Creative Programmes Manager

Creative Programmes Manager

Recruitment Pack

1.  How to apply

2.  Job terms

3.  About the Albany

4.  The Albany’s creative programme

5.  The role

6.  Job description

7.  Person specification

8.  Organisational chart

9.  Application form

10.  Monitoring form

Applying for the post Back to beginning

Thank you for your interest in the above position.

Applications must be submitted to the (e)mail address below by 9am, Monday 29th February 2016.

For more information about the Albany please visit our website www.thealbany.org.uk or contact us via the details below if you require information in an alternative format.

If you have any access needs in relation to your application and interview then please let us know in advance.

Please note that this post is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

We are only able to contact applicants selected for interview. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application was unsuccessful on this occasion.

Interviews will be held on Friday 11th March (first interview) and Thursday 17th March (second interview).

Recruitment

FAO Vicky Scott

The Albany

Douglas Way

Deptford

SE8 4AG

T 020 8692 0231 ext.206

E

Job Terms

Title Creative Programmes Manager

Salary £28-30k per annum (dependent on experience)

Hours 40 hours per week, flexible working, with some evening and weekend work required.

Pension Pension scheme provided by NEST

Holiday 22 days plus bank holidays, increasing to 25 days

Other benefits Complimentary tickets to Albany performances (subject to terms)

Albany café 10% discount

Childcare vouchers

Cycle to Work scheme

Line Manager Head of Creative Programmes

Responsible for Volunteers, interns, work experience, and freelancers

Close liaison with CEO, marketing and production teams, other creative programme/project managers (Youth & Community; Meet Me at the Albany), Programmes Administrator

About the Albany

The Albany, in the heart of Deptford, is a vibrant performing arts venue, with a strong focus on working with diverse, local communities. Our mission is to provide:

·  An artistic and community resource where diversity and creativity flourish.

·  A space where new talent is nurtured and exposed to ideas from across the world.

·  High quality creative experiences relating to the communities we serve.

·  A creative centre for learning within the community, contributing to the cultural, social and economic benefit of SouthEastLondon.

The organisation has grown considerably over the last three years with turnover doubling to £2.6million in 2015/16, and the staff team growing to 53 full and part time roles. The Albany is a registered charity and operates a social enterprise business model generating over 50% of its turnover from earned income. It is also grateful for the consistent support of the London Borough of Lewisham and the Arts Council England.

During the last year over 180,000 people visited the Albany and used its facilities, including audiences of 40,000 at over 400 events. Not including its use of outdoor spaces and other sites, the Albany has four performance spaces, and its year-round programme encompasses music, theatre, outdoor arts and spoken word as well as an array of learning, participatory and community-based projects. Our other facilities include rehearsal and meeting rooms for hire, office space for 26 resident companies and a catering operation across three sites.

The Albany also manages community and performance spaces at Deptford Lounge and Canada Water Culture Space on behalf of Lewisham and Southwark Councils, including the 150-seat studio theatre at Canada Water. The combined footfall across all three buildings is now in excess of a million a year.

www.canadawaterculturespace.org.uk

www.deptfordlounge.org.uk

The Albany’s Creative Programme

“The Albany is reinventing the arts centre model, reaching out to local as well as wider audiences with its bold, experimental programme.”

Time Out

“The Albany plays a vital role for arts and culture, not just as a South East London cultural hub, but in shaping the way London's cultural offer communicates across the capital.

… It's one of the most genuinely interesting and unique venues we have in London.”

Chenine Bhathena, Senior Cultural Strategy Officer, Greater London Authority

The Albany’s creative programme spans a range of public events, youth and community participation and artist development, which takes place in and throughout the Albany’s main site on Douglas Way, its sister sites the Deptford Lounge and Canada Water Culture Space, and at various outposts and outdoor locations in Lewisham.

Our creative programme is uniquely and inherently diverse, and we achieve this by:

·  Supporting artists and working closely with our Associate Artists

·  Programming a variety of artforms, primarily theatre, music, cabaret, outdoor arts, circus, spoken word and dance

·  Producing ‘home-grown’ and co-produced events

·  Delivering an extensive range of youth and community projects

·  Developing strategic projects and partnerships

It is currently the Albany’s ambition for the creative programme to engage with and be instigated by local and artistic communities, regular building users and resident organisations, our audiences, volunteers, young people and older people. We want to champion new and alternative approaches to creativity and for this to influence everything we do, from our own governance and business model, through to thought-leadership on a local, national and international scale.

“The Albany is a cultural hub, focal part and beating heart of the community and the artist community…I also believe it adds a unique voice to the British theatre landscape, not just by the work it creates, but by the work it chooses to show.

Inua Ellams, Poet, Writer, Theatre Maker

The Role

This is a new post, reflecting both the growth of the Albany’s programme across art forms and sites, and our ambitions to continue developing new areas of work. The post-holder will be a pivotal member of the Albany’s creative team and will be the organisation’s main point of contact for event programming, responsible for scheduling, contracting and planning resources in conjunction with creative, production and operational teams.

The Creative Programmes Manager will act as a lead creative producer for a range of Albany ‘home-grown’ projects/events and artist development programmes, and will have the opportunity to lead on programming strands as appropriate. The post-holder will champion and develop the Albany Associate Artists scheme and work hands on with supported artists/companies to get new ideas off the ground.

The Creative Programmes Manager will need to experience a wide range of music, spoken word, dance, cabaret, circus and live events, keep well informed about new trends in the arts, and develop external relationships with artists, companies and partners. They will work closely with the Head of Creative Programmes to further develop the overall artistic vision and to create a coherent, eclectic and exciting offer for our diverse and dynamic audiences.

Job Description Back to beginning

Key Objectives

·  To effectively manage and administrate the Albany’s broad creative programme of public events from booking and contracting through to delivery, maintaining systems and ensuring clear communication with incoming artists/companies.

·  To lead on managing artist development programmes, maintaining existing Albany Associate Artist relationships and exploring new opportunities; project managing/producing the work of supported artists.

·  To contribute to the overall strategic development of the Albany’s creative programme; acting as a curator/programmer of dedicated strands or artforms; and developing new ideas or initiatives with artists and partners in line with the Albany’s artistic ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Management

·  Scheduling the programme across spaces and venues; and planning resources in consultation with the creative, production and operational teams

·  Leading on programming specific strands or art forms, as agreed

·  Programme administration and filing; maintaining internal/external communications and information routes

·  Implement the delivery of effective monitoring and evaluation across programmes, delivering reports as required

·  Supporting the marketing team to develop effective campaigns and audience development initiatives

·  Planning and co-ordinating production and programming meetings with artists, companies, colleagues and partners

·  Acting as a first point of contact for external programming enquiries

·  Leading on arrangements for café exhibitions, and installs where required

·  Negotiating and issuing contracts for artists and companies, with the Head or Creative Programmes

·  Managing and setting programme budgets with the Head of Creative Programmes, monitoring programme income and expenditure, and liaising with the finance team as necessary

Project Management

·  Acting as ‘line producer’ for Albany co-productions, including, where required, tours of developed work

·  Leading on designated strategic projects, ensuring they achieve their artistic and organisational aims

·  Contracting and administration for commissions and partnership projects

·  Working closely with colleagues to refine project management processes and procedures across the organisation, leading by example and sharing good knowledge and expertise

Artist Development

·  Managing and developing artist development programmes, including the ‘Hatched’ performance platform

·  Acting as main contact with the Albany Associate Artists, and supporting their work within the organisation

·  Building relationships with artists and companies, offering mentoring, feedback, advice, and practical help as required; supporting their fundraising activities to deliver work

·  Producing the work of supported artists and companies at the Albany, where required

Programme Development

·  Supporting wider activities across the creative team – including youth/community projects, Meet Me at the Albany, and working with resident organisations – ensuring an integrated approach, and connecting artists, audiences and ideas across programmes

·  Working with colleagues, partners and artists to develop new projects and initiatives in line with the organisation’s ambitions

·  Undertaking fundraising as required for projects and programme plans

·  With the Head of Creative Programmes, developing new policies and strategies that help deliver the vision of the Albany

·  Undertaking wide networking and programme research, to include attending events, reading and watching material, staying abreast of industry changes and maintaining regular contact with relevant artists and companies

·  Seeing a wide range of work across artforms as agreed with the Head of Creative Programmes; identifying new artists of interest for the Albany’s programme development

General

·  Acting as a main point of contact for general creative team enquiries

·  Supporting the co-ordination of the general activities and meetings of the creative team where relevant/required

·  Maintaining confidentiality at all times

·  Working actively at all times within all Albany policies including Customer Care, Access, Health and Safety, Environmental, Equality and Diversity and Safeguarding

·  Attending training when/where required to develop the role

·  Representing the Albany/deputising for the Head of Creative Programmes at external meetings and events

·  Supporting the Albany’s objectives internally and externally including by contributing to strategic business planning and the delivery of commercial opportunities.

·  Undertaking any other duties reasonably requested by the Head of Creative Programmes or CEO

This job description is a guide to the nature of the work. It is not wholly comprehensive or restrictive and may be reviewed as required; other responsibilities may be added depending on experience and need.

Person specification Back to beginning

The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate practical experience working in a creative programming or producing setting and will have the skills and experience below:

Essential

·  A minimum of 3 years working professionally in a similar role, or within a programming/producing department for an arts venue or organisation

·  A wide and up to date knowledge of the theatre, music, spoken word and/or live events industries

·  Experience of working as a project manager, producer or programmer in one or more of the following artforms: music, theatre, contemporary circus, spoken word, poetry, dance and cabaret, with some working knowledge of creating or producing culturally diverse work

·  A proven track record of developing sustained, working relationships with artists and creative companies

·  Experience of managing and negotiating artist and event contracts

·  Experience of developing co-productions with venues, artists and/or companies

·  Knowledge of UK-wide show touring and tour-booking procedures

·  A commitment to developing new and diverse audiences

·  Excellent administrative and IT skills including MS Office, with an understanding of event booking and management software (i.e. Artifax)

·  Strong numeracy and financial management skills, including experience of creating and managing project or event budgets

·  Excellent organisational and time management skills, including the ability to multi-task and manage own work, unsupervised

·  Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, at all levels

·  Excellent accuracy and attention to detail

·  A confident, articulate and approachable manner

·  Experience of leading and inspiring others as a project manager or collaborator in a team

·  Ability to work evenings and/or weekends in addition to general office hours

·  A strong desire to pursue a senior career in arts producing, programming or project management

·  A demonstrable ability to manage risk, think innovatively and find solutions to problems

·  A communicable understanding and enthusiasm for the Albany’s artistic vision and objectives

Desirable

·  Experience of fundraising and/or writing applications to trusts, foundations and public sector grant-givers

·  Experience of arts marketing, including social media and digital platforms

·  Experience of working across multiple art forms

·  Experience of working in the commercial music and/or comedy sectors

·  Demonstrable flair for developing new and innovative creative projects

Creative Programmes Manager Recruitment Pack

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Albany staff structure Back to beginning