Published January 27, 2023

IHME Helsinki commissions contemporary artworks that unite the worlds of art, science and climate action. Each year, we produce a public artwork and a series of events that offer a vision and hope amid the environmental crisis. Our events are free and open to anyone interested. IHME Helsinki Commission 2023 has been conceived by Kurdish artist Hiwa K and is titled Chicago Boys – while we were singing, they were dreaming. The commission will take place during 17.4–27.5.2023 at Stoa Cultural Centre and in other public spaces around (Eastern) Helsinki – to be announced later. The project reflects on the impact of neoliberalism and the environmental crisis on our everyday lives. We are now looking for two part-time audience workers to collaborate with IHME’s team and the amateur band that will be formed for the project, and to mediate between band and audience members at public rehearsals, which will include storytelling, discussion, learning to play music, and playing music together.

Audience worker job description

We are looking for two (2) IHME audience workers to provide customer services, to work as mediators between the Chicago Boys and audience members at public rehearsals, and to collect audience feedback in various ways. As an IHME audience worker you will be at the heart of the Chicago Boys project and a witness to art’s impact on its audiences.

This is an opportunity to be involved in implementing an artwork in public space designed for Helsinki by an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist, and to share information about the artwork and the artist with various audiences. You will learn how public and collective artworks involving various people and locations are produced. Additionally, you will learn how neoliberalism and environmental crises are connected, and about experiential knowledge from the diverse participants in the band.

As part of the audience-work team, you will learn practical ways of assessing and reducing the project’s carbon footprint and of promoting ecologically sustainable practices in the execution and production of works of art. As an audience worker, you will be involved in promoting equality and creating a safe space for different audiences, with support from IHME’s staff. You will be involved in giving audiences hope in the face of environmental crises by sharing ways of taking environmental action alone and together.

Start date, working hours and salary

The audience workers will work closely with the artist Hiwa K, curator and Executive Director Paula Toppila, Communications Planner Saara Moisio, Eco-Coordinator Saara Korpela, and the Producer, who will be hired for the project.

The wage is 20 euros per hour and the working period is 17.4–27.5.2023.

Working hours are 10 hours a week, focussed on the times of band rehearsals: private rehearsals either on Mondays or Wednesdays at about 17:00–20:00 (the band will decide on the day) at Stoa, and the public rehearsals on Saturdays in a variety of public spaces. You will attend weekly team meetings and the feedback meeting after the project. There will be induction into the job, timing to be decided with the selected audience workers.

Duties

Audience workers will perform the following duties:

1. joining in the private rehearsals with the Chicago Boys amateur band to learn about continuously evolving process of making the artwork
2. providing customer services and mediating between the Chicago Boys project, IHME Helsinki and audience members during public rehearsals
3. collecting audience feedback from the audience in various ways
4. communicating on social media and reporting.

Required skills

As an IHME audience worker you are approachable and quick to absorb information. You are alert and friendly, and comfortable around people and contemporary art. Successfully completing the tasks involved requires excellent interaction skills, tolerance of adverse weather conditions, and an aptitude for problem solving. It is important that you think of yourself as suited to this work and that you are inspired by it.

Experience of audience work, art education, customer surveys, marketing and communication, diverse language skills (good skills in English are mandatory, with knowledge of Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish or Northern Sami an advantage), while an interest in social issues, knowledge of urban culture and contemporary art is an advantage. We hope music is a part of your life in one form or another.

Applying

We hope to receive applications from varied age groups, diverse genders, and people belonging to language, cultural or other minorities. In your application you may mention belonging to any of these groups. All information will be processed confidentially. As an equal-opportunity employer we may apply positive action measures in the selection process.

Applications should include a CV that lists relevant studies, work experience and language skills. You should also explain your motivation for doing the job, your relationship with environmental issues and contemporary art, and indicate availability to work at the above-mentioned dates and times. Please also tell us whether music plays a role in your life, and if so, how.

Your application is to be sent by March 5, 2023, to: paula.toppila(a)ihmehelsinki.fi. The subject line should name the vacancy being applied for: IHME 2023 audience worker. Those invited to the interview stage will be notified personally. All applicants will be informed of our decision by e-mail by March 30, 2023.

Further information:

Executive Director Paula Toppila, paula.toppila(a)ihmehelsinki.fi, +358-45-1240096 (calling times February 10 at 10:00–11:00 and February 13 at 13:00–14:00)

Our work in 2023–25 is made possible by support from Saastamoinen Foundation, Kone Foundation and Abakanowicz Art and Culture Charitable Foundation.