Greater Manchester Arts Centre Ltd trading as HOME

Deputy Technical Manager

Application Pack

GMAC is funded by

Job Title–Deputy Technical Manager

In November 2010 Manchester City Council Executive Committee agreed to fund the development of a new £25m purpose built cultural centre, HOME, on the First Street site in Manchester. The building will be operated by Greater Manchester Arts Centre Ltd (“GMAC”); a charity that currently trades as Cornerhouse and formerly as the Library Theatre Company and will trade in the new building as HOME. We open in April 2015.

HOME will include a 500 seat theatre, 160 seat flexible theatre space, 500m2 gallery space, 5 cinema screens, education spaces, digital production and broadcast facilities, café bar, restaurant, offices and other ancillary spaces consistent with a production centre, a making place – intimately concerned with providing new opportunities for artists and audiences to create work differently. For more information see appendix 1 and visit our HOME website here.

HOME has recently announced its first artistic programme of equally important theatre, contemporary visual art and film. This will sometimes manifest itself in cross art-form projects working across the entire organisation and involving a huge range of people of all ages and backgrounds.

HOME has been successful with its application to be a National Portfolio Organisation receiving 3 year funding from Arts Council England. As part of the move GMAC will enter into a long term funding arrangement with Manchester City Council. Additional funding is also received from BFI and AGMA

You will be part of an exciting forward-looking organisation working with a wide range of artists, partners, audiences and stakeholders. Our team is enthusiastic, motivated and engaged so expect to be challenged! If you can share our ambition and have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job, this is a great and unique opportunity.

Our Ideal Candidate

You will be a self-motivated, experienced technical theatre or arts professional, who has some direct experience of staff, budget and building management,

You will have a proven track record, with at least 3 years professional experience of delivering a varied artistic programme across a number of venues of varying size, scale and art form.

This is an exciting and challenging role and in new landmark building in Manchester

Application Procedure

Please complete the HOME application form telling us how you meet the Person Specification for this role return with a completed Equal Opportunities questionnaire.

The deadline for applications is Friday 17th April, 2015

Interviews will take place Thursday 23rd April, 2015

Please email a PDF copy of your application to

Unfortunately we cannot acknowledge receipt of applications.

If you have not heard from us by Wednesday 22nd April, 2015 please assume that we will not be taking your application any further.

HOME strives to be an equality of opportunity employer

Thank you for your interest in this post.

Job Descriptionfor Deputy Technical Manager

Purpose

As member of the Technical Department you will assit the Technical Manger in the running of the department and will work along side the Lighting Sound & Video department to deliver the technical requiements of modern a multi artform building, while maintaining the required high standards of production, maintance and saftey of HOME spaces and equipment.

TeamTechnical

Responsible toTechnical Manager

Responsible forStage & Event Technician, Wardrobe Assistant, Casual and Freelance Staff

Main Duties

  1. To work closely with the Technical Manager in the planning, scheduling and delivery of all productions and projects across the HOME and across all art forms as required.
  1. To work as part of the technical team with responsibility for the professional building wide technical services of all stage performances, gallery and cinema events, public events, conferences and related activities within agreed schedules and budgets
  1. To support the cinema and gallery teams in the delivery of their event programme as and when required.
  1. To work closely with freelance Production Managers and Creative Teams on technical stage matters, during the pre-production and production periods of our own produced, coproduced and visiting productions.
  1. Ensuring that a high technical standard is sustained for every performance and event building wide.
  1. To work with the Technical Manager on matters relating to departmental expenditure, the ordering of equipment, materials and services in line with HOME procedures and policies.
  1. To work with the Technical Manager on the scheduling of staff and resources to maximise income and minimise expenditure wherever possible.
  1. Working on shows in performance when necessary.
  1. To work as part of the Technical Team responsible for the safe and efficient fitting-up, rigging, operation and getting-out of all HOME produced, co-produced and visiting company productions, exhibitions and events.
  1. To work as part of the team responsible for the safe and efficient use of flying systems and other mechanical equipment installed in the building whether permanent or temporary.
  1. To be part of the team responsible for the safe and efficient use of the HOME storage areas, including the workshop and offsite storage, ensuring that these are kept in good order and repair.
  1. The operation and maintenance of all staging equipment located throughout the building.
  1. To build, create and repair props and scenic items as required.
  1. To work with the Technical Manager on the development and training of all department personnel and casual staff.
  1. To act as Duty Manager on productions, events and projects as required.
  1. To contribute to the department as a proactive member of the team
  1. To work closely with the Operations Team to ensure the smooth working of our building.
  1. Cover for the Technical Manager during periods of annual leave and sickness as required.
  1. Carry out any other duties deemed relevant to the post by the Technical Manager
  1. Implement HOME policies, in particular those around diversity and access.
  1. Working evenings and weekends as appropriate.
  1. Working in other venues on HOME produced productions & projects as and when required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR

Deputy Technical Manager

Essential / Desirable
QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING / Educated to degree level or with comparable work/life experience / Accredited Health and Safety training
Valid First Aid training
Current Talescope/Aerial platform training
SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
EXPERIENCE / Understanding of technical aspects of the theatre-making and delivery process across a number of venues
Theatre rigging and the use of counter weight flying
Experience in a technical role with a background in either a theatre, live music or events venue
Experience presenting a variety of touring companies
Good working knowledge of UK theatre technical practice
A good knowledge of Health and Safety working practice within the arts and entertainment industry / Co-producing with other venues
Experience of setting up, maintaining and operating a range of automated stage systems
Experience of working across art forms
Touring productions to other venues
Experience of creating and implementing production risk assessments
Maintenance and servicing of stage machinery and systems
SKILLS / An eye for detail
Ability to work on own initiative and prioritise and organise workload
Ability to work under pressure, remain calm and meet deadlines
Computer literate including, Microsoft Office Suite to a high standard
Skilled in the use of web and internet communications / A basic working knowledge of AutoCAD or Vectorworks
To read and understand theatre plans and technical drawings
DISPOSITION & ATTITUDE
PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES / Flexible, creative and innovative approach to working in a variety of contexts both formal and informal
A good inclusive and proactive team member
Committed to creating great experiences artists and audiences
Confident in building relationships and collaborating with a diverse range of people
A creative ‘can do’ problem solver
An informed interest in the type of work presented by HOME
Understanding of Equal Opportunities and commitment to creating a diverse programme, workforce and audience.
Willing and able to work irregular hours – evenings, weekends and bank holidays
This post is based in Manchester

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

DEPUTY TECHNICAL MANAGER

GMAC Ltd has a Staff Manual that provides full details of all terms and conditions of employment as well as staff benefits. The following are the main terms of employment.

Salary£20,500 plus overtime BECTU/TMA get out payments as and when appropriate

Hours of workGMAC Ltd has a standard working week of 40 hours inclusive of meal breaks

Contract PeriodPermanent

Probationary period3 months

Period of notice1 month will apply to both employer and employee

Holidays25 days p.a. plus statutory holidays

PensionsGMAC Ltd operates a company pension scheme that is available to all staff

Appendix 1

HOME Vision

To be an international production and exhibition centre of outstanding provocative contemporary theatre, visual art and film and an axis of experimentation at the point where they meet. To be a HOME for both artists and audiences, with a strong reputation for use of digital media communication and distribution, developing talent, audience engagement, and working creatively with communities.

HOME Mission

We live to work with artists to define a new form of art centre by producing and presenting questioning ambitious artistic projects in and of Manchester but with a distinctive international outlook that grows and involves audiences through new remarkable experiences and diverse stories

Strategic Aims

  1. To position HOME as a major national and international centre with a body of work and reputation for great/distinctive/diverse contemporary work
  2. To have developed cross artform practice that attracts new partnerships and investment
  3. To have created a sustainable business model for HOME that enables artistic risk and growth
  4. To have built a new audience for HOME and re-positioned programme and offer
  5. To have established an organisational culture for HOME that supports the artistic ambition

Over the three-year journey to establish HOME the organisational trajectory will be one of progressive growth:

  • 2015-16 will give HOME a Safe Landing as the doors are opened and the organisation explores the rhythm of the new building, builds its relationship with local and regional audiences and develops Team HOME.
  • 2016-17 will see Team HOME Turn Up The Volume on the programme and engagement with audiences having got a better understanding of the potential of HOME’s new spaces and new partnerships have been established with co-producers and co-commissioners
  • 2017-18 Team HOME will move up another gear and to Almost Full Volume making the most of the having re-defined the organisation’s artistic place, created a new track record and developed strong national and international links

Key success measures

HOME will know it has been successful if by March 2018 the organisation:

  1. Is perceived by its stakeholders as a major national and international centre with a body of work and reputation for great/distinctive/diverse contemporary work
  2. Has developed cross artform practice and attracted new partnerships and investment to that work
  3. Has a sustainable business model that enables artistic risk, growth and social impact
  4. Has increased and diversified the audience and re-positioned programme and offer within Greater Manchester and the North West
  5. Has an organisational culture for that supports the artistic and business ambition, high performance and diversity

Programme

HOME Film - An extraordinary and independent programme and experience across five screens

HOME Theatre - is international, interdisciplinary, provocative, questioning, visual and poetic.

HOME Visual Art - foregrounds artists' projects that work across its distinctive strengths - artist film, performance and participation

HOME Community & Young People - with and for the people of our city

HOME digital & creative - to help to develop the creative industries

Page 1 of 10