Worcestershire Arts Partnership Blog

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Moonbeams - The Next Phase.. develoing tomorrow's leaders in arts and culture for early years


Arts Connect logo_Peach Circle_CMYKMoonbeams – The Next Phase

Developing tomorrow’s leaders in arts and culture for early years

A continuing professional development (CPD) course for early years

practitioners and artists


 

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE
 
Creativity in, and through, arts and culture is a prime context for early years development. Arts Connect recognises the importance of arts and culture in early years and has prioritised this as part of its 2015-2018 programme. The Moonbeams programme has different strands, including CPD for early years practitioners and artists to work together to develop their understanding around educational development through the arts.
 
Arts Connect is working in partnership with Birmingham Nursery Schools Teaching Schools Alliance; and other partners such as CREC (the Centre for Research in Early Childhood), to support the development of emerging leaders of arts and creativity in early years (0-5 years) both from the early year’s settings and from the arts and cultural sectors.
 
The Moonbeams course will involve selected artists and early years practitioners, from 8 settings in the West Midlands, working in a paired partnership through a 10 day course of group sessions (eg taught elements on Child Development; Creativity; Provocations; Documentation; Reflection), co-delivery and action research in the setting. This will be supported by expert Pedagogistas (experts in early years education and in arts and culture in early years) and action researchers, as well as external presenters. The programme will begin with an introduction and planning day 8th July 2016, commence in settings from mid-September, and complete by mid-May 2017.
 
We are particularly interested in developing the experience and skills of early years practitioners and artists who have the potential to become advocates and leaders within their settings and sectors. Part of the course will include opportunities to deliver CPD, share their work with others, and contribute to seminars and a conference.
 
This is an exciting and unique opportunity and we are interested in participants from a range of settings (maintained and private nurseries; nursery and reception classes) and artists with different arts and cultural expertise.
 
 
We particularly welcome applications from people with protected characteristics
 
 


 

2. Are you a qualified early years practitioner or an artist working in early years?
A qualified early years practitioner
An artist working with early years
 
·         Are you interested in developing your skills in arts and culture?
 
·         Are you interested in developing your skills and experience, alongside an artist, as the lead for arts and culture in your setting?
 
·         Do you have the full support of your Head Teacher/Manager and senior leadership team?
 
·         Have you got experience in working in partnership with other organisations and agencies, and individuals from sectors other than education?
 
·         Are you open to challenge your own thinking and practices, and to challenge the thinking of others?
 
 
·         Have you already worked in an early years setting but would describe yourself as just starting out?
 
·         Are you interested in developing your skills and experience as an artist and a leader of arts and culture in early years?
 
·         Are you open to working with early years practitioners and senior leaders to develop CPD for staff from early years settings and other artists?
 
·         Are you prepared to learn about early years pedagogy and to challenge your own thinking and practices?
 
·         Are you prepared to work with your paired early years practitioner to document and reflect on your CPD?
 

3. COMMITMENTS
A qualified early years practitioner
An artist working with early years
 
·         Release of the early years practitioner for the course taught and delivery sessions, and for planning, and reflection with the artist in-house
 
·         Share practice and learning across whole staff including a minimum of two CPD sessions with the artist
 
·         Provide appropriate materials, tools and resources to facilitate activities with children and staff
 
 
·         Ensuring at all times that Health and Safety, and Safeguarding (including Publicity Consent) procedures are in place, with appropriate induction on these policies with the artist
 
·         The DBS check for the artist delivered by the setting
 
·         The Head Teacher / Manager to commit to support the programme and the practitioner throughout the course
 
·         Early years practitioner commits to attend and deliver the course, including taking part in the full CPD programme and conference
 
·         Contribute to research and evaluation
 
 
·         Attend all course sessions and do appropriate home based research and planning
 
·         Contribute to all reflection and delivery within the setting
 
·         Document and record the work within the agreed storage protocols and guidelines for the setting
 
 
 
 
·         Ensuring at all times that Health and Safety, and Safeguarding (including Publicity Consent) and procedures are adhered to
 
·         Co-plan and deliver, with the early years practitioner, CPD sessions with staff and others (eg at the conference)
 
·         Contribute to all research and evaluation
 
·         Ensure a high quality process and outcomes in the delivery of arts and culture
 
·         Deliver a high quality program as contracted.
4. FEES AND COSTS
A qualified early years practitioner
An artist working with early years
 
·         The early years setting will need to cover all the costs of their early years practitioner attending sessions and being released in-house, including any travel costs
 
·         The early years setting will need to cover all materials, tools, and resources linked to the activity
 
·         The early years setting will cover the cost of the artist’s DBS
 
·         All other costs (such as the artist fees) are covered by the grant from Arts Connect
 
 
 
·         The freelance fee to be paid to the artist is £175 per day for 10 days delivery (including travel and all costs). This fee takes into account that this is part of a training programme developing the skills and experience of emerging artists in early years.
 
·         Please note that the DBS will be covered by the early years setting
 
·         The artist will be contracted by Birmingham’s Nursery Schools Teaching Schools Alliance
 
 


 

5. SELECTION PROCESS
A qualified early years practitioner
An artist working with early years
 
·         Application
 
·         Supporting statement from Head Teacher / Manager
 
 
·         Application
 
·         CV, including 2 references
 
·         Extended Deadline:  29th  April 2016 (12 noon)
 
·         Notification, if shortlisted, by:  5th May 2016
 
·         All shortlisted applicants (early years practitioner, and the Head Teacher / Manager from selected settings, and artists) will be invited to a selection event on the:
         12th May 2016 at Allens Croft Childrens Centre, Birmingham from
10am -3pm. 
Before applying, please ensure this date is in your diary in the event of being shortlisted.
 
·         Notification of selection to the Moonbeams course:  16th May 2016
 
6. HOW TO APPLY
 
·         When applying be email, please ensure that the subject heading is:
 ‘Moonbeams Course – Early Years Practitioner / Artist (whichever is applicable)’
 
·         Please email applications and supporting documents by:  29th April 2016 (12 noon) to:
 
          Lisa O’Connor
Moonbeams Programme Manager
Allens Croft Childrens’ Centre
Phone: 0121 675 0362
 
·         Any further enquiries please contact Lisa O’Connor or Pepita Hanna:
 
Pepita Hanna
Associate Director: Partnerships and Investment
Phone: 0121 446 3204
 

 

Monday 25 April 2016

Job Opportunity - Assistant Director Meadow Arts


Assistant Director, Meadow Arts

 

Meadow Arts has evolved to become an important part of the creative landscape, producing unique contemporary art projects in unusual spaces, curating large-scale exhibitions, commissioning new artworks and creating exciting art events.

 

Working with a variety of significant partners and host locations (highly regarded heritage buildings, historic sites and landscapes or public spaces), Meadow Arts brings new audiences to the contemporary visual arts, in areas where few other opportunities exist. From high-profile artists to those whose practice is still emerging, artists are at the heart of everything Meadow Arts does.

 

The focus is on contemporary art that establishes a conversation with the spirit and history of a place, inviting people to encounter artists’ thoughtful, playful and sometimes radical responses. We believe that this encourages new thinking and genuinely broadens horizons. We receive public funding as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and are also supported by various sponsors, trusts and foundations.

 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and confident person to join our small team as Assistant Director. The successful person will be highly organised, working closely with Meadow Arts team, and particularly the Director, to support the development and implementation of Meadow Arts’ strategic plans, and ensure the smooth and efficient management of the Meadow Arts office and programmes of work.


Location: 50% Onibury, Shropshire / 50% flexible working, normally home-based

Hours of Work: Part-time 4/5 days per week (30 hours)

Salary: Starting at £27,405 per annum, pro rata. Actual salary for 4 day week: £21,924

Closing date: Monday 30th May 2016 at 1pm.

Interview date: Monday 20th June in Ludlow, Shropshire

How to Apply: Please visit our jobs page at www.meadowarts.org for further information about how to apply.

Meet up for Theatre Club at 'Think of England' at Malvern Cube, Friday 29th April.


 




For more info and tickets see : http://www.malverncube.com/tickets--events.html

Voices & Visions

The Arts team are getting increasingly excited about Voices & Visions 2016.

Thursday 21 April 2016

Anti Event Clash Diary - useful tool



Worcester BID collates an ‘Events Anti-Clash Diary’ on behalf of the Strategic Events Forum to enable better forward planning to look at partnership working and to achieve a better spread of events throughout the year. I attach a copy of the current version for your reference. Up-to-date versions are regularly uploaded to http://www.worcesterbid.com/campaigns-events. If there are any significant event/festival dates in Worcester and the county that you feel we should be aware of, please provide further details for inclusion.

Tuesday 19 April 2016

Help - VAMOS Theatre is fundraising for a new tour van


Vamos Theatre, the UK's pioneering full mask theatre company, is fundraising for a new tour van.

Over the last four years, Vamos Theatre has given over 300 theatre performances, 186 workshops, and delivered to 88 schools and 33 care homes, reaching 52,963 people nationwide; but we couldn’t have done any of it without our big, red Vamos van, AKA Verity.

Verity has done us proud in the last five years, gamely taking on every Welsh hill and Northern snow storm, West Country flood and festival mud bath she has been asked to take us through. But she is showing her age and it will soon be time for her to retire to a small field outside Hereford where she can spend the rest of her days sitting in the sun, watching the sheep, and dreaming of her time in the limelight.

 

Vamos is crowd funding to buy Verity's replacement and we ask you to join us in our crowd funding campaign.

The fundraising campaign goes live TODAY (Tuesday 19th April), and we’re going to fundraise for our lives for eight weeks, aiming to raise £4000 (or more). Every pound counts and we welcome all donations, big and small. We wouldn’t ask you to donate without giving something in return, and there is a selection of fine rewards, from signed postcards to full day workshops on offer.

 

Please donate now to keep Vamos on the road! Visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/tour-van-for-vamos-theatre

Strike A Light Festival


Friday 15 April 2016

BACC for the future


We did it! Thank you
Thanks to your efforts, the Parliamentary petition opposing the EBacc and its exclusion of creative subjects has been successful and has hit the target of 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a debate in Parliament.
Securing this vital opportunity is more fantastic news and couldn't have been done without your support.
The announcement has so far been featured in the Times Education Supplement, The Stage, Arts Professional, Schools Week and Classical Music Magazine.
What happens next?
At this stage, we do not know when the debate will take place and we will update you as soon as we know.
But you can still help while we wait. We are urging everyone to write to their MP and ask them to share their concerns with ministers. We have put together a key messages sheet which is available to download from the campaign website. From Tuesday (19 April), a two-page briefing note you can share with your local MP will be available.
You can also phone your local MP's constituency office and arrange to meet them at one of their local advice surgeries to raise your concerns.
And, when the debate happens, we urge everyone to speak in support of creative subjects and the creative industries.
Once again thank you - our collective efforts have got the Bacc for the Future campaign this far.
Best wishes,
The Bacc for the Future campaign team
PS Encourage friends, family and colleagues to contact their local MPs as well; and if you get a response from your MP, please let us know by emailing the response to Derin.Adebiyi@ism.org