Call for applications: Culture Connects storyteller

The suitable candidate will be a storyteller with experience working in and with networks in both SSA and the UK.

This will involve working with diverse partners across nine countries in SSA and the UK to contribute to increasing visibility and shaping new narratives about the arts and culture sectors in both regions.

The lead partner will need to specify, in their submission, which countries within SSA they have physical presence and in which ones they will be engaging partners.

Phase one: Audience research

• Meet with the British Council’s SSA Arts Culture Connects team to understand the scope of work and co-create the activities and project detail.
• Meet with grantees/partners to understand project scope and objectives.
• Working with the British Council team to identify and map out projects for storytelling.
• Research and present SSA arts and culture sector storytelling scope (themes, narratives, platforms, audience engagement plan, etc).
• Conduct research on relevant UK and SSA media and press partners to distribute content (both online and offline).
• Present a communication and distribution plan that matches the expected content with suitable audiences in SSA and the UK.
• Phase one shall be concluded by the submission of an acceptable audience and media research report entailing the situation as is and a content distribution plan, and associated timeline.

Phase two: Online events/workshops

• Curate and deliver three networking events for project grantees in each cluster (Southern Africa, East Africa and West Africa).
• Curate and deliver three storytelling workshops for project grantees and can be open to public.
• Curate and deliver three creative collaborations workshop /event open to public audiences.

Phase Three: Delivery

• Work with the Culture Connects regional programme manager and partners to gather and curate suitable content for the projects.
• Distribute content through the agreed platforms and channels focusing on reaching new audiences and increasing the visibility of the British Council’s SSA Culture Connects creative collaborations programme fund.
• Create and share arts and culture stories and highlights from SSA region and UK, which can be shared widely on British Council and partners social media platforms.
• The lead partner will submit a report that outlines the reach and engagement of the campaigns interpreting the data/insight to make recommendations and share learnings. This report will also demonstrate the audience growth of the social media channels and archive links and recordings (audio/video) for all content published as part of this assignment.
• The lead partner shall provide professional communications and storytelling consultancy services to the British Council’s Cultural Exchange programme with various acceptable media. Targeted media features with key online and print publications in SSA to support telling the story of our Cultural Exchange work and impact on audiences, artists and creatives in SSA and the UK.
• The consultants will create and implement an offline and online distribution plan for the content. The consultant will ensure the content reaches broad and varied audiences. Distributing different types of content to different audiences: using a variety of online and offline distribution methods to reach new audiences for the British Council’s SSA Arts programme.

Other communications responsibilities include:

• Track planned performance to ensure targets set are being met and adjust plans to respond to emerging gaps/opportunities.
• Monitoring of engagement and target audience feedback on each project.
• Bimonthly call with the British Council team to check on progress, provide additional insight from this campaign and review the plan accordingly and review additional requirements which may be carried out with the agreement of the supplier.

Key performance indicators

• Commissioning and positioning of a minimum of 30 pieces of content/stories online (articles/podcast features) and on traditional media outlets (TV/radio appearances/articles in newspapers and magazines).
• Positive change in audience position on social media channels specifically for the SSA countries involved. This is to be measured by growth in likes/follows/engagement/reach, etc.
• Delivering of all online events as per TOR.
• Production to storytelling articles/pieces.
• Final consolidated report submission by consultant to the British Council.

Key dates

• Deadline for submission: 14 August 2022
• Award date: 24 August 2022
• Contract start: 1 September 2022
• Contract end: 31 August 2023
• Extension clause date: 31 August 2023

View original call here.