Background: Headway Arts is an inspirational cultural organisation. We run great participatory arts projects with diverse communities in and from our Headway ArtSpace in Blyth, Northumberland. We create wonderful opportunities for people of all backgrounds to participate in the cultural life of their communities, including the most disadvantaged groups. We especially aim to include learning disabled people of all ages. We are a multi award winning forward thinking combined arts organisation. We are also an Open College and can offer accredited lifelong learning courses.
2016 has seen us celebrating an amazing 21 years of cutting edge creativity. Throughout this era we have been pioneers in leading high quality participatory arts practice and have worked co-creatively with over 200,000 people. During this time we have developed and defined our own unique multi award winning ‘co-creative methodology’ with which we have trained and inspired arts practitioners across Europe. We also offer support to emerging artists through mentoring, salaried Internships and Creative Apprenticeships. Headway Arts have offered many of the northern region’s most accomplished socially engaged artists fantastic opportunities to train, learn, grow and develop their practice through our diverse local, national and international projects. Now our many alumni work in top organisations across the North East and beyond.
We are transforming The Old Church in Blyth into Headway ArtSpace, an inspirational international centre for participatory arts offering a variety of atmospheric flexible spaces for creative gatherings of all kinds. Described as ‘really something else!’ our brand new BigSpace was well and truly inaugurated during The Tall Ships Regatta. It offers an outstanding flexible space for music, dance, performance, exhibition and conference. As Creative Producers for this international event we provided a vibrant cultural hub, a sell-out Fringe Festival and the showstopping Community Carnival Parade. We did this through real collaborative partnership working. Watch Headway Arts at the Carnival.
Against this colourful background:
We are now recruiting for 2 great jobs in this amazing environment. We’re looking for adventurous, forward thinking, experimental, enthusiastic and committed theatre practitioners who would be eager to join our team of Associate Artists.
We are currently offering 2 x 12 week contracts leading our Satellites Drama Sessions – specifically for learning disabled people who are interested in exploring drama and learning theatre skills.
Fees: £120/day (£30/hour) from Wednesday 1st February (contract 1) and from Thursday 2nd February (contract 2) . Any meetings required outside of session time to be paid additionally.
We are looking to:
Support participants in devising 2 high quality 15-20 mins ensemble scratch shows – devised with the whole Satellites drama group. The process would include everyone’s ideas and reflect their interests, through engaging and enjoyable workshop sessions. The work created must be suitable to be shown at Headway Arts Spring Festival 2017. Dates tbc.
You would be expected to:
– Plan, develop and deliver wonderful weekly drama workshops
– Report to our Creative Director and agree workshop programme and progress
– Any Project admin (also supported by our Admin)
– Attend company meetings
– Contribute to data collection and other monitoring and evaluation as required by Admin
– Contribute to marketing the sessions
– Promote and disseminate work on social media
– Liaise with our Social Care Intern who looks after the pastoral needs of the group.
Expression of interest:
Send a proposal, a CV with 300 words about your practice, and why you’d like to be part of the Headway Arts creative team. Provide links to 3 past projects and 2 references.
Those shortlisted will then be invited to a panel interview and to run a workshop with Satellites as part of the process. The group will be involved in the selection of candidates.
Closing date: 14th January 2017
Interviews: 23rd January 2017
To: Alison Walton-Robson, Creative Director, Headway Arts, The Old Church, Waterloo Road, Blyth, NE24 1BY. Email: satellites@headwayarts.co.uk
