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Green Shoes Arts are seeking a National Theatre Connections Director

4 Sep

GREEN SHOES ARTS

Green Shoes Arts (GSA) delivers high quality arts projects for the community of Barking &

Dagenham and the surrounding area, enabling people of all ages and backgrounds to

access and engage with a wide range of creative and artistic activities. Based in Chadwell

Heath Community Centre in Dagenham, they have been serving their community since 2009.

They believe that artistic and creative activity provides huge benefits to well-being and

personal development. Their projects offer opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable

young people and adults with lived experience of mental health issues, physical and learning

disabilities, and social deprivation. They listen, respond to, and support the needs of our community, working to see positive change through participation in the arts.

THE ROLE

They are looking for an inspiring and enthusiastic Youth Theatre Director to direct their NT

Connections play. The production will be cast from members of the Green Shoes Arts Young

Actor’s Club. The YAC was created to provide both a positive creative space for young

people in the Borough of Barking & Dagenham, and to provide rigorous, dedicated training in

performance. They expect the successful candidate to continue this vocational training,

ensuring that members learn through rehearsal and performance, and to deliver a strongly

directed, powerful production that inspires and encourages members to continue their

training as actors.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Essential

  • Experience of directing high quality performances with young people

  • Creativity, flexibility and focus as a team player

  • Commitment to personal development and collective learning through artistic practice

  • Engaging and inspirational practitioner for a wide range of young people

  • Demonstrable knowledge of contemporary theatre practice and training

  • A commitment to equality of opportunity, representation and access

  • An understanding of youth arts, issues, challenges and opportunities

  • Up to date understanding and commitment to safeguarding principles

  • A current enhanced DBS (or ability to achieve one on application)

Desirable

  • Experience working in professional theatre

  • A history of developing the creative practice of others

  • An understanding of strategic arts development

  • Experience of leading training programmes

  • Experience of evaluating projects

Job Responsibilities

  • Direct a high quality NT Connections production

  • Support GSA's accessible, inclusive & diverse practices

  • Plan, deliver, and contribute to evaluation of all rehearsals and performances

  • Support wellbeing across all activity

  • Uphold GSA's vision, values and policies

GSA invites applications from candidates who identify as; African or Caribbean heritage;

South, East, or South East Asian heritage; Middle East or North African heritage; refugee;

d/Deaf; Disabled; Neurodivergent; working class; and/or LGBTQI+, however will not expect

or require them to explore their identity in relation to these groups through this project. We

especially welcome applications from residents of Barking & Dagenham.

Type of engagement: Fixed term short freelance contract

Reporting To: Artistic Director

Responsible For: Participants

Hours of Work:

  • Attendance at casting and auditions (to be confirmed)

  • One weekday evening and one weekend afternoon each week (to be confirmed based on studio and successful candidate’s availability) from November 2023 to April 2024, with a target of 60 hours of rehearsal in total.

  • Two full days of rehearsal in April 2024 prior to performances.

  • Production meetings, Partner Theatre meetings, and meetings with GSA core team as required.

  • Attendance at the Director’s Weekend from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th October 2023.

  • Attendance at all performances. There will be at least two performances at our home venue (location to be confirmed), and one performance at our Partner Theatre, the Queens Theatre Hornchurch. The Partner Theatre Festival dates are: Thursday 18 and Saturday 20th April 2024 at the Queens Theatre Hornchurch.

  • If necessary, attendance at the National Theatre for the Connections Festival.

  • Additional commitments will be paid at a rate of £75/session.

GSA are able to offer a flat fee of £2500 to direct the NT Connections play.

Place of Work: Chadwell Heath Community Centre, 255 High Road, RM6 6AS.

APPLICATION

To apply, please send a cover letter answering the below questions. They would suggest that

each answer should be around 300 words. They are happy to receive applications as a video

or audio file of around 5 minutes. This should be sent to us as a WeTransfer link.

Questions to answer:

  • Can you give us an insight into your creative process when working with a cast of young people?

  • Why do you choose to work with young people, and what impact do you hope to have on them?

  • What is the piece of work that you have directed that you are most proud of, and why?

You should refer to the deliverables and person specification highlighted above.

Please also send an up-to-date CV and a completed Diversity Monitoring Form. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a short interview and deliver a short workshop session to the Young Actors Club. The successful applicant will be asked to provide two professional references.

Please email your application to Artistic Director Sam Miller at [email protected] by 5pm on 18th September 2023 with the subject line ‘NT CONNECTIONS DIRECTOR’. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview and deliver a trial workshop during the week commencing 25th September 2023.