Terms of Reference for Newbridge Youth Centre Feasibility Study

Feasibility studyfor the provision of an open access

social, recreational, arts and culture space

for young people in Newbridge

1Introduction

This terms of reference is for a feasibility study for the provision of an open access social, recreational, arts and culture space for young people in Newbridge. The study is being commissioned by Crooked House Theatre CLG which brings together a number of stakeholders from the community to agree the best way of doing this and finding a solution to a long-standing gap in the town.

The feasibility study is not intended to be a needs analysis. It needs to explore models, structures, opportunities and centre sites but the final product is intended to move into the space of a business plan whereby the space for young people is visible and achievable. The report will need to have considered both the capital and revenue elements of the centre for young people. This means the process of the project will be as important as the information it gathers.

2Crooked House Theatre CLG(CHT)

Crooked House Theatre Company CLG was established in 1993 for the creation and public showing of performance activities (such as plays, films, workshops, and projects) in Newbridge, County Kildare, and touring these in Ireland and abroad; running an arts venue in Newbridge, County Kildare; conducting research actions into theatre, young people, and arts education; and the development and execution of educational and training programmes in theatre and the arts.

• CHT designs and delivers developmental, educational and training programmes in the arts for children, young people and youth leaders. These programmes focus mainly on supporting participants’ wellbeing, artistic expression, positive metal health, life-skills development and self-confidence. They also develop participants’ specific abilities and skills in acting and performance.
• CHT runs venues, festivals, exchanges, tours and projects associated with cultural youth work.
• With young people CHT designs and delivers community development, global development, human rights, and social justice education programmes using theatre and the arts. These programmes raise awareness about social equality, global justice issues, human rights and anti-discrimination in all its forms in an attempt to educate the public about the issues concerned.
• CHT conducts and publishes research into theatre and into young people’s engagement with the arts.

Established in 1996 by Crooked House Theatre Company, Kildare Youth Theatre is based in the east midlands in Ireland. It has a history of presenting ambitious work, influenced by European theatre-making and Irish narrative traditions. Using Crooked House’s wide network of European connections, and availing of the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, the young people are able to collaborate with several youth theatre-making projects a year across the continent. In addition to devising its own new work it also stages classical plays, newly scripted plays, and several conference and educational shows each year.

Kildare Youth Theatre is owned by the young members, who run the company as a collective, guided by Artistic Director Peter Hussey. They operate an ensemble model, maintaining 4 year-round ensembles who engage full-time in multiple projects for up to 5 years each. Members run, and rentthe space they use from which they develop new work, host international exchanges, and provide cultural youth work with the assistance of a team of volunteers from Ireland and Europe. It is supported by the Kildare County Council with project funding from Arts Council Ireland.

Further information is available on

3Newbridge, Co Kildare

Newbridge is the largest town in Co Kildare by population (22,742) and the 15th largest in Ireland. The municipal district of Newbridge Kildare (Nwb-K) has the highest number of young people under 17yrs. Nwb-K also has the highest number of lone parent families, Travellers and young people on the live register. It has the only Direct Provision Centre in the county. Newbridgehas no municipal swimming pool or no youth centre. There is one main playground and a Skate Park under construction (after a 15yr grassroots battle) and adequate sporting facilities. It has the Riverbank Arts Centre. It has one of two Family Resource Centres in the county which offers programmes to young people. There are some small youth projects delivering a range of services. Service providers include Kildare Youth Services and Foróige.

Newbridge has 11 small areas designated disadvantaged or very disadvantaged of a total of 75 in Kildare (14.6%). There is one primary and one postprimary DEIS school. There are four post-primary schools in Newbridge with an enrolment of over 2,700 pupils.

4Background to the feasibility study and the needs of young people in Newbridge

This initiative arose when a group of people involved in the community came together to question why a community facility (O’Modhrain Memorial Hall) was being sold to a private developer. Those who attended a public meeting in the Town Hall in August 2017 were concerned at the sale of the building (derelict for several decades) in a prime location beside the Whitewater Shopping Centre. They asked could it be refurbished as a public facility. Newbridge does not have a town community centre or an active community development association. During the meeting and subsequent discussions, the lack of a dedicated space for young people in Newbridge was raised and thereafter a commitment was given by several of the people involved to pursue the issue. The possibility of the O’Modhrain Memorial Hall becoming a centre for young people will be part of the terms of reference of the feasibility study but will not be the sole focus. The discussion on the need for space for young people was led by Crooked House Theatre CLG (CHT) which has worked with young people in Newbridge through Kildare Youth Theatre for the past 25 years. CHT is the project promoter for the Leader funding.

5The feasibility study

The feasibility study is intended to be a practical and solutions-driven project which focuses on the views of young people around what type of space works for them and then matches that with the opportunities available to make that a reality. As there have been many attempts over the past 30 years to provide a youth space, including a previous feasibility study carried out ten years ago, there is a strong intention that this process will be successful on this occasion.

The study is needed to agree the provision, management, operations, delivery, funding and sustainability of a dedicated youth space in Newbridge, to be delivered in the medium term. The process should be underpinned by a commitment to youth participation in all aspects of the project and an open and transparent process which includes a focus on methods of communication with the community. This contract is to appoint a consultant to manage the entire feasibility study process.

Methodology: the tenderer should set out a detailed methodology for the feasibility study but should consider the following:

• Literature Review, and analysis of relevant written documentation, eg Culture Factory feasibility study.
• Examination of best practice and innovative practice in youth work in the national and international arena and exploring models which might be feasible for the Newbridge context and paying particular attention to cultural youth work.
• The focus should not be exclusively on service provision but on social enterprise, enterprise and participative models of youth work.
• Consultation with as many young people as possible living in the area (using a peer researcher approach), including age-appropriate forms of communication eg social media.
• Significant investigation of sites available and detailed financials linked to possible funding streams. Note this is intended to be a very important part of the study to determine the actual possibility of providing a youth space within a reasonable period of time. The research subcommittee will provide support in providing local intelligence on this issue. The tender may need to build in third party costs for technical assistance in relation to refurbishment costs, build costs etc.
• Consultation with other stakeholders, including the general community and service providers to have an informed view of the feasibility of a youth space.
• Separate online survey of young people, possibly through the local schools to take account of young people who may not live in Newbridge but for which it is their nearest town to access youth facilities.
• Consultation with key informants in statutory and voluntary agencies; representatives of community development, sports and youth development organisations / projects working in the area and elected politicians representing the area.

Output of the feasibility study - The output of the feasibility study should be a very practical document, covering the above considerations, which would provide a realplan for the implementation phase. It should be clear and concise.

Reporting structure for the study - This feasibility study is commissioned byCrooked House Theatre CLG which will issue all contracts for the work. A research oversight group for the feasibility studyhas been established, to include representatives from the community.It is expected that there will be liaison with the researcher every six weeks to consider progress and support needs for the researcher throughout the process.

The oversight group wish the feasibility study to be underpinned by a principle of youth participation in all aspects of the study and this will include in the methodologies used to gather information. The consultant should outline this in the tender document and should set aside at least €1,000 to cover expenses for peer researchers.

Budget - The budget is in the region of €25,000 inclusive of VAT and all expenses. If the project cost exceeds €25,000 Leader requires a public tender process.

Timescale - The work should begin in June 2018 and be completed over a six month period. It is anticipated that the work will be entirely completed by end of November 2018.

Note: This feasibility study will be 90% funded by County Kildare LEADER Partnership (CKLP) through Leader funds. CKLP has accepted an expression of interest and CHT has to appoint a consultant before submitting a final application.

6Requirements and expectations of consultant

We are looking for an individual/organisation who can demonstrate: feasibility study experience in relation to multi-stakeholder partnerships; evidenced experience of working with community and youth groups and a creative approach to consultation; good research and analysis skills; excellent communication skills; capacity to deliver a quality piece of work within a tight timescale; ability to draft reports in plain English and in a succinct way.

As noted above, there is a particular focus on the practical elements of achieving the outcome of a youth space in Newbridge – this is not a needs analysis. We require the exploration of real solutions to where and how this space will be delivered so there will need to be a strong focus on negotiation with owners/managers of suitable spaces focusing on the technical aspects (funding, engineering/architectural) of the potential spaces.

The consultant will be responsible for ensuring that ethical and safeguarding standards will be met throughout the process, ensuring that data protection and confidentiality provisions will be met. The consultant will be expected to work in a collaborative manner with the oversight group and with CHT throughout the course of the work.

7Instructions for tenderer and tender process

Submissionsshould include the following:

• Overall approach to the work and the tasks outlined
• Approach to the feasibility study and to the tasks to be undertaken
• Name and contact details of the tenderer / organisation and the personnel who would be involved in the delivery of the work
• Previous experience of all personnel involved in undertaking the work (copies of previous work can be attached to tender if preferred)
• Costings for the work to be undertaken, including breakdown of number of days per task, price per day and any expenses that may apply (for example, travel expenses that might apply).
• Timeframe for the completion of the tasks of the research
• Details of two referees

Contract requirement and payment - The successful tender will be expected to furnish a tax clearance certificate when contract is awarded.Payments will be made in three instalments, at commencement of work (30%), following the submission of the draft feasibility study (30%) and on successful delivery of the contract (40%).

Ownership of Documents and Copyright - All documents produced by the consultant in connection with this appointment and submitted to Crooked House Theatre Company will be considered the property of Crooked House Theatre Company and may be used by them at any time, including for other projects, without the prior approval of the consultant. All documents should be submitted in Word.

Evaluation Criteria - Tenders will be evaluated on the information provided at the time of tender. The successful applicant will be notified within a period of up to 3 weeks from closing date for receipt of tenders. Following acceptance of the contract, an application will be made to County Kildare Leader Partnership for funding for the study. The contract will be signed immediately following confirmation of funding from them.
Unsuccessful tenders will be notified when the appointment of the successful tender has been confirmed. The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender based on the following award criteria:
Criteria / Maximum Score Available
Qualification & Relevant Experience / 300 / 30%
Methodology, Project Management & Staffing Plan / 400 / 40%
Price breakdown of costs; value for money. / 300 / 30%
Total Maximum Score Available / 1000 / 100%

Tender and enquiries should be submitted by email only to:

Evonne Boland – by Friday, 13th April 2018

Shortlisted tenderers may be asked to attend for interview.

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