ARTIST ASSOCIATE
An exciting opportunity for a practicing artist to join our Artist Development Team on a part-time, fixed-term basis supporting other artists to develop their practice and new work.
The Place is seeking a dance artist to join the Artist Development team at The Place as Artist Associate. You could be working in the fields of dance, choreography, performance making, dramaturgy, or curation. This is a part-time role (equivalent to 16 hours per week) running from January to September 2025.
It is an opportunity for a practising artist to embed themselves in the artistic life of The Place through advising, supporting and championing dance artists who are developing their practice and/or new work, curating artist development programmes at The Place and developing their own practice through research and teaching in collaboration with London Contemporary Dance School.
The Artist Associate will be committed to sharing their practice, skills and experience with artist peers, and with the producing team at The Place, and they will be committed to their own development as an artist and a leader within the dance sector in the UK.
Neve Harrington, Artist Associate from January to September 2024 writes about her experience:
“I've really enjoyed my time in the Artist Associate role. It's given me insight into lots of areas of artist development at The Place including a range of contexts where I've been able to either develop or immediately bring my skill-sets, experience, advocacy and interests. As a practising artist mostly holding complex processes independently, I have benefitted from working inside a team to deliver projects, something I didn't fully realise I wanted or needed. Highlights have included working with a variety of artists and projects through Choreodrome, supporting younger makers in their first professional steps through the LCDS propeller project, hosting Touchwood, supporting Let The Body Speak in Prague and feeding into organisational thinking about accessibility. I also leave feeling more confident in the future directions of my work across artistic practice and research, and with some nascent ideas about future roles in relation to organisations. What is special about this role is that it can be shaped to your experience and interests.”
This post holder will be committed to the values of The Place: Unlocking Potential, Taking Risks, Equity, Cultural Activism, and Entrepreneurship. They will be excited to work collaboratively to provide a warm and energising environment where artists can research new ideas and which prioritises care and wellbeing.
There is an opportunity to have an informal chat about the role on Wed 02 Oct 2024 via Zoom with Christina Elliot, Head of Programming and Producing, or Polly Cuthbert, Projects Producer. Please email artistdevelopment@theplace.org.uk if you would like to arrange a time.
JOB OVERVIEW
Working alongside the Artist Development Producer, Head of Programming and Producing and Artistic Director, the Artist Associate is a role that has been designed for a practising artist (choreographer, dance artist, performance maker, dramaturg, curator) to support artists taking part in The Place’s Artist Development programmes.
You will draw on your own experience and knowledge of the sector to advise and support artists who are developing their practice and/or new work and become an active member of the Artist Development team at The Place.
You will do this through curating and delivering events and labs for artists (e.g. the annual Webinars for Professionals series and the Work Place intensives for The Place’s associate artists), through attending and facilitating sharings, through meeting artists in the studio and online, and through being an active part of planning, design and evaluation processes. The Artist Associate\s main focus will be on supporting the artists taking part in Choreodrome, The Place's summer residency programme.
The Place will be an artistic home for the Artist Associate throughout their time in the role. There are also lots of opportunities to contribute to the artistic life of the organisation beyond the role in the Artist Development team. This may include researching new ideas in our studios, running seminars or labs, and teaching on our different undergraduate, postgraduate, prevocational and recreational dance courses. These opportunities will be dependent on experience and interest and will be contracted separately to this salaried role.
Training will be available to support the Artist Associate to fulfil their role. You will have the opportunity to attend conferences, performances, and festivals in the UK.
The role is part-time (equivalent to 16 hours per week) which we expect will be two days per week. There will be some flexibility for the Artist Associate to negotiate a working pattern which fits around existing commitments, though there will also be a need for a consistent, regular presence in the office to fulfil the role.
SALARY & CONTRACT TERMS
SALARY
The full-time equivalent salary for this role is £35,767 per annum, equating to £14,306 per annum for this part-time role.
Salaries are reviewed in August each year when any cost-of-living increases are made. No salary changes are made until after successful completion of a probationary period.
CONTRACT TERMS
This is part-time, nine-month fixed-term roles running January to September 2025.
This roles has a three-month probationary period. Whilst in the three-month probationary period the notice period will be two weeks. Once this period is successfully completed the post holder will be confirmed in the post and the notice period will be six weeks.
CLOSING DATE
The application closing date is Mon 14 Oct 2024 at 12:00pm (noon).
INTERVIEW DATES
We anticipate interviews will be held in person at The Place on on Wed 06 and Thu 07 Nov 2024. Suggested interview dates may be subject to change.
Remote interviews over Microsoft Teams (or similar platform as necessary) can be organised for those unable to travel on the dedicated interview day.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
KNOWLEDGE
- A good knowledge of contemporary dance in the UK.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
- Extensive experience as a practising artist, with movement practice at the core.
- A strong interest in, or experience of, coaching.
- A strong interest in, or experience of, using different feedback methodologies to respond to artists' work in development.
ATTRIBUTES & PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Demonstrable commitment to equity, diversity, and access.
DESIRABLE CRITERIA
KNOWLEDGE
- Understanding of artist development programmes at The Place (or similar organisation.
- Knowledge of accessible working practices.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience of curating or managing artist development programmes of events.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
STRATEGY, PLANNING & RESEARCH
- Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of a diverse range of early and mid-career dance makers in the UK, through attending performances and sharings at The Place and elsewhere, as agreed with the Head of Programming & Producing.
- Attend regular Public Programmes and cross organisation meetings and contribute ideas around programme development, and in particular the evolution of the programmes run through the Artist Development team.
- Take part in project evaluations.
- Work with colleagues to ensure equity and access are at the heart of programmes and the working environment for artists at The Place.
- Positively contribute to the experience of artists taking part in programmes at The Place by being welcoming, available to chat about a particular issue, and creating safe spaces for discussing ideas, issues or challenges.
- Support The Place’s Public Programmes team to develop best practice approaches to supporting artists.
- Build relationships with The Place’s Work Place artists, a group of 11 associate artists on a five-year programme of support, by researching their work, attending sharings and performances and meeting with them regularly.
CHOREODROME
- Sit on the selection panel for Choreodrome.
- Work with selected artists to shape their residencies.
- Facilitate sharings, working with artists to understand what mode of feedback will be most helpful for them at that stage in the development of their project.
- Take part in evaluation meetings with artists, supporting artists to think about the next steps for their idea.
COMMISSIONS
- Attend sharings and performances of shows commissioned by The Place, actively engaging in the development of those works, and providing advice if requested by the artists.
WEBINARS, LABS & OTHER EVENTS FOR ARTISTS
- Curate an annual series of Webinars for Professionals which takes place in early summer each year, in collaboration with London Contemporary Dance School (which may include running a session on your own practice).
- Work with up to three artists or companies per year to support them to curate research labs for other artists.
- Provide ideas for events, speakers or artists for other events run by the Artist Development team (e.g. Resolution workshops, Outbound, Work Place intensives, etc.).
OTHER
- Work within The Place’s policies at all times.
- Manage any delegated budgets within The Place’s financial systems.
- Any other duties that could reasonably be required within the scope of the role by the Head of Programming and Producing or the Artistic Director.
Title Photo Credit: SAY the album Production Image | 2022 | Photo by Daniel Phung
- Department
- ARTIST DEVELOPMENT
- Locations
- LONDON
- Yearly salary
- £35,767
- Employment type
- Part-time
ARTIST ASSOCIATE
An exciting opportunity for a practicing artist to join our Artist Development Team on a part-time, fixed-term basis supporting other artists to develop their practice and new work.
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