts, dance, drama, music or creative writing.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You may find a community arts qualification useful for getting a job as an assistant.

You could take a:

• Level 2 Certificate in Community Arts Administration
• Level 2 or 3 Certificate in Community Development

Entry requirements

You may need:

• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to do a cultural learning and participation officer advanced apprenticeship.

This usually takes a year and 6 months to 2 years to complete. It includes a mix of learning in the workplace and studying in a classroom.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Volunteering

It's important you get experience before you apply for jobs. You can do this by volunteering which can often lead to paid work.

You can find out about local community arts projects from the arts officer at your local council or by checking:

• Creative Lives
• Arts Council England
• Do IT
• NCVO

Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs if you have experience working in the community.

Good examples include working in adult education, art teaching or youth work. Experience of working with disadvantaged or vulnerable groups will also be helpful.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Career path and progression

With experience, you could work freelance and run larger projects with bigger budgets.

In larger organisations, you could move into a more senior or management role.

Career tips

Experience is just as important for getting onto a community arts course as it is for finding paid work.

Guides for this industry

• Charity & Non-Profit: pay, interviews and getting started →

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