Open Call Out For Teaching Practitioners In Devon

Open Call Out for Teaching Practitioners in Devon

 

Are you interested in working with children & young people as a teaching practitioner or freelance artist? Do your interests include drama, dance, music or other arts forms?

 

This day is a chance to show your existing skills and learn from each other, across art forms, across experiences. The day will be a relaxed sharing of practice and enable you to join a pool of practitioners that can work across a range of regional organisations. This is an opportunity to be connected with potential employers in the South West from a range of arts & education organisations. 

 

We are looking for teaching practitioners that can be any of the following…. You might be some of these and not others, and that’s okay.

 

Specialists in an art form (drama, dance, music, and others), specialists in an art form and curious about others, experienced and excited about cross art form teaching, or…starting out and keen to collaborate and learn, passionate about fusing dance, theatre, film or music styles, excited by challenging current practice and enjoy stretching ideas a little further, generous and open minded to new ideas, and prepared to be adaptable, can collaborate with other practitioners and children/young people, taking on a variety of roles. 

 

What follows on from this? (I.e. what’s it useful for?) 

 

If you are an emerging or entry-level practitioner, it’s a chance to demonstrate your skills and build first links to potential employers. You will be able to grow your profile, access work experience opportunities and chances for paid entry-level employment in this sector following on from this event.

 

For those who are more established practitioners with more extensive experience, this will be an opportunity to develop your practice, expand your list of contacts, network, make connections with other regional practitioners/freelancers and discuss possibilities for training, sharing best practice & getting feedback. 

 

 

Where and When is it?

 

We have two events in Devon: one in Plymouth and one in Exeter. You only need to attend one of these sessions

 

 

Plymouth 

Thursday 7th April from 5-8pm 

Auditorium, Barbican Theatre, Castle St, Plymouth, PL1 2NJ 

Book on here: https://forms.gle/e5M9zHviBkW7S1nf8

 

 

Exeter 

Tuesday 10 May, from 2-5pm.

TS1 in Thornlea, University of Exeter (very close to Exeter St Davids Train Station)

Book on here: https://forms.gle/6S5BNLyUhdeB3sSN7

 

 

What is it?

 

This will be a practical session, with lots of interactive workshop exercises and activities, and some conversation too. The co-hosting organisations will give some information about opportunities for potential paid work, and share some of their structures and approaches to participatory or co-created work.

 

This is a chance to get your foot in the door with a range of local arts-education or participation organisations who can offer you CV-building experiences & paid employment as a freelance artist. It’s a chance for you to find work across organisations, to help freelancers to build sustainable networks in the SW.

 

In this 3-hour session, you will have a chance to demonstrate your facilitation skills across your selected disciplines. 

 

You will also be teamed up with other artists from different disciplines and explore an idea together, collaborating on the delivery. 

 

You will be in an accessible environment  and the staff will make sure you have the support you need. Please email the lead person (listed below) if you would like support to make your visit easier. 

 

Which organisations will be attending?

 

Doorstep Arts: a non-profit arts education organisation based in Torbay. They run 14 weekly drama groups across Torbay at key doorstep sites – youth clubs, church halls and schools. They are the creative education company in residence at the Palace Theatre, Paignton and work extensively in Torbay schools, including residencies, after-school clubs and touring theatre shows. 

 

Barbican Theatre Plymouth: Barbican Theatre, Plymouth is an NPO and a regional centre of excellence for young and emerging creatives, “building Plymouth’s own creative voice and giving it a platform”. As Cultural Producers for Plymouth we want to represent the least heard voices: the subversive, underground and sub cultures of Plymouth, to create dynamic, relevant, exciting and surprising work that responds to our values of co-creation, transparency and upskilling. We want the world to meet the next generation of creative leaders that we get to work with every day and through our support help them build sustainable creative careers. 

 

 

Exeter Northcott: Exeter’s flagship theatre with an extensive engagement programme, including the Northcott Young Company, Learning and Performance projects, Wellbeing and Performance projects, and work with Creative Communities. 

 

MED Theatre: A community theatre organisation. They use drama to help communities and individuals develop in the rural hinterland of Devon. They facilitate opportunities for young people, emerging artists and freelance professionals, as well as older members of the community, by providing a platform on which they can all work together creatively and learn from one another. They are inspired by the rural environment of Dartmoor, and the people who live there. They strive to inspire them to contribute to the debate on issues of our time and encourage them to bring their experience of rural life, and their relationship to the natural world, to the fore.

 

Theatre Royal Plymouth: Plymouth’s largest theatre, developing and deepening people’s engagement with pioneering creativity in Plymouth and the South West, delivering experiences that spark delight, expression and fulfilment.Theatre Royal are interested in engaging and inspiring the many communities in Plymouth. 

 

 

What will I have to do?

 

This is an opportunity to share and learn from each other. It is not an audition or interview. There will be discussion, playful games, and chances to learn new exercises from others.

 

You will be asked to prepare a facilitation exercise that you can share with others and lead. Your activity should be appropriate for children/young people and can demonstrate something that connects to your teaching preferences and specialisms. 

The task should take no more than about 7 minutes and the fellow participants will play the participants (i.e. children/young people). 

 

If an organisation would like to work with you on a project following on from this workshop, you will be contacted and  asked to participate in a short follow-on chat  (either in person or via telephone). 

 

However your experience on the day you will be given an opportunity to talk to a staff member in a follow on informal chat. We can talk about your teaching practice, logistics of freelance working, training opportunities and other pathways, 

 

  

How do I register to attend?

 

Places are limited, so early registration is recommended. 

 

For Plymouth: 

Book your place here https://forms.gle/4JLYTr8vWFH2YS5F6

Email Suzie to ask any questions or to discuss access needs- suzie@barbicantheatre.co.uk 

 

For Exeter: 

Book your place here https://forms.gle/6S5BNLyUhdeB3sSN7

Email Erin to ask any questions or to discuss access needs – erin@doorsteparts.co.uk 

 

 

FAQs

 

How do I get there? 

 

Barbican Theatre, Plymouth

The nearest car park (with disabled spaces) is at Elphinstone (Plymouth City Council owned) which is a five minute walk from the theatre. There is also a privately owned car park on Lambhay Hill which is closer but more suited to those able to use steps (this has parking cameras so be careful you buy enough time!) There is also on street parking on Lambhay Hill (Plymouth City Council owned with pay by phone, card or cash).

 

 

Alexander Building, Thornlea, University of Exeter

Getting to the Alexander Building, Thornlea, University of Exeter: the site is a 10 minute walk from Exeter St Davids train station and also walkable from Exeter bus station. Car travel is possible, but public parking is not allowed in the very small Thornlea car park without a permit – you are recommended to park across the road in the Imperial Pub car park (Wetherspoons), which is pay-and-display. There is some on-street pay and display parking also available on New North Road. Map link to Alexander Building, Thornlea here. 

 

 

 

Is the venue accessible? 

 

Barbican Theatre, Plymouth

The Barbican Theatre building has step free access from arrival with a lift that can access all floors including The B-Bar on the ground floor, auditorium and studio on the first floor and offices on the first and second floors (this lift can be used by wheelchair users). 

Getting to Barbican Theatre:  While the Barbican Theatre building is accessible to those who use wheelchairs or with limited mobility, given the historic nature of the Barbican with its narrow and often cobbled streets, accessibility for those with limited mobility before your arrival can be challenging.

Access from Southside Street (main Barbican street) is via a narrow cobbled road or some very steep steps that lead to our building entrance. Access from Castle Street is via a tarmac road leading to a cobbled path to the theatre entrance.

 

Alexander Building, Thornlea, University of Exeter, Exeter

Thornlea has two blue badge parking spaces in a small car park immediately adjacent to the building – please let Erin know in advance if you will need to use one of these. The studios will be on the ground floor and there are accessible toilets on site. Disabled access is also possible from Exeter St Davids train station, but do be advised that there is a hill to navigate between the train station and the Thornlea site. Exeter Central might be an easier train station to alight from for anyone with access needs. 

 

 

Do I need to attend both? 

 

You only need to attend one of the workshops. We have purposely planned an evening, holiday session and an afternoon term time session to make it easier to access. If neither date/time work for you, still get in touch, using the email addresses listed here. 

 

 

What sort of fee and work could I be doing for some of the organisations? 

 

Each organisation has their own rate(s) of pay and this may be variable according to levels of experience, so this topic will be discussed in the follow up conversation, or you can email them any queries. Below are several examples, and there may be other freelance opportunities available beyond these listed here. 

 

At Barbican Theatre we are looking for practitioners to deliver termly 10 week evening classes. This is likely to be one or two evenings per week. There is a regular request for practitioners to work in schools and deliver one off workshops, enrichment weeks and after school clubs. You may be employed once or twice a month as a freelancer in this way . We are also looking for practitioners to lead groups and perform in our city centre performance project this June. This will be a 4 week contract with hours each week to prepare a group or be in a group that will perform.

 

At Doorstep Arts we are looking for Teaching Artists who might want to pick up after-school club dance and drama delivery (11 week term) with weekly sessions on Wednesday or Thursdays after school. We are also looking for artists with an interest in devising original theatre with children and young people with potential Saturday availability for our weekly Saturday drama sessions (11 week term). We would also like to increase our bank/supply staff for occasional and one-off theatre workshops & events, including schools drama/dance outreach for both primary and secondary, Theatre of the Mind (mental health & wellbeing) residencies, Early Years interactive creative play & music sessions, Play-in-a-Day summer activity and Musical Theatre and dance practitioner support. 

 

 

Do I have to pay? 

 

No, this workshop is free. 

 

 

Do I have too much experience or not enough experience? 

 

We are looking for a range of practitioners with different experiences. There will be some ready for instant employment and some who may need a gradual introduction to working with an organisation. Both routes into freelance work are valued. 

 

 

Wondering something else or got another question? Email us and ask. 

 

suzie@barbicantheatre.co.uk 

erin@doorsteparts.co.uk