Cardiff CF24 4YE
FforddSenghennydd
Caerdydd CF24 4YE / 029 2064 6900
shermancymru.co.uk
@shermancymru
shermancymru
Information for applicants:
Bar Staff
December 2015 / Dear Colleague,
Thank you for your interest in the post of Bar Staff for Sherman Cymru.
In this pack, you’ll find some background information about Sherman Cymru, along with more detailed information about the role, a job description and a person specification.
If you’d like to apply for the post, please download the application form and the equal opportunities monitoring form from our website ( and send them to us. Please refer to the job description and person specification in your application, telling us why you are interested and sign-posting us to the skills and experience you would bring to the company; our short-listing panel will be seeking clear evidence that applicants meet the criteria specified.
Completed applications should be addressed to me and e-mailed to: . Please note that, in line with our environmental policy, we are only handling applications electronically.
We look forward to hearing from you and thank you again for your interest.
Yours,
Philip Persoglio
Head of Events and Operations
Company Number/Rhif y Cwmni 06002090. Registered Charity Number/RhifElusenCofrestredig 1118364
Sherman Cymru acknowledges the public investment of the Arts Council of Wales
Mae Sherman CymruyncydnabodbuddsoddiadcyhoeddusganGyngorCelfyddydauCymru
Bar Staff
Details
Rate of Pay:£6.78 per hour
Term:The post is offered as a zero-hour contract
Hours: Various
Period of Notice: 1 week
Pension:ShermanCymru operates a qualifying workplace pension scheme
Right to work:The successful applicant will be required to provide documentation under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
References:Offers of employment are subject to the receipt of references that are satisfactory to Sherman Cymru.
Relocation:The post-holder will be expected to live within commutable distance of the theatre.
Start date: The post is available immediately
For evening performances the shift usually begins 2 hour before a performance. For most evening performances, the bar remains open until the end of normal Licensing hours. The bar is normally licensed until 12am, and on certain occasions until 1.30am. Your shift will end approximately half an hour after the bar closes.
The number of hours that you would be required to work will depend upon the number of performances taking place at the Sherman. Therefore, the number of hours available will vary from week to week. Staff will be expected to sign up for a minimum of three shifts per week, although they will not always be required to work this many (depending on the number of shows) and there’s an expectation that staff will sign up for at least one weekend shift (Friday/Saturday) where appropriate.
Job Description: Bar Staff
Main purpose of role
To work as part of a team providing the highest quality of customer service, in a manner which is always approachable, friendly and inviting.
To ensure the safety and welfare of the building and to maintain the highest standards of customer care, appearance and working practices of the Bar Staff.
Championing exceptional levels of customer service, working with the Head of Events & Operations and the Volunteer and Visitor Experience Manager to deliver Customer Service Standards across all aspects of the company’s interaction with the public. Willing to undertake training and able to take on responsibilities in a way that exemplifies the company’s values
Reports to
Head of Events & Operations, Volunteer and Visitor Experience Manager and Duty Managers
Key relationships
Marketing and Customer Relations Team
MAIN DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:
Deliver first class customer service at all times in accordance with Sherman delivery standards
Display a good knowledge of events, prices, packages, promotional offers, activities in the building and programme changes in order to provide a comprehensive efficient serviceListen carefully to customers, gather feedback and follow company protocols and procedures, referring up where necessary
Ensure all leaflets and retail display are constantly fully stocked and displayed attractively
Follow requests of the person supervising your work
Work as part of the team sharing your knowledge with others.
Attend FOH Training events to ensure you are able to undertake your responsibilities in a way that exemplifies the company’s values.
Attend and contribute to Team meetings as required.
Flexibility
Be prepared to work in any given area at any timeBar/Catering
Food Hygiene / To be aware of basic food hygiene proceduresDrink sales / The sale of bar drinks pre/post-show including interval orders
Service / Taking customer orders for food and drink and the serving of drinks and plated meals to tables
Stock replenishment / Ensuring all goods are available for sale and displayed appropriately.
Transactions / To take payment via cash or card ensuring accurate reconciliation
Cash handling / To take payment via cash ensuring accurate reconciliation
Rubbish Collection / Keeping the Bar and Foyer areas clean and tidy before, during and after the performance
Customer Care / Giving directions and knowledge about the events and the building
Evacuation procedures: / Providing safe egress of the public in the event of an emergency
Café/Bar Ancillaries / Ensure that the foyer is kept tidy by collecting glasses, crockery, cutlery and any other Café/Bar ancillaries and ensuring that they are cleaned in the relevant/appropriate dishwasher and returned to clean stock – especially during busy periods.
Understand, know and be prepared to conduct the procedures for the role of a fire officer at The Sherman
Fire Procedure and Security / Act calmly in all situationsReport all hazards to appropriate line-manager
Undertake training in role of Fire Officer if required.
Be a key person in the evacuation process and acting as Fire Coordinator in an emergency or evacuation.
Maintain security procedures, observe company procedures for cash handling, banking and take all precautions against theft
Take care in all transactions, ensure you know the correct prices and check your starting float.Be aware of the systems and protocols in all areas of work
Adhere to administration systemsAccept appropriate individual responsibility for the observance, promotion and implementation of Sherman Cymru’s policies on Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Customer Care and Licensing.
Person Specification: Bar Staff
Must be available daytimes, weekendsand some holiday periods.
This post would ideally suit candidates who are outgoing, confident and positive and also have the following key skills and abilities:
IDEALLY/PREFERABLY
Knowledge and Experience
-Good experience of bar work
-Experience of working Front of House in a theatre or similar arts/entertainment environment
-Experience of working in a pressured service environment
Skills and Competencies
-Excellent interpersonal/customer care skills: must be open, friendly and helpful
-The ability to deliver a high level of customer care
-The ability to work as part of a team
-The ability to work unsupervised
-The ability to follow instructions
-The ability to respond positively to changes in the working environment and to deal with pressures within the role when they arise
-To remain calm and professional under stressful situations
-Conscientious: Front of House Staff have an important safety role
-Good personal presentation: Front of House Staff represent the public face of Sherman Cymru
-Flexible about working hours
-18+ years of age
DESIRABLE
-Knowledge of Food Hygiene requirements
-Welsh speaking
-An interest in theatre
-Trained Barista
Background Information
History
The Sherman Theatre was opened in 1973 with substantial financial support from what is now CardiffUniversity. In 1987, the University withdrew its financial support for the theatre and offered it for sale. The Arts Council of Great Britain purchased the building with a special grant from the Welsh Office and the new Sherman Theatre Company was granted a 125 year lease. Ownership has now passed to the Arts Council of Wales (ACW). From 1990 – 2006, the theatre had a strong focus on theatre for young audiences until 2007 when, at the instigation of the ACW, the Sherman Theatre Company and SgriptCymru, the national development company for theatre writing, were merged to form Sherman Cymru.
Since its inception, Sherman Cymru has had considerable artistic success. It has produced, or co-produced more than thirty productions, two-thirds of which were new commissions (the vast majority of them by Welsh or Wales based writers) and taken more than a dozenof itsproductions on tour. It has won sixawards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – including two Fringe Firsts and an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award – and has been involved in international projects in Europe, the USA and Taiwan. It has also continued to produce some exceptional work involving young people. For two years, the building itself was closed for refurbishment but the company continued to produce in a wide variety of spaces, including a Bank in Cardiff Bay, in Chapter Arts Centre, the Wales Millennium Centre and in found spaces around the city.
The Theatre
Following a £6.5 million redevelopment, the Sherman Cymru building re-opened its doors in February 2012. Public and backstage facilities have been transformed. With its 452 seat main-house and a flexible 60-150 seat studio theatre, it is a fantastic facility for the arts in Cardiff. The refurbishment has delivered an inspiring and distinctive exterior architecture and spacious and comfortable Front of House areas for audiences which can also be used throughout the day. For the first time, the theatre has excellent backstage facilities that enable the company to fully rehearse and prepare for performance. The Sherman’s main stage is especially suited to middle-scale theatre and dance with popular appeal and its octagonal studio offers a flexible, well-resourced space for small-scale, new and intimate work.
Our Work
Mission
We make and curate exciting theatre for Cardiff audiences. We develop and nurture the work of Welsh and Wales based artists. We generate opportunities for the citizens of Cardiff to connect with theatre through relevant, inspiring and visionary engagement.
Production/Artistic Programme
‘Extraordinary, complex and moving… this remarkable show is essential viewing’
The Guardian on Deep Cut by Philip Ralph
Sherman Cymru is much more than a presenting house. Producing its own work has always been a crucially important factor in developing and maintaining the company’s distinctive identity and character. With new Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan’s ambitious vision and programming strategy, the Sherman is currently embarking on a new, exciting phase. Creating its own work in both Welsh and English remains central to the company’s artistic policy.
“Both savage and beautiful, both respectfully traditional and brashly modern, this Romeo & Juliet will surely enthuse those who are being dragged to it by their teachers, and delight those who go along of their own free will."
British Theatre Guide on Romeo and Juliet directed by Rachel O’Riordan, October 2014
“…children’s theatre at its best: bold, inspiring, engaging and vibrant, and where the young audience was clearly not just tolerated, but valued.”
Café Junior on Corina Pavlova and the Lion’s Roar | Corina Pavlova a’rLlewSy’nRhuo by Elen Caldecott
"A jaw-dropping piece of stage design throws the show - and a rhetorical window - wide open"
The Big Issue on Say It With Flowers by MeicPovey and Johnny Tudor
‘Llwyth is a play pulsing with energy… a stereotype-busting cultural event'
The Scotsman on Llwyth [Tribe] by Dafydd James
Engagement
Sherman Cymru offers a wide range of participatory and developmental opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, across all areas of the theatre’s activities, spearheaded by the work of the Creative Learning Team. In February 2013 the BIG Lottery Fund awarded Sherman Cymru a grant of £211,395, over 3 years, towards developing the Creative Learning programme engaging with young people and communities in disadvantaged areas across Cardiff and South Wales.
Our Audience
These are exciting times with a great deal of potential and opportunity for development. We will:
-provide a “must see” programme of work for our audiences in both theatres that builds demand and attracts new audiences
-develop our offer to families and young people;
-make connections with the student community (which, during term-time, accounts for 20% of the City’s population) and
-build new relationships with people who have not engaged with us in the past.
In May 2013, Sherman Cymru was one of only five performing arts organisations across the UK to receive a ‘Paul Hamlyn Club’ award of £500,000, to be used to broaden Sherman Cymru’s audience base over the next five years, with a particular focus on building sustainable relationships with community partners in the local area. The Company now has ring-fenced resources to support a strategic approach to audience development and programming.
Our Building
With the combination of a recently redeveloped building and new artistic vision we have the chance to really enhance the visitor experience to the building. We are exploring ways of developing the foyer and capitalising on the facilities available to create a cultural hub within Cardiff, providing work and social spaces with an excellent Café Bar offer.
Sustainability
Sherman Cymru was one of the first arts organisations in Wales to sign up to the Welsh Assembly Government Sustainability Charter and is part of a pilot Sustainability programme between CreuCymru and Julie's Bicycle, taking part in Julie's Bicycle IG tools monitoring.
The City Context
Culture
Sherman Cymru is the only producing house within the vibrant artistic community of the City of Cardiff. Not only does the city have a breadth of arts organisations, including Wales Millennium Centre, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, New Theatre, Chapter Arts Centre, National Theatre Wales and St David’s Hall, among many others, it is also home to the Welsh Government, Arts Council of Wales, BBC Wales, and a large and thriving Higher Education sector.
Higher Education
The city-region is an academic centre of excellence with over 65,000 under-graduate students, 12,000 post-graduate students and 6,000 overseas students attending CardiffUniversity, University of South Wales (including the Atrium), Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and CardiffMetropolitanUniversity.
Decision Making
Cardiff is home to the Welsh Assembly Government and National Assembly for Wales. Sherman Cymru strives to develop and maintain close communication with Government Ministers and Assembly Members as well as local Councillors.
Travel
Cardiff is just 2 hours away from London by rail or road, an hour and a half’s drive away from Heathrow and CardiffAirport provides over 30 flights a day to world and European destinations.
Cardiff is a truly unique capital. It has the infrastructure that you would expect of any modern capital, an enviable quality of life, and a city centre that can be walked across in fifteen minutes. The city benefits from a panoramic offer, from seafront to city to countryside living. From the splendid white buildings of the Civic Centre, past CardiffCastle and the compact city centre, down to CardiffBay which provides seafront views and leisure facilities to rival any other European city, Cardiff has a unique blend of the traditional and the modern. It is a ‘city of parks’ with more green space per person than any other UK city. It is 45 minutes from the BreconBeaconsPark and close to some of the UK’s best beaches.
Current Staff List
Artistic Director: Rachel O’Riordan
Head of Finance: Sally Shepherd
Finance Assistant: Julia Griffiths
Administrator: Elin Partridge
Head of Events & Operations: Philip Persoglio
Fundraising Manager: Amy Morgan
Artistic Associate (p/t): Gethin Evans
Creative Learning Associate: Andrew Sterry
Creative Learning Assistant (p/t): David Lydiard
Creative Learning Assistant (BIG Lottery) (p/t): Ruth Hitchens
Head of Marketing & Customer Relations: Julia Barry
Marketing Manager: Lewis Gwyther
Marketing Officer: Rebecca Price
Ticketing and Reception Manager: Ceri-ann Williams
Ticketing and Reception Assistants:LynwenHaf Jones; OsianIfans;Elgan Jones; David Lydiard; Ethan Jenkins; Elena Thomas
Paul Hamlyn Club Coordinator: Guy O’Donnell
Head of Production: Nick Allsop
Senior Electrician: Rachel Mortimer
Technical Stage Manager: Stephen Blendell
Carpenter: Mathew Thomas
Posts highlighted in bold are members of the company’s Senior Management Team