Borderlands Volunteers

Borderlands is on the look out for flexible volunteers to help us deliver our creative and cultural programme across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland. The roles we are offering will be events-based, at different venues around the local area.

What You'll Do:

Borderlands’ programme co-created and co-facilitated with the communities that we work with. We host all kinds of activity across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland, including workshops, exhibitions, ‘go and see’ visits, and community meetings.

As a Borderlands volunteer, you can expect to:

Steward events, ensuring that attendees are supported and that things run smoothly

Help to run creative workshops, exhibitions, and community groups

Collect valuable evaluation and feedback to help us improve our programme

Support event attendees to engage fully in the activities and workshops that we run.

Primarily, we are looking for volunteers who can offer their time flexibly, on an ‘as and when’ basis. There might be scope for longer term, more structured volunteering roles on specific projects, but these will be posted as separate opportunities.

Why You'll Love It:

As we said above, every day at Borderlands is different! We cover all areas of Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland, and work with a huge variety of different communities. We support and nurture all kinds of creative and cultural activity anywhere we can, working with communities to create brilliant experiences that respond to their wants and needs. We work closely with fantastic freelance creatives and local organisations to produce our programme. Some of our recent projects have included a utopian city built out of cardboard, an audio trail documenting the past, present, and future of Guisborough, a storytelling project across 4 schools, and a folk song writing programme in collaboration with Saltburn Folk Festival. We’re a small and friendly team, and we pride ourselves on being inclusive and ensuring that everyone can engage in our activity.

What You'll Learn:

Volunteering with Borderlands is an oppourtunity to learn by doing, at your own pace, in a way that fits in with your strengths and interests. By volunteering with us, you can develop: Confidence and communication skills - connecting with new people, sharing ideas, and feeling comfortable in a diverse range of group settings. Experience of community-led creative projects - understand how art and culture can be shaped with communities, rather than just being dilivered to them. Practical skills - supporting events, workshops, and activities, from setting up welcoming spaces, to supporting participants and collecting evaluation. Teamwork and collaboration - working alongside artists, staff, and other volunteers, and building a network of local creatives. Insight into arts, culture, and community work - understanding how creativity can support wellbeing, inclusion, and pride in place. You don't need to arrive with these skills, you'll be able to build them through taking part. We offer guidance, support, and space to learn in ways that feel comfortable to you.

What We're Looking For:

Borderlands is looking for volunteers who want to be part of something creative, welcoming, and rooted in community. We're not looking for people with specific qualifications or lots of experience. What matters most is who you are and how you show up! Are curious, open-minded, and willing to get involved Enjoy meeting people and working alongside others Care about fairness, inclusion, and community voice Are reliable and respectful of different experiences and perspectives Are happy to learn as you go and try new things We welcome volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and experience, including people who have never volunteered before. Your lived experience, local knowledge, and interests are all valuable to the role! Above all, we're looking for people who believe creativity should be for everyone, and who want to help make arts and culture more accessible in the places we work.

Summary

Volunteering

Community

Education

Arts

Environment

Health

Middlesbrough

Redcar and Cleveland

0 Weeks Minimum

0 Hours / Week

Skills you will develop:

Organisation

Problem Solving

Adaptability

Communication

Motivating Others

Languages you should know:

English

Native or bilingual

Requirements:

Statement of Motivation

DBS check

Over 18

These documents must be completed:

Statement of motivation form Borderlands volunteering.docx

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