A Playhouse for Everyone

About Oxford Playhouse

A Playhouse for Everyone

Positioned at the cultural heart of Oxfordshire, with the drive to inspire, engage and entertain a wide-reaching and diverse audience, Oxford Playhouse presents, produces and tours the highest quality middle-scale, small-scale and off-site theatre, supports and nurtures artists to make work, creates imaginative and ambitious participation opportunities for children and young people and provides exceptional cultural experiences for all.Oxford Playhouse has an outstanding record of success as a receiving house for productions offering an ambitious programme which includes the finest national and international touring drama, family shows, contemporary dance and music, circus, comedy and poetry and provides a platform for local student and amateur groups. Audience attendance is above the national average. Playhouse Plays Out shows, designed to reach new audiences, give local residents the chance to see unexpected theatre in unexpected places.

Increased Arts Council funding in recent years has enabled us to strengthen our producing arm. Last year we co-produced The Tempest with Northern Stage and Improbable Theatre, and 2016 has seen mainstage co-productions Peter Pan in Scarlet and Sand in the Sandwiches (the latter with Edward Fox). Two new family studio productions and two new off-site productions are created and toured annually too. The Playhouse produces its own pantomime, which reaches over 37,000 people and is a vital source of income.

Oxford Playhouse also manages the 50-seat Burton Taylor Studio for the University of Oxford, which hosts student drama productions throughout the academic year and a diverse professional programme outside of term.

The Playhouse's artist development scheme EVOLVE was launched in 2013, and provides support for artists including funding, space, mentoring and support. 2015 saw the launch of a life-long Writers’ Programme – PLAYHOUSE PLAYMAKER- with specific strands for primary school pupils, young writers and professional writers on attachment.

The Playhouse achieves a high proportion of earned income, and has a successful track record in fundraising and reasonable levels of reserves. The theatre is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, and receives core funding from The University of Oxford and Oxford City Council.

The Playhouse's annual turnover for 15/16 was £4.2million.

Box Office sales provided 65% of the gross income.
Commercial operations including the bar and ticket agency generated 14% of total income.
14% of income was derived from three core funders:

Arts Council England 10%, The University of Oxford 3%, Oxford City Council 1%

Fundraising from individuals, corporate supporters trust and foundations and catalyst provided 7% of income.

The Playhouse employs 52 full-time equivalent staff and has over 100 volunteers.

The Oxford Playhouse Trust is a company limited by guarantee No: 2397373 and a registered charity No: 900039.

The Post

Graphic Designer

Working with the Marketing Department, the Graphic Designer will support the work of Oxford Playhouse by producing creative designs and artwork for all aspects of the organisation’s print and digital requirements, ensuring that the strong brand is consistent across all communications.

Terms: The post is subject to Oxford Playhouse standard terms and conditions of employment: based on UK Theatre/BECTUagreement.

Salary: £25,000 per annum

Hours:Full time (39 hours). Flexible hours can be negotiated.

Holiday: 20 days paid holiday (increasing with length of service) is given in addition to 8 statutory public holidays per annum.

Probationary period: Six months

Pension:This post will be subject to auto enrolment in Oxford Playhouse’s pension scheme held with Scottish Widows with a 3% employee contribution matched by 3% from Oxford Playhouse.

How to Apply:

Your application must consist of:

Completed application form (included in this pack);
Your current CV inserted into the application form;
Completed equal opportunities form (included in this pack).

To ensure fairness to all applicants, any decision to shortlist you for interview will be based solely on the information you supply in your application form. Ensure you read the job description and person specification before you complete the form. It is important you give as much information as relevant regarding why you wish to apply and what makes you a suitable applicant for this post.

You can download a version of the information pack from our website contact Laura Smith on or telephone 01865 305 318. If you have any difficulty accessing the pack please let us know and we will arrange an alternative means of application with you. Please do not include references or educational certificates with your application.

Applications should be emailed to or posted, together with the equal opportunities form, in an envelope with “Graphic Designer” written in the top left hand corner to: Laura Smith, Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2LW.

Applications should arrive no later than 4pm on Wednesday 1 March 2017

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 8 March 2017

Applications considered from small marketing agencies.

We are a Playhouse for everyone - diversity in our workforce is crucial to our success

Department:Marketing

Position:Graphic Designer

Reports to:Marketing Director

Position status:Full time – Permanent

Main Duties

To take ownership of the design requirements of Oxford Playhouse and the Burton Taylor Studio, creating original, eye-catching and exciting concepts to represent everything we do on and off stage.
Alongside Marketing Directors, act as guardian of the Oxford Playhouse, Burton Taylor and Tickets Oxford brands.
Ensuring all marketing, web, social media and in-house collateral is cost-effectively designed and delivered to agreed standards and deadlines from concept to fruition.
To design, typeset and artwork seasonal brochures for Oxford Playhouse and the Burton Taylor Studio, working to existing brand templates.
To design and artwork all adverts for local and national press.
To design and artwork a variety of posters (including A5, A3, A1, 6 and 4 sheets, large format back wall banner, duratrans and canopy boards).
To develop the brand and create visual assets and print promoting Oxford Playhouse’s Participation work, as well as Members, Friends and fundraising schemes.
To design and artworkbusiness cards, stationary, invitations, envelopes.
To develop the brand and create visual online assets for use on oxfordplayhouse.com, ticketsoxford.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
Retouching and altering photos as required.
Manage and keep up to date the in-house image library.
Print procurement –maintain a good relationship with external printers, ensure all files are print ready, maintain up-to-date knowledge of prices, materials, processes and deadlines/delivery. To assist in gathering quotes from printers where appropriate.

Delivery ad hoc design related projects.
To attend weekly marketing meetings and to work as part of the marketing team to develop campaign plans for individual productions.

Duties and responsibilities of all members of staff

To be aware of the work of other departments in the achievement of Oxford Playhouse’s aims and to take an active part in communicating and co-operating with other staff and departments
To work in accordance with the Equality and Diversity policy of Oxford Playhouse and participate in the achievement of the theatre’s Diversity action plan.
To be aware of, and comply with, rules and legislation pertaining to Health and Safety at work and to abide by the procedures as set out in the Health and Safety policy
To abide by other guidelines, procedures and policies provided by the company
To take part in such working groups and committees as might from time to time be required for the fulfilment of departmental or company aims

PERSON SPECIFICATION

A minimum of two years of professional graphic design experience.
Have a foundation degree/HND in graphic design or other visual art subject.
Comprehensive understanding of Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign Photoshop, Illustrator,Acrobat.
Comprehensive understanding of print production techniques, processes andrequirements
Demonstrable experience of artwork delivered for print.
Understanding of digital design and asset generation for online channels
Microsoft Office and Google Docs knowledge essential
Creative flair and a strong visual sense, with a wide range of skills from Photoshop style creatives through to illustrative approaches (either created or commissioned).
Absolute attention to detail and a strong typographic eye.
To be able to work to existing templates and brand guidelines.
To be able to think creatively and develop new graphic design concepts, graphics and layouts.
Experience of commissioning illustrators and photographers an advantage.
Excellent time management skills and the ability to balance several projects at one time.
Ability to work under pressure.
Ability to work as part of a team and support colleagues.
A high level of practical and organisational skills.
Ability to work on your own initiative.
Ability to work in a changing and flexible organisation.
Confidence to present and explain ideas to colleagues and senior management team.
An understanding of and a commitment to theatre.

Application Cover Form

Personal Details

Name: / Email:
Address:
Postcode: / Mobile:
Day time number if different from mobile:

I confirm that the details given in the attached cover letter and CV are accurate:

Signed:Date:

(Electronic Signature accepted)

References

Please give the names and addresses of two people who may be contacted in respect of your application. If you are in employment, one referee should be a senior member of that organisation.

Name: / Name:
Contact address: / Contact address:
Tel no: / Tel no:
Email: / Email:
Relationship: / Relationship:
May we contact at interview stage / Yes / No / May we contact at interview stage / Yes / No

Suitability for the post:

Explain, with reference to the person specification and examples from your experience, why you think you would perform well in this job. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.

Please insert your current CV at this point.

Details MUST include details of your present or most recent employment, together with a summary of your responsibilities, dates of employment, your job title, notice required and current salary. Please also include reasons for you leaving positions.

Include any qualifications you hold (including professional training undertaken), awarding bodies and dates of those qualifications.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES RECRUITMENT MONITORING FORM

Oxford Playhouse is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in employment and to taking action to avoid discrimination within the organisation. All applicants for employment are considered only on the information given in application regarding their ability to undertake the job for which they are applying.

This information is used for monitoring purposes only, and is removed from the application prior to the short-listing process.

Please tick the appropriate box:

Age range

 Under 16 17-24 25-34 35-44

 45-54 55-64 65+

Gender

 Male Female

Ethnic Origin

Asian or Asian British

 Indian Bangladeshi Pakistani Chinese

 Other: Please write in:

Black or Black British

 Black Caribbean Black African Other: Please write in:

Mixed

 White & Black Caribbean  White & Black African White & Asian

 Other: Please write in:

White

British Irish European Other: Please write in:

Other Ethnic Group

Other: Please write in:

Do you consider yourself to be a disabled person? Yes No

IMPORTANT: If you have answered yes to this question and you require any adjustments to be made in order for you participate fully in our recruitment process, please ensure you have indicated these in your application or on an additional sheet or email separately with details.

Please tell us how you found out about this post:

Thank you for your co-operation in completing this form.

Graphic Designer February 2017