Lewisham Youth Theatre seeks Step Up Programme Coordinator

Lewisham Youth Theatre seeks Step Up Programme Coordinator

STEP-UP COORDINATOR

Summary:
This demanding position gives the post holder a unique opportunity to lead a key component of Lewisham Youth Theatre’s programme. The Step-Up project engages young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or who are otherwise at-risk, in LYT’s core youth theatre activities.

The post involves:
• Coordinating the programme of work, including recruiting participants, planning & evaluating projects in line with LYT’s core objectives
• delivering targeted drama sessions and forum theatre projects in the community
• building partnerships with local services for NEET and at-risk youth
• delivering in LYT’s core youth theatre activities, working alongside LYT’s Outreach & Participation Coordinator

Salary: £25000 to £27000 p/annum, pro rata (dependent on experience)
Reporting to: Artistic Director & Executive Director
Contract Period: Part-time, Fixed-term contract to December 2017
Hours: The post is initially advertised at 24 hours (3 days) per week. Potential of expansion of role, dependent on funding. Hours will vary across projects and at times of intensive activity, the post holder will need to be flexible. The nature of work in this field will sometimes necessitate unsociable hours.

Holidays: 20 days holiday pro rata
Start: January 2015

Terms: As this post involves working with/contact with young people, any offer of employment will be confirmed following the company’s procedures and policies with regards to obtaining references and enhanced disclosure status.

Our Mission Statement
LYT believes that theatre is a vital form of human expression and that participation in creating and watching theatre leads to the development and empowerment of young people. LYT provides a safe environment in which to develop skills and explore ideas. We commit to ensuring that this opportunity is available to all young people in Lewisham and that no-one should be excluded because of economic or social background.

About Lewisham Youth Theatre
LYT creates excellent and inclusive theatre with and for young people aged from 3 to 24. We have been working with young people in the borough of Lewisham since 1987 and resident at the Broadway Theatre in Catford since 2000. All our Youth Theatre projects are free and culminate in full scale productions in the studio theatre at the Broadway and in other venues around the borough. We aim to give our members as near to professional experience as possible. We do not audition members but we ask for and expect commitment to the project. 60% of our members are referred to us through schools or other social service organisations.

The Step-Up Project
As part of LYT’s commitment to providing equal access to all, the Step-Up Project was set up in 2011 to increase access to LYT’s youth theatre activities for young people who are NEET, at-risk of becoming NEET or who would otherwise not be able to access LYT’s services.

Each year, as part of Step-Up, we now offer:
• 1 to 1 mentoring across the youth theatre but with particular support for those most at risk,
• Daytime Life Skills project – using drama as a tool to develop and increase employability,
• Creative Training Project – a Forum Theatre project creating and touring a devised theatre piece offering as near to professional experience as possible,
• Outreach Project – working with partners in the community with those most at risk.

We are seeking a practitioner experienced in developing, coordinating and delivering theatre and performance-based interventions for young people facing multiple disadvantages. The successful candidate will become a core part of LYT’s delivery team.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Main Activities/Responsibilities:

• Plan, Manage and Deliver the Step-Up Project, ensuring that the project fits strategically within LYT’s core youth theatre activities.

• Plan & Deliver Youth Theatre Projects, along with LYT’s Outreach & Participation Coordinator, acting as a director and project lead on performance projects with LYT’s 14+ Senior Youth Theatre, including being involved in production planning, publicity & project management meetings, co-ordinating with designers, the technical team and other tutors.

• Recruit young people at-risk to participate in LYT’s youth theatre activities and maintain contact with them throughout their participation, including contacting members through mail-outs, phone, texts and facebook.

• Develop and Maintain Partnerships and liaise with local agencies, schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and social services with the aim of recruiting participants and developing collaborative projects.

• Plan and Deliver Drama Recruitment Sessions and Projects with young people at-risk in community and partner venues. These sessions should maintain a high standard of quality and meet LYT’s objectives and the Every Child Matters agenda

• Mentor young people through one-to-one meetings to help support their participation and retention in LYT projects, providing ongoing advice and guidance that will help them to excel and access progression pathways into employment and education.

• Identify & Address Barriers to Participation for individual participants, including liaising with parents, guardians and Care Around the Child Teams to increase participants’ access to and retention in LYT’s projects.

• Implement appropriate evaluation of youth theatre projects with particular responsibility for members referred through Step-Up project:
o gathering and supplying monitoring and evaluation statistics
o producing narrative and termly reports
o collating and analysing the participants’ involvement and development
o communicating and sharing relevant information with partner organisations.

• Keep abreast of developments in the arts and education, identifying strategies, partnerships and key individuals to contribute to youth theatre projects

• Research and keep abreast of pathways into education, employment and training.

Like all those who work or volunteer for LYT, the STEP-UP COORDINATOR will be expected to take a role in:
• raising and maintaining the profile and status of the organisation within the local community, the professional arts community, amongst current and potential users, and public, charitable and business funders;
• ensuring that the Company’s obligations under Health and Safety legislation are fulfilled;
• actively implementing all the Company’s policies.
• Positively representing the Company at conferences, trainings and borough meetings.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential
• Proven experience of coordinating and delivering programmes using drama activities as an intervention tool with vulnerable or hard to reach young people
• Experience of devising, directing and jokering Forum Theatre productions
• Proven track record of directing theatre productions with young people aged 14+
• Proven track record of managing youth led activities and empowering young people to take on leadership roles.
• Experience providing one-to-one advice and guidance
• Experience of working in partnerships with youth organisations (i.e. PRUs, Youth Offending Teams, Youth Hostels, CAMHS etc.)
• Excellent interpersonal skills with both young people and adults
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Good IT skills
• Working knowledge of current issues within youth arts and cultural sectors
• High level of initiative and leadership qualities

Desirable
• Training and experience in delivering qualifications/accreditations (i.e. Arts Award, AQAs, ASDAN, etc.)
• Specialist knowledge of learning, training and career paths into the creative industries or other education, employment or training ;
• Experience in devising strategy and developing forward plans
• Knowledge or qualification in the delivery of Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance

Lewisham Youth Theatre particularly welcomes applications from sectors of the community under-represented in this field of youth arts (see Equal Opportunities statement).

How to apply
Please send:
• A CV
• A covering letter of no more than 2 sides of A4. The letter should demonstrate how your skills and experience match each Essential area of the person specification and, if applicable, the Desirable areas. For each area, you should try to indicate
The situation or context and your task or role
The action you took and the result or outcome
• A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (see below)

Please email your application with the subject “[Your Full Name] Step Up Application” to info@lewishamyouththeatre.com
Or post to: Lewisham Youth Theatre, The Broadway Theatre, Catford Broadway, Catford SE6 4RU
NB Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date for Applications: 10am on Monday 14th September 2015

Interviews: Wednesday 23rd September;

Second Practical Interviews from 6pm on 23rd September 2015
Please note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
For further info about LYT please view our website at: www.lewishamyouththeatre.com
Lewisham Youth Theatre is a Registered Charity (no. 297075) and an Equal Opportunities employer.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENT

Lewisham Youth Theatre is committed to equality and inclusion at all levels of the organisation, and actively opposes all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. LYT values the role diversity plays in engendering a positive working environment. We therefore aim to ensure equality of opportunity in all levels and activities by adopting equitable approaches to all that we do and working to ensure that our policies and practices (formal and informal) remain lawful, fair and actively inclusive.

This policy includes preventing discrimination associated with the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief (or lack thereof), sex and sexual orientation.

LYT recognises that those who use our services are individuals with different needs that may impact on their ability to access services. LYT may sometimes deliver projects aimed expressly at engaging specific groups, with the aim of increasing the diversity and inclusion of service users across our activities, in line with our Business Plan. We will work hard to ensure that project criteria is appropriate to needs identified in our community, and that all those who fit the criteria for engagement have the opportunity to access our services.

These principles apply to LYT’s provision of services, working practices and its employment and training practices. The policy applies to the treatment of all Council of Management members (Trustees), staff (permanent or temporary, including those on contracts), applicants, trainees, consultants, volunteers and members (including youth and community participants).

LYT’s Council of Management (Trustees) is responsible for overseeing the effective implementation of the Equal Opportunities Policy in all areas of our work, including staff recruitment. The Council of Management have delegated responsibility to the Executive Director for the day-to-day policy implementation.

All those working and interacting with LYT have a duty to uphold the Equal Opportunities Policy. Trustees, staff, tutors, trainees and volunteers have a duty to act in accordance with this policy, and that they support service users and other stakeholders to act in accordance with the policy principles.