Worcestershire Arts Partnership Blog

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

Jump Start Performing Arts - Project Manager - closing date 12th May


Jump Start Performing Arts – Project Manager

 

Following a successful bid to the Arts Council, the Worcestershire Arts Partnership (WAP) are seeking to appoint a Project Manager to run a two year programme of performances and workshop events.

 

What is Jump Start Performing Arts?

 

Jump Start Performing Arts is a two year programme of performing showcase events to be held at venues across Worcestershire. The work to be performed will be new work by both established and emerging performing arts companies.  It will allow companies and writers to show new work both 'In Progress' and to audiences who are sympathetic to seeing more experimental and developmental pieces.

 

Jump Start Performing Arts has been operating in Worcestershire for the past 18 months with five events having taken place across the county, featuring monologues, performance art as well as more conventional drama. The work has been performed by actors and performers known to writers but to also known to the Worcestershire Arts Partnership. There are on average 5 performances at each event and there is also a question and answer session at each event for writers and audience.

 

This new funding grant from ACE allows WAP to take Jump Start to the next level – still organising and holding a series of performances, but seeking out and encouraging more artists to engage, growing audiences with increased marketing and more developmental support for the artists involved.

 

 

What is the Link between Jump Start and WAP?

 

Jump Start forms part of the artist resilience priority of 1000 Days, which is the County Arts Strategy.  Jump Start, and developing artists who take part is within the 1000 Days Action Plan..  

 

What are the Outputs Expected?

 

 

·         Six performance events across venues across the county which will showcase a minimum of four new performances at each event. The venues have been agreed in principle and will need confirming.

·         Four workshop activities across the county for at least twenty local practitioners working with a variety of professional theatre practitioners to develop the following skills: developing a text; devising; directing; marketing; specific performance skills e.g mask, puppetry. There will also be links to the work of WAP and opportunities for greater collaboration between artists.. The workshop leaders have been agreed in principle and need confirming.

·         To work with Fuelled by Theatre and the venues and WAP to market these events including writing copy and working with the County Council Design and Print Team

·         Development of at least one performance, by working with the company and the County Arts Officer, to be a full length piece of work (1000 Days output)

 

What are the outcomes expected?

 

·         Artists and arts organisations are able to hone and develop their work with peer support and challenge, before taking it wider (eg: on tour etc). (1000 Days outcome)

·         Artists and arts organisations improve their artistic and business/operational skills (1000 Days outcome)

·         Increased artist presence, strong support for emerging artists, vibrant arts scene (1000 Days outcome)

·         Increased media coverage in relation to the arts (1000 Days outcome)

·         Local audiences have the opportunity to see new work in development and offer feedback for writers, directors & performers (ACE outcome)

·         Long-term development of new theatre companies who are creating and performing work here in Worcestershire at local venues and potentially touring across the UK & beyond (ACE outcome)

·         Members of the local community who are not arts professionals have the opportunity to submit texts or ideas and benefit from arts professionals advice, support and feedback (ACE outcome)

 

 

 

Your roles and responsibilities

 

·         To manage each event and workshop including the booking of venues, promotion of events, finding and selection of performances

 

·         Being the host of each event and workshop including ensuring each activity is run safely and that the material of each showcase is age appropriate

 

·         To work with venues and Fuelled by Theatre to market each event to ensure we have audiences for each show

 

·         To manage the budget for the project and to write an interim and final report to the Arts Council

 

·         To ensure that the project deliverables are met including accessing  numbers of artists and audiences

 

·         To liaise and meet with Steve Wilson, County Arts Officer on an on-going basis

 

·         To showcase the work on Social Media including the taking of photographs and film for each event

 

 

 

Skills Needed

 

We are looking for someone who has:

 

·         Experience of working with writers, performers, directors and venues

 

·         Has an interest and experience of New Writing and Performances

 

·         Has an understanding of the challenges of promoting new writing

 

·         Is organised and works to deadlines with project management experience

 

·         Has an understanding of the theatre scene in Worcestershire

 

·         Can manage budgets

 

·         Is available over the two year period

 

Management

 

You will report to Steve Wilson, County Arts Officer for the duration of the project.

 

To apply:

 

Please send in a letter of no more than two sides of A4 outlining experience, skills and why you would like this job by Friday 12th  May  at 5pm to Steve Wilson, County Arts Officer swilson@worcestershire.gov.uk

 

We aim to select by paper application but we may decide to interview if there is significant interest.

 

Timescale

The project is due to start in June 2017 and finish in March 2019  

 

Fee

 

The fee for the work is: £6,000 over two years including all expenses. We would envisage this to be approximately 30- 40 days over the two year period.

 

Chair of New Prescriptions Sub Group - paid opportunity


Chair of New Prescriptions Group

 

The Worcestershire Arts Partnership (WAP) is seeking a Chair to run the New Prescriptions Group which is the Health and Well Being Group.

 

Background

Health and Well Being is one of the five priorities of 1000 Days, Worcestershire’s Arts Strategy. This priority is well established within WAP and has seen a number of symposiums as well as successful funding bids for projects. The highlights over the last two years include:

·         Connecting WAP with several health networks and building relationships with health personnel

·         A Symposium, involving health and arts professionals, looking at Ethics within arts and health

·         Successful event examining ways in which the arts can work within Cultural Commissioning

·         Three successful bids to the West Mercia Police using the arts as a diversionary tool to reduce crime

 

Your experience and skills

We are looking to appoint one or more people to Chair the Group. We are looking for someone with the following attributes:

·         Knowledge and experience of the arts and health sector including a working knowledge of how the Health Sector works at a County and National level

·         Understanding of how the arts can contribute to the healthy outcomes to individuals and groups

·         Ability to manage a group of arts and health practitioners and act as an independent Chair

·         Energy, drive and commitment to embedding WAP within the Health sector, as a contributor to people’s health and wellbeing in Worcestershire

·         Experience in bid writing

 

Your roles and responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities are laid out in 1000 Days, Worcestershire’s Arts Strategy, and are as follows:

 

Oversee the delivery of the Action Plan of the Arts Health and Well Being priority of 1000 Days, specifically:

·         Work with health colleagues to map out the health and care sectors to identify key posts responsibilities and routes in.

·         Provide means of explaining what WAP and its members can do for health and well being sector and promote to health colleagues

·         Work with health colleagues to develop Obesity as a priority, which is priority 3 of the Worcestershire's Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

·         Oversee the progress of the Inspiring Futures in the Arts project funded through the West Mercia Police

·         Explore funding opportunities for the New Prescriptions Group to ensure longevity

·         To run one developmental symposium for the sector

·         To act as a Champion and representative for WAP and on occasion deputise for Steve Wilson

·         To attend and report back to the WAP Steering Group

·         To run at least four meetings a year and set agendas

 

The Fee

 

The fee for the role is £2,000 and this represents a total of approximately 10 Days work or 20 half days over the course of a year. 

 

This role could be held by one person or shared between 2 people, and responsibilities allocated appropriately. 

 

At the present time we do not have full funding in place and would thus welcome discussions with anyone interested in the role about approaches to achieving full funding, such as partial in-kind support.  .

 

How to apply

 

Please send a CV plus no more than 2 sides of A4, detailing your experience and suitability for the role in response to the information outlined above, and your consideration of the funding approach described above. 

 

Responses should be sent to

Steve Wilson (SWilson@worcestershire.gov.uk) by 4pm on Friday 12th May

Chair of Children and Young People Group - paid opportunity


Chair of Children of Young People Group

 

The Worcestershire Arts Partnership (WAP) is seeking a Chair to run the Children and Young People (CYP) group

 

Background

Children and Young People is one of the five priorities of 1000 Days, Worcestershire’s Arts Strategy. This priority is well established within WAP and has seen a number of events and programmes as well as successful funding bids for projects. The highlights over the last two years include:

·         The immersion of Voices and Visions, the County Arts Service Schools based project into the work of the Group

·         The development of the Moving on Staying On Symposium into a University and Elmley funded project to maintain skills in the County

·         Funding from Arts Connect, the West Midlands Bridge organisation, to develop and run an Arts Ambassador Programme in schools

 

Your experience and skills

We are looking to appoint one or more people to Chair the Group. We are looking for someone with the following attributes:

·         Knowledge and experience of working with schools and artists and organisations to develop and provide arts based outcomes for children and young people

·         Knowledge of how the arts can improve the lives of children and young people

·         Knowledge and experience of working with children and young people in and out of formal education 

·         Knowledge of the further and Higher Education sectors

·         Ability to manage a group of arts practitioners and educators and act as an independent Chair

·         Energy, drive and commitment to embedding WAP within the CYP sector, as a contributor to improving the lives of young people in Worcestershire

·         Experience in bid writing

 

Your roles and responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities are laid out in 1000 Days, the County Arts Strategy and are as follows:

 

Oversee the delivery of the Action Plan of the Children and Young people priority of 1000 Days, specifically:

 

 

·         Develop the Arts Ambassador scheme across all schools and adapt Voices and Visions to respond to needs

·         Work with the County Arts Service to develop Voices and Visions into a membership programme

·         Develop directory of arts organisations for schools, after exploring issues of quality and currency

·         Oversee the Voices and Visons activity programme

·         To work with the Looked After Children Team to develop interactive arts experiences to embed arts across a wide range of exclusivity

·         Develop a Jump Start event for young people

·         Support the Chair of the New Prescriptions group to oversee the progress of the Inspiring Futures in the Arts project (13-16 year olds) funded through the West Mercia Police

·         Roll out the Moving on Staying On project to ensure that graduates have the opportunities to develop their arts practice in the county

·         Explore funding opportunities for the Children and Young Group to ensure longevity

·         To run one developmental symposium for the sector

·         To act as a Champion and representative for WAP and on occasion deputise for Steve Wilson

·         To attend and report back to the WAP Steering Group

·         To run at least four meetings and oversee 6 CPD events for schools and artists a year and set agendas

 

The Fee

 

The fee for the role is £2,000 and this represents a total of approximately 10 Days work or 20 half days over the course of a year. 

 

This role could be held by one person or shared between 2 people, and responsibilities allocated appropriately. 

 

At the present time we do not have full funding in place and would thus welcome discussions with anyone interested in the role about approaches to achieving full funding, such as partial in-kind support.  .

 

How to apply

 

Please send a CV plus no more than 2 sides of A4, detailing your experience and suitability for the role in response to the information outlined above, and your consideration of the funding approach described above. 

 

Responses should be sent to

Steve Wilson (SWilson@worcestershire.gov.uk) by 4pm on Friday 12th May