Innovative InSpire centre seeks IT and outreach staff

InSpire will be in the crypt of St. Peter's Church, Walworth, a Grade 1 listed building by Sir John Soane. The Crypt will include a digital arts and media centre, an IT suite, creche, conference and performance spaces, a cafe and meeting rooms.

InSpire will provide expert instruction at workstations equipped with state of the-art software for visual and sound arts production, including film and video. The scheme's backers say that InSpire will be open to anyone who wants to discover and build on their music, drama, arts and creative skills.

Walworth has high long-term unemployment and scores highly on indices of deprivation. InSpire aims to counter the lack of community facilities in the area and cater for the large number of young people in the area.

The centre is working with other local bodies to offer basic skills training, IT introductory sessions, parenting support and language, literacy and numeracy support.

The project will work especially with people aged 16-25 from the local area which has a 67% ethnic minority population, mostly Afro/Caribbean. Over 55s – especially isolated and vulnerable older people – will also be catered for. The centre will encourage experimentation and development. Experience and proven ability will not be necessary for people who come to InSpire; enthusiasm and commitment will.

There will be regular exhibitions and performances of dance, drama and music. InSpire will be a resource for local people in an area of high deprivation and great need. It will be a place residents can be proud of, which will offer a chance for life-changing experience and new skills.

Links are planned with the London College of Printing, Camberwell Arts College and the University of Westminster. Users of InSpire will be encouraged to do further study or move on into paid work in the creative arts and media.

The total cost of the scheme for the first three years is £1.6m, including £1.2m in development costs. £1.5m has been raised so far.

Now InSpire is looking for an IT coordinator with IT training and management skills and an awareness of the digital arts field, and an experienced outreach coordinator to ensure that InSpire is open to and meets the needs of its target groups

More information on these positions is available from the InSpire website at www.inspire.org.uk.