Do you have experience of delivering participatory Mosaic Workshops with community groups? Here’s an opportunity to make a difference.

If you’re a confident maker with experience in running community mosaic projects,  Great Northern Events,  organiser of the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, would love to hear from you.

As well as our prestigious craft fairs, we passionately believe that craft and making things can have huge therapeutic benefits, bring people together and foster confidence and joy, even for those who are struggling.

Opportunity at the Oasis Centre, Gorton Manchester

For the past 6 years, we have partnered with The Oasis Centre, a charity in Gorton, East Manchester, which works with marginalised communities -  including people living with long-term physical and mental health problems, the homeless, asylum seekers and refugees. 

We have commissioned makers to deliver a range of different workshops for the Oasis community from pottery, willow weaving, print making, textiles and leather projects.   

For their next project, the Oasis community would like to come together to make a decorative mosaic to display in their Centre.  

Many members of the community come from broken backgrounds or are experiencing broken lives but they all come together at Oasis. 

They see Oasis as their home, a place where they belong and feel safe, a place of support and love where they can start to piece their lives back together. 

They see a mosaic as a fitting metaphor for their circumstances - the broken pieces coming together to make a beautiful piece of art that reflects their Oasis home and sanctuary and celebrates the love, friendships and acceptance of everyone, no matter their backgrounds. 

The finished piece will measure approx 1x1.5m.  The workshops will be carried out at the Oasis Community Centre, Gorton, East Manchester.

Oasis would like this mosaic project delivered over 2-3 consecutive days between 17th June and 19th July - dates to be confirmed depending on artist's availability.

Oasis is open from Monday to Thursday 10am-2pm and the mosaic workshops will need to take place at the Centre during these hours with set up and breakdown outside these hours.

You will need to work with the community on a design and supply all materials and equipment for which you will be reimbursed up to a pre-agreed limit. 

The piece will need to be finished and mounted off -site.

We'd love to display the finished piece at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 17-20 October 2024 before it is hung permanently at the Oasis Centre.   

You may need to be available to hang the piece at GNCCF on Weds 16th or Thurs 17 October. You will also need to oversee the installation of the mosaic at Oasis.

The workshops will take place in their class room and Centre staff are on hand to help.

Their clients are all kinds of people, with many kinds of issues, both mental and physical, and we advise that you should pitch your workshop at a reading age of 8 years, as this means everyone can join in.

For some, English is not their first language. We always aim to have translators on hand for large language groups, but often many languages are represented, so keep it simple!

Your proposal should be suitable for complete beginners, with scope for those with more experience.

As you may be working with vulnerable adults a DBS certificate is desirable but not essential as workshops will be delivered under the supervision of Oasis staff.

Fees and Expenses

Workshops at Oasis, Gorton

• £1750 to cover: delivery of workshop over 2 consecutive days from  10.00 - 14.00 each day, with access to set up and tidy up before and after at The Oasis Centre. (Dates to be agreed with artist and Oasis); preparation for workshop; post production of the final piece including mounting;  half day install and half day de-rig at Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair; half day install at Oasis building. (Note - The Oasis Centre is closed on Fridays) 
• Up to £250 expenses for materials including mounts
• Upto £200 towards economy travel and subsistence expenses  - receipts will be required. If you come from further afield and would incur greater costs, then please speak to us, but we may not be able to meet this cost due to the limitations of our budget.  There is no budget for accommodation costs.