Ripon Museum Trust has existed since 1982 and runs three museums in the heart of Ripon.
Ripon Museum Trust is an equal opportunity employer.
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender identification or age.
Job Opportunities
Young Leaders & Wetherby Young Offender Institution – Artist / Creative Practitioner Commission
Ripon Museums Trust is pleased to offer this opportunity for an artist or creative practitioner to deliver eight participatory workshops with two groups of young people.
The artist will deliver:
- Four workshops with the Ripon Museums Trust Young Producers Group, working across our museum sites.
- One workshop with young people at Wetherby Young Offender Institution, delivered four times at the institution.
The project will support participants to explore connections between historical stories and their own lives, experiences and perspectives. The project will focus on themes of fairness, judgement, identity and representation, encouraging questioning, discussion and personal reflection rather than fixed conclusions.
A particular focus of the project will be the Trust’s collection of historical mugshots and stories relating to crime and punishment. These photographs provide a starting point for exploring how people have been represented, labelled, judged and remembered.
Participants will play a central role throughout the process. The artist will act as a facilitator, supporting young people to develop and realise their own ideas and creative responses. A strong sense of voice, ownership and pride in the final outcomes is essential.
The project will draw on the Trust’s collections of policing, crime and punishment, particularly the historical mugshots. Other objects and materials from the collection, including deaccessioned police uniforms, may also be available for creative use.
We welcome a wide range of creative responses, including textiles, crafts, performance, film, podcasts, visual art, writing, photography or installation.
The artist will be expected to develop an approach that responds to the interests and ideas of each group. We do not wish to prescribe the artistic process or final outcome.
The two groups will work in different settings and may bring different perspectives to the collections.
Selected outcomes will be displayed within the museum.
The Trust is particularly interested in artists with experience of collaborative, community-based practice, especially those who have worked with adolescents and teenagers and/or participants within the criminal justice system.
Please read the full brief before applying
Fee
£3,000 total commission fee
The total available budget for this commission is £3,000.
This is intended to cover the artist’s planning, preparation, workshop delivery, development of the final creative outcome, documentation and evaluation, together with reasonable project costs including materials, travel and accommodation where required.
Artists should propose an approach that is ambitious but achievable within the available budget.
The Trust recognises that delivery within Wetherby Young Offender Institution may involve additional practical requirements, including security, induction and restrictions around materials and equipment. These will be discussed and agreed with the successful artist and the relevant YOI staff.
How to submit your Proposal
Please submit a two page or 2.5 minute audio or video proposal by 20/10/2026. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview during the week commencing the 26/10/2026. The artist will then be appointed and will commence work in November 2026. Applications should be sent via email or WeTransfer to Curator Laura Allan at [email protected].
The two page or 2.5 minute proposal must include the following:
- something about who you are and about your practice
- an outline of proposed workshops and the intended final outcome
- an approach to engaging young people, ensuring meaningful participation, voice, and ownership
- if you wish, you can also email us with images of your work, a link to your portfolio, website or social media, and your CV
Ripon Museums Trust is committed to ensuring that the recruitment process for this project is inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all artists. We welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds, including those with lived experience of disability, mental health challenges, or who are underrepresented in the arts.
To support this, the recruitment process will:
- be accessible in format, allowing submissions via email, WeTransfer, or audio/video proposals
- offer reasonable adjustments or support for applicants who may need assistance with the application or interview process
- be transparent and fair, with selection based on artistic merit, experience in participatory and trauma-informed practice, and ability to deliver the project objectives
- encourage applications from artists with experience in collaborative, community-based practice, particularly those who have worked with participants with diverse needs and/or within the criminal justice system
If you require any further details or have any queries, please contact Caroline Payette on [email protected]. We look forward to receiving your application.
