Exciting freelance opportunity for local young person

About the Project:

‘Your Voice, Your Stories’ is a community storytelling video campaign that positions Oldham Active not simply as a gym or leisure provider, but as a vital frontline community health asset – deeply embedded in the lives of Oldham residents and central to the ambitions of Oldham Council’s Healthier, Happier Lives mission.

The campaign captures real, unscripted video testimonials from Oldham Active members speaking directly to camera about how the service has changed their lives. Delivered across six priority health themes, the series will be released sequentially, building momentum before culminating in a final combined film premiered at a local cinema event for key stakeholders.

Each of the 6 films will follow a different theme, including:

Healthy Start in Life
Mental Health and Social Isolation
Illness and Long-Term Conditions
Ageing Well
Tackling Deprivation
Improving Employment

Commissioned by: The project is commissioned by Oldham Active, and will be delivered in partnership with Breaking Barriers, offering a unique partnership approach to co-created projects.

Applicant Criteria:

As part of the project, we are recruiting a Film Assistant to work alongside the core Creative Team to make, create and deliver this set of films.

The ideal candidate will:

Live in Oldham
Be age 18-25
Have a strong interest in filmmaking (this could look like they have perhaps studied it at school/college or have a keen interest at home).
Want to gain more experience in Filmmaking and in learning how it can be used in a real-life production.
Have a passion/experience for working with underrepresented communities and with young people.
Have excellent communication skills in person, to work with the filmmaker and with the different communities, and to make people feel comfortable before their interview on camera.
Be excited by the prospect of exploring and creating a cultural project that uses digital technology and storytelling to engage communities and audiences.
Have strong time keeping skills.
Be comfortable working on film shoot locations in and around Oldham, and be comfortable travelling independently to different locations around Oldham.
The role also requires an updated DBS. (We can cover the costs of this if you haven’t already got one).

The Assistant Filmmaker will be working closely with the Filmmaker (Tom Doona), Artistic Director (Parvez Qadir) and Executive Producer (Jodie Ratcliffe), as well as the wider creative team, commissioners, and communities at Oldham Active. We’re looking for someone who can work well in a team as well as be able to work independently.

Location:

The majority of the work will happen in Oldham, but there might be some work in the Breaking Barriers Office in Rochdale (to be discussed on a case-by-case basis), as well as meetings online which can be taken from home.

Fee:

£1,560.00 To include 12 days’ work

A typical filming day is 10am – 6pm, but there might be some evening or weekend work required as the project develops. This will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

An additional £50 will be paid to cover travel costs to the project location.

Term:

Freelance, Short-Term

We welcome applications from the Global Majority and artists underrepresented in the arts and would particularly love to hear from people from Oldham.

How To Apply:

There are different ways to apply so that you can choose which one suits you best. Please read the options below:

Please send a CV OR portfolio + supporting statement describing why you’d like to work as our Film Assistant on this project (no longer than 1-page)

VIDEO OR AUDIO: If you’d prefer to send us a video or audio application, please send a clip no longer than 2-minutes. Your application should outline what makes you a great fit for this role and why you’re eager to apply for this position, even if you’re new to the field. If you have any creative work (e.g. photos, social media, links etc) that you’re proud of, feel free to include this in your application at the end of your statement / clip. This can be a fun way for us to get to know a little bit more about you!

Key Dates:

Deadline to Apply – Monday 31st August 2026, 5pm
Interviews / Conversations – w/c 7th September 2026
Start Date if successful – w/c 28th September 2026

Send all applications to: [email protected]