Christmas Panto - Artistic Team Recruitment

New Lodge Arts are currently seeking an Artistic Team for this year's Christmas Pantomime.

The deadline for proposals is 12noon on Friday 13th October 2017

*If you would like the information via email - please contact cecilia.heron@ashtoncentre.com

Under no circumstances will late proposals be considered.

All proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked ‘Proposals’ and returned to the following:

Cecilia Heron

Ashton Centre

5 Churchill Street

Belfast

BT15 2BP

We will not accept applications by email.

This project is funded by The Executive Office through the North Belfast Strategic Good Relations Programme.

New Lodge Arts provides community-based learning and personal development opportunities for economically and socially disadvantaged children and young people aged 3 to 25 years from across North Belfast through their engagement with and participation in a wide range of arts and cultural activities that they would not otherwise have had access to.

Working in close collaboration with young people, youth/community organisations, artists and other arts organisations, New Lodge Arts ensures their programmes are appealing and appropriate to young people.  Activities include dance, drama, visual arts, film making, carnival arts and youth leadership, volunteer development programme and event management. We deliver additional programmes on a cross-community basis and promote physical regeneration.

Each year, New Lodge Arts manage a range of projects aimed at meeting the needs of the community and providing opportunities for young people to grow and develop. These projects include:

• Arts Academy - a range of weekly arts classes including Dance, Visual Arts, Drama and Youth Leadership/Event Management (12-15 weekly classes)

• North Belfast Lantern Parade – an annual celebration of good relations in North Belfast involving an outreach programme of lantern making workshops culminating in a large scale event in the Waterworks Park

• North Belfast Winter Fest – a variety of Christmas themed activities for people across North Belfast including a Pantomime, Santa’s Grottos, Christmas Quiz’s, Pensioners Dinners and
• Taster Projects  - a series of taster art projects offered to various community groups across North Belfast (20-25 projects delivered annually)
• Outreach projects – a series of good relations projects with other youth organisations from across the political divide, uniting them in a positive experience using the arts as the foundation
• Additional partnership projects – working in partnership with local, national and international arts organisations on a variety of projects

New Lodge Arts has four main aims:

• Fostering creativity and skills: To provide or facilitate activities that will empower children and young people in North Belfast
• Building capacity to be a sustainable organisation: To ensure the development of New Lodge Arts to make it an effective and sustainable organisation
• Marketing and communication: To make children and young people aware of what New Lodge Arts has to offer them and to maximise its profile amongst key stakeholders and external audiences
• Promoting Good Relations and a Shared Future: To provide opportunities for children, young people and the wider North Belfast community to build relationships, challenge perceptions and gain a greater understanding and respect for each other.

The Project

The New Lodge Arts Christmas Show / Pantomime is an annual project held in North Belfast as part of the Community Pride Programme.  The show needs to be suitable for 10 – 18 year olds and will have a minimum of 20 young people participating.  Auditions will be held in various centres across North Belfast in mid October followed by 5 weeks of workshops.  There will be two performances held in December 2017 in a North Belfast venue.

New lodge Arts wishes to appoint an experienced Artistic Director to lead this project along with their team of experienced facilitators.  The roles/responsibilities are detailed below:

• Artistic Director

The Director will co-ordinate the project, provide a suitable script, attend auditions, facilitate all sessions and rehearsals, co-ordinate artists involved, liaise with production team and liaise with the New Lodge Arts Good Relations Worker.

• Musical Director

The Musical Director will liaise with the Director to organise and deliver all vocal and musical sessions throughout the duration of the project.

• Choreographer

The Choreographer will liaise with the Director to organise and deliver all physical warm-ups and dance sessions throughout the rehearsal period and stage the final three performances.

• Assistant Director

The Assistant Director will support the Director, during all rehearsals and at the final performance.

• Stage Manager

The Stage Manager will be expected to ensure the technical elements of the show run smoothly.

New Lodge Arts will supply the following staff:

• Youth Support Worker x 1

The Youth Support Worker will provide pastoral care for the duration of the project and will attend all rehearsals and performances.

Previous Panto’s have included:

• Aladdin
• Buddy the Elf
• Beauty and the Beast
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

New Lodge Arts can purchase scripts from online resources such as Ben Crocker.

Timescale

Call for proposals made	4th October 2017
Deadline for proposals	13th October 2017
Short-listing and selection	13th October 2017
North Belfast Auditions (up to 5 centres – max 1 hour in each centre – Artistic Director, Musical Director and Choreographer to attend)	1st – 4th November 2017
Proposed Rehearsal schedule:	Saturday 11th November 12 – 6pm Sunday 12th November 12 – 6pm   Saturday 18th November 12 – 6pm Sunday 19th November 12 – 6pm   Saturday 25th November 12 – 6pm Sunday 26th November 12 – 6pm   Saturday 2nd December 12 – 6pm Sunday 3rd December 12 – 6pm   Friday 8th December 6 – 9pm Saturday 9th December 12 – 6pm Sunday 10th December 12 – 6pm   Monday 11th December 6 – 9pm  (Dress Rehearsal)   *rehearsal dates are subject to change to suit Artistic Team
Performances	Tuesday 12th December 2017 @ 7pm   Wednesday 13th December 2017 @7pm

 

ARTIST’S BRIEF

The Artist Director will report directly to the Good Relations Arts Worker of New Lodge Arts and will be employed on a freelance basis by New Lodge Arts.   

 

• The Artistic Director will be responsible for the coordination of their project.  This will include but is not limited to;

• Attend auditions for recruitment of participants from the North Belfast community in collaboration with the Good Relations Arts Worker of New Lodge Arts
• Being the main point of contact for participants throughout the project; e.g organize transport etc
• Non-financial administration (e.g. collation of attendance sheets, consent forms, the distribution and collection of evaluation proformas, etc).
• Management of the Artistic Team

 

The budget for the project is below and is based on attendance at all rehearsals and performances.  If artistic staff are unable to attend all rehearsals and performances, fees will be adjusted accordingly.

 

Item or Activity	Details	Total cost
Artistic Director Fee	Attendance at all auditions, rehearsals and performances.	£   2,000
Musical Director Fee	Attendance at all auditions, rehearsals and performances.	£   1,500
Choreographer Fee	Attendance at all auditions, rehearsals and performances.	£1,500
Assistant Director	Attendance at all rehearsals and performances.	£900
Stage Manager	Attendance at all rehearsals and performances.	£900
Totals		£6,800

 

PROCEDURE AND SUBMISSION

Interested Artist Directors are invited to submit to New Lodge Arts a proposal comprising of the following:

 

1. A two page proposal outlining their approach to the brief, initial ideas for the project and proposed forms of engagement with participant groups.
2. A team of artists including copies of all current curriculum vitaes highlighting relevant qualifications and experience for all artistic team.  Each artist must provide 2 references.
3. Visuals of appropriate recent work in the form of photographs, reviews, CD or DVD.

 

The submission procedure will involve the following process:

Submission of detailed proposals 12noon Friday 13^th October 2017 with review and final decision made by a Selection Panel on 13^th October 2017.   

 

CRITERIA

Submissions will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Previous experience of working alongside community organisations in developing and implementing similar arts projects.
• Previous experience working with young people.
• Artistic quality – evidenced by track record of production of high quality projects and performances
• Representation of, understanding of and appreciation of the subject and brief.
• The panel will award the commission to one artist based on their submitted proposal.
• Attendance at Keeping Safe Child Protection Training within the last 2 years or willingness to attend the training.

 

Please note, the successful Artistic Team will be subject to suitable references and an Access NI check.

 

The panel will consist of representatives from New Lodge Arts, a Young Person and a member of the Project’s Steering Group. 

 

All submissions must be posted to:

 

Cecilia Heron

New Lodge Arts

Ashton Centre

5 Churchill Street

Belfast  BT15 2BP                                             

 

If you have any queries, please contact Cecilia on 028 90742255