www.theplace.org.uk
The Place, the UK’s premier centre for contemporary
dance, is where dance is going next
For over forty years The Place has been a driving force for contemporary dance in England and Europe, and it remains one of the world's key resources for dance development. We are a home for dancers and dance-makers, nurturing artists from the earliest stage to mature world-class talent.
The Place’s work is divided into five strands of activity:
· Creative Teaching and Learning: researching and delivering dance education and outreach projects, and developing and sharing expertise
· London Contemporary Dance School: a world-leading dance conservatoire training around 180 students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels
· Richard Alston Dance Company: an internationally renowned touring company led by Richard Aston
· Recreational and Prevocational Dance: providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in dance, and progression opportunities to realise talent
· Theatre and Artist Development: presenting 150 performances each year from UK and international artists in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, and providing extensive professional development support for dance artists
Our mix of activities creates an ecosystem for contemporary dance unlike any in the world, whilst the strong interdependence of our different strands of activity, co-existing within a single organisation, yields huge added value, both artistically and financially. The Place’s holistic, 360-degree range of activity creates a fertile artistic environment in which great dance can be developed and experienced by everyone.
The Place has a vital role to play in dance development in the UK. It is uniquely placed to enhance the sector’s ability to support independent dance artists. We provide the space and conditions they need to take the creative risks that keep the art form alive, and help them attain greater profile and integration within the UK and European dance communities.
The Place’s plans for the future build upon our history of achievement, underpinned by our flexible business model that draws on a range of public and private funding sources and self-generated income, enabling us to continually adapt our activity to meet the changing needs of the dance sector at all levels.
The Place currently employs 92 full and part-time staff – dancers, teachers, producers and administrators – and works with nearly 300 casual staff. Our annual turnover is in excess of £6.5million, with approximately two-thirds of our income from statutory funding, and one-third earned and fundraised income. The Place’s building, which incorporates 11 dance studios together with our theatre, is fully accessible to disabled people, and The Place has a firm commitment to equal opportunities for staff, students, artists and users of our building and services.
We are committed to developing new and enhanced ways of engaging participants and audiences whilst continuing to focus strongly on building a sustainable future for dance as the UK’s leading supporter of dance artists. Through all of our work we will continue to transform and enrich lives through dance and to shape where dance is going next.
Artist Development Producer
The Theatre and Artist Development team at The Place work together to present more than 140 performances a year in one of Europe’s busiest dance theatres.
They also commission new work and create development opportunities for dance makers and dancers based in London, the rest of the UK and around the world.
Major projects include:
· The Place Prize for Dance sponsored by Bloomberg, the largest choreography competition in Europe
· Resolution – An annual 6 week platform for new choreography featuring more than 75 companies
· Modul Dance – an EU funded project collaborating with more than 20 European Dance Houses
· Biennial Summer House festival of performance, learning and research
· Something Happening for Kids – an annual family festival
· Fresh and Refresh – performance programmes for audiences of young people
· A unique associate artist scheme – Work Place
Upcoming developments include:
· New initiatives in audience development
· Upgrade of the Robin Howard Dance Theatre
Staff
The theatre has 15 core staff who work alongside a team of freelance technicians, box office and front-of-house staff, teachers, accompanists, directors, camera operators and interns.
Role of Artist Development Producer
A senior member of the Theatre and Artist Development team, the fulltime position of Artist Development Producer works closely with the Director of Theatre and Artist Development, the Deputy Director, the Theatre Producer and other colleagues to plan and run an internationally renowned programme of dance performance and professional development projects. The Artist Development Producer has particular responsibility for planning and delivering a range of projects that support the development of dance artists.
Reports to: Director of Theatre and Artist Development
Line Manager to: Artist Development Project Co-ordinator, Work Place Artist Manager, JUICE editor, other staff as may be determined by the Director of Theatre and Artist Development.
Responsibilities
Planning, Strategy and Research
In consultation with the Director to devise and implement the artist development programme, projects and policy for the Artist Development department in line with the policies and initiatives of the Director of Theatre and Artist Development.
In consultation with the Director and other colleagues, identify artists and companies whose nature and aims contribute achievement of the strategic aims of the programme, and build creative relationships with them.
Liaise with members of the department to collate all studio space requests for the department. Responsibility for working with the General Administrator to negotiate studio space use in the building on behalf of the Theatre and Artist Development department. Sit on the Space Managers Liaison Group.
Ensure that The Place provides excellent development opportunities for the most innovative and highest quality professional contemporary dance artists and to ensure best practice through national and international research.
Contribute to the development of The Place’s policies and practices, maintaining good collaborative, responsive working relationships with all areas and colleagues, and taking part in cross-organisation working groups.
To build on or initiate partnerships nationally and internationally that will benefit the strategy and ambitions of the artist development programmes.
To attend performances at The Place or elsewhere as necessary and as agreed with the Director.
Projects
In consultation with the Director and other colleagues as required:
Plan, develop and implement the Workplace, The Place’s associate artist scheme. To include: developing its structure; ensuring a staffing structure to provide the best support for the artists in the programme; curating and organising the Work Place weekends; developing and maintaining relationships with the Work Place artists; directly supporting their creative and professional goals; planning and manage the project budget; develop funding applications in collaboration with the Development team; evaluate on a regular basis.
Produce Choreodrome; including programming the directed research, imagining new project developments, managing the project team, Place-wide communications regarding the project, managing the budget, devising and managing the application process, space allocations and evaluation.
Develop, programme and manage an ongoing series of professional development workshops for dance artists including Resolution! workshops.
Manage the Artist Development professional level contemporary class including programming teachers, budget control, devising systems for fee collection and overseeing the contracting of teachers and accompanists and the production of the brochure and web listings. Organise regular consultation with participants of the class, monitoring of standards and evaluation and managing teacher development through the Introducing scheme. Collect payment attendees a maximum of two days a week.
Play a senior role in the Place Prize team including; contributing to all core team meetings; leading on the application process; being part of the selection panel; manage the space allocation; acting as an artist ‘guide’.
Be responsible for compiling financial and other reports on all activity for Modul dance, an EU initiative project, within requirements and deadlines set by project organisers. Ensure that correct administrative and financial procedures are followed to fit EU and project guidelines.
Devise, manage and deliver other national and international projects and new initiatives as reasonably requested and agreed with the Director of Theatre and Artist Development.
Communications and Marketing
Manage the representation of Artist Development projects on The Place’s website.
Oversee the editing and uploading to the JUICE section of the website.
Develop and implement marketing strategies for Artist Development programmes with the Communications team.
General
To line manage staff for which s/he is responsible including recruitment, induction and appraisals within the practice guidelines of The Place.
To work with the Deputy Director to ensure adherence to best practice in administrative, financial, contracting and customer care systems.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with artists that are supported in all the programmes of the theatre and artist development, supporting artists where possible with their development to including developing new projects, regularly providing strategic advice to artists, offering artistic feedback.
To maximise income at all times while meeting The Place’s cultural objectives and to support the Director and Deputy Director of Theatre and Artist Development in ensuring the areas meet agreed earned income targets
Collaborate with the Fundraising team in meeting agreed fundraising targets for the department and contributing to writing of funding applications when necessary.
Minimise expenditure at all times while ensuring quality and meeting The Place’s cultural objectives, and to control delegated budgets within The Place’s policies and procedures.
Advocate for and represent The Place in all appropriate situations, including at national and international meetings, and to give talks about Artist Development programmes where appropriate.
Maintain good relations with other organisations, especially peer organisations such as choreographic centres and professional support/development organisations and funding bodies, in association with the Director of Theatre and Artist Development
Any other duties that may reasonable be requested by the Director of Theatre and Artist Development
Person Specification
Essential / DesirableSubstantial administrative, producing and management experience in an arts environment, preferably dance. / Experience in managing artists and touring dance
Passionate about contemporary dance and/or performance / Practical experience of dance or performance
Excellent administrative skills
Project management experience and the ability to:
§ Develop and implement strategies and action plans in pursuit of agreed policy
· Set and meet targets, including income targets
· Setting up schedules and administrative systems
· Organising dance events/workshops
· Develop and control budgets
· Supervise and manage staff
· Work in teams with a wide range of people
· Preparing reports to a high standard / Experience of managing professional development projects
Experienced, confident negotiator / Experience of writing contracts
Experience of partnership working / Experience of setting up partnership projects
Excellent up-to-date knowledge of dance in the UK / Good knowledge of dance internationally
Experience of working directly with artists
Understanding of technical demands of presenting dance performance
Good understanding of promoting and marketing dance / Hands on marketing experience
Able to work at a high level in varied teams and on own initiative
Experience of negotiating, managing and sharing resources in a large organisation
Commitment to ongoing development of own skills and abilities
Excellent communication skills, both in written and verbal English / Able to speak one or more foreign languages
Confident public speaker
Fundraising experience / Experience of writing successful Grants for the Arts applications
IT skills including proficiency in using a range of software packages including Word, Excel, FileMaker Pro or equivalent database software and QuarkXpress
Willingness to work evenings and weekends and travel overseas
Commitment to The Place and its ethos
Salary, hours of work and benefits
Salary
Salary for this role is £33,787 p.a. Salaries are reviewed annually in April where inflationary increases will made if funding constraints allow.
Contract Terms
This is an open ended, full time permanent contract. The probationary period is six months.
Hours
This is a full time role, working 40 hours per week, normally 8 hour days with an hour for lunch. Evening and weekend work may be required for which time off in lieu will be given.
Benefits
Benefits include access to Stakeholder pension scheme, interest-free season ticket loan (after three months), theatre ticket allowance, free access (subject to availability) to The Place evening classes and subsidised café and bar prices. We operate a salary sacrifice scheme for the purchase of bicycles and childcare vouchers. We run a weekly subsidised staff yoga class.
Holiday
Full time the holiday entitlement is 25 days per year including 5 days to be taken to as dictated by the Director in order to cover building shut downs e.g. between Christmas and New Year.
The annual leave allocation runs from January to December each year. Holiday is agreed in conjunction with the line manager/department head.
How to Apply
Completed applications (comprising of completed application form and monitoring forms) (no CV’s) should be returned by 12 Noon Thursday 9th January 2014:
Please note this date have changed due to staff holidays so applications for this post are still open.
Laura Naldrett
Human Resources and Administration Manager
Email:
The Place
17 Dukes Road
London WC1H 9PY
Fax 020 7121 1142
Please note our office is closed from 6pm on 22nd December re-opening on 2nd January so queries regarding this post will not be answered during this time.
The Place is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Monitoring information is collected and processed separately to applications, if you do not wish to disclose this information please return a blank monitoring form.
The Place is an equal opportunities employer and we are keen to ensure everyone applying for employment has an equal experience when attending an interview. Should you have any queries about, or wish to make us aware of, any support required to attend an interview or to work at The Place or would like this pack in alternative format please contact Laura Naldrett, HR and Administration Manager who will be happy to discuss this with you in confidence on 020 7121 1002 or email:
Interviews will be held in at The Place on 16th/17th January 2014. Shortlisting will be done before the Christmas break.
We apologise that we are unable to respond to every application individually. If you have not heard from us by please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.