Appointment of first AESOP Fellow
AESOP is pleased to announce its search for the first AESOP Fellow. This
full time year-long remunerated opportunity will give an early career arts
manager the chance to learn and work at the cutting edge where the arts
meet community development, health and social care, and international
development.
The Fellowship will combine contributing to many aspects of AESOP’s
work with professional development opportunities.
About AESOP
AESOP (www.ae-sop.org) deploys the arts’ underused power to deliver
robust, measurable social outcomes. Its revolutionary approach is to start
with challenges/ unmet needs in society. It then scans all artistic options
to create something of high artistic quality, suitable, evidence-based,
cost-effective and sustainable. This is different from the familiar ‘arts
push’ when arts organisations offer their particular arts work with limited
evidence of impact, sustainability or growth. AESOP’s funders include Arts
Council England, City Bridge Trust, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Garfield
Weston Foundation, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and Peter Sowerby
Charitable Foundation.
AESOP’s programmes
 INCUBATE – our core programme: high quality arts enterprises with
a social purpose (‘aesops’) designed to deliver artistic and social
impact and grow.
 CONNECT – to generate ideas and demand for the INCUBATE
pipeline. This links us with major institutions facing challenges
which ‘aesops’ may help to address.
 TOOLBOX – to fill methodological gaps for INCUBATE. We are
developing a range of tools, training and consultancy to help arts
and social organisations.
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
SHARE: exchanging knowledge through sharing best practice,
developing public engagement and advocating changes in practice
and policy.
Achievements so far
 Arts and international development (CONNECT): AESOP and the
British Council co-hosted a successful international conference from
14 to 16 June 2015.
 Aesop 1 (TOOLBOX) – a rigorous framework for developing and
researching arts in health programmes. Public Health England has
commissioned a simplified version for health commissioners.
 Aesop 2 (TOOLBOX) – a planning tool to link artistic quality and
social impact, created with a group chaired by the Vice Principal of
King’s College London.
 The Arts Enterprises in Health & Social Care Group (SHARE) – an
action learning set for vanguard arts organisations which are
already being commissioned.
 The first programme to link arts activity and health economics
(TOOLBOX) – a partnership with the London School of Economics.
Activities in 2015/16
 ‘Dance to Health’ for preventing older people’s falls
(INCUBATE): this first ‘aesop’ addresses challenges faced by current
falls prevention services and aims to achieve health, artistic and
social outcomes plus health savings. 10 pilots are planned in
Cheshire, London and Oxfordshire. £350,000 has been raised so far.
 School readiness programme (INCUBATE): the second ‘aesop’ to
improve pre-5s’ school readiness – our partner is Big Local in
Hastings and nationally. Big Local is a £215m Lottery programme
for 150 disadvantaged communities.
 AESOP Day – 5 February 2016 – Royal Festival Hall
(CONNECT): a partnership with NHS Alliance and Southbank Centre
to inspire, galvanise and support health professionals and patients
to use the arts in healthcare. It will include a celebration of Dance
to Health.
 AESOP Academy (TOOLBOX) will be a social enterprise offering
tools, training and consultancy for developing and improving
collaborations between arts organisations and their social partners.
Initial work is focusing on health and social care, and international
development.
 Public Health England commission (TOOLBOX) to produce a
version of Aesop 1 for health commissioners.
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About the AESOP Fellow
The Fellow with work closely with AESOP’s Chief Executive and founder,
Tim Joss. Duties and professional development opportunities are
summarised below.
DUTIES
1. Reflect the ethos of AESOP in all interactions with stakeholders and
the public:
 Commitment to realising the full power of the arts to help
address challenges in people’s daily lives.
 Inclusivity.
 Customer care.
 Celebration of people’s creativity.
 Commitment to social enterprise.
 Professionalism.
2.
Contribute to the successful development and delivery of:
 AESOP’s overall Strategic Plan.
 Dance to Health (working with the Dance to Health Project
Manager).
 The AESOP Day at the Royal Festival Hall on 5 February 2016.
 The AESOP Academy.
 The partnership with Big Local North East Hastings.
 Meetings of the Arts Enterprises in Health & Social Care Group.
 Other developments as they arise.
3.
Act as Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive.
4.
Other activities to support AESOP that may be reasonably requested
by the Chief Executive.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Once appointed, AESOP’s Chief Executive and the AESOP Fellow will
undertake an initial review of the Fellow’s particular professional
development needs. Opportunities within or outside AESOP will be
identified. The Fellow’s professional development progress and further
needs will be reviewed every three months during the Fellowship year.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
AESOP is seeking an early career arts manager or recent graduate in arts
management with demonstrable interest in the contribution high quality
arts can make to non-arts sectors (such as community development,
health and social care, and international development).
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The successful candidate will have:
 Commitment to the AESOP ethos backed by relevant experience.
 First class verbal and written communication skills.
 Proven ability to deal with stakeholders and the public with tact and
diplomacy.
 Excellent organisational and IT skills and superb attention to detail.
 Energy, positivity, and an inspiring nature.
RECRUITMENT, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Applicants should send a CV, covering letter and two referees to info@aesop.org by Monday 24 August. Interviews will take place in early
September.
It is anticipated that the Fellowship will begin in late September.
The AESOP Fellow will receive a fee of £22,000. Reasonable expenses will
be paid. The Fellow will be home-based and have weekly meetings with
the AESOP team.
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