Summary
Are you a Performing Arts Practitioner with experience of working with participants from vulnerable, socially excluded groups?
The Wallich is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic practitioner specialising in theatre to facilitate a workshop programme in Gwent as part of a Wales-wide storytelling project.
Funded by the Arts Council of Wales, The Story Project has partnered with lead artist Owen Thomas and partners around Wales including Sherman Theatre, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Theatrau Sir Gâr, Theatr Clwyd, Grand Ambition, Awen Cultural Trust and the Riverfront Theatre to facilitate the telling of stories developed by people with lived experience of homelessness through a series of ten-week theatre-based skills sharing programmes.
A participant group in each region will be supported to develop a short piece of theatre which tells a story of place seen through their experiences, which will be shared at a local sharing event.
What are we offering?
We are asking the Creative Practitioner to deliver:
- 7 x half day sessions @ £175 per session (includes preparation time)
- 3 x additional half days for induction, sharing events and evaluation @ £175 per session
Total Fee: £1750.00
Additional expenses including travel and materials will be covered separately.
Our Aims:
- To expand the reach of the arts in Wales by breaking down barriers for individuals experiencing socio-economic inequality and supporting them to feel welcomed, encouraged and that they belong in theatre and art spaces around Wales
- To cultivate a culture of shared learning by inviting artists and arts organisations to upskill Wallich service users in transferrable theatre-based skills and to engage in training led by people with lived experience of homelessness in how to work with and welcome them into the world of art and theatre
- To establish pathways into future employment, volunteering and creative opportunities for participants to develop their interest beyond the lifetime of the project and to transfer their skills across multiple industries
- To develop a network of theatres, arts organisations and practitioner across Wales so that we can continue to collaborate on future creative opportunities
- To develop eight mini theatre companies across Wales made up of service users who will each have a role or roles in producing a short theatre piece
Our objectives: What do we want to achieve?
- To form a Steering Group made up of service users and industry professionals to inform the direction of the project (now formed and meeting monthly)
- To establish a Wales-wide online Script Development Group (now formed and meeting weekly)
- To deliver eight ten-week workshop programmes which will support service user groups to develop their own theatre companies and assign roles as they produce their own short theatre pieces which will be shared at local sharing events (so far delivered in six regions)
- To connect with theatres and arts organisations across Wales and map community engagement opportunities in areas serviced by The Wallich
- To develop a co-created training programme with service users and deliver it to arts practitioners and organisations
- To develop individual client journeys with clear pathways for progression of skills learned during the project
- To source funding for a full production combining the eight short pieces to take place in 2025-2027
Practitioner brief: What we’re looking for
We’d like to engage a practitioner in Gwent who has experience of working with vulnerable, socially excluded participants.
The practitioner will work alongside The Wallich’s Creative Arts team, lead artist Owen Thomas and the partner theatre in their area to deliver a programme of workshops that will introduce a range of theatre-based skills to a participant group in their area.
Successful applicants will be invited to work with their participant group from weeks 4-10 of the ten-week programme.
Workshops will need to include acting, directing, stagecraft and technical theatre. The potential for engaging guest practitioners for specialist areas can also be explored.
Practitioners will coordinate a sharing of the work with support from The Wallich, their partner theatre and Owen Thomas.
We will be developing a robust evaluation framework throughout this project and will work with our successful practitioners to embed this into the project.
A Welsh speaking practitioner is desirable.
Your sessions will take place on Tuesdays from 12pm – 3pm starting Tuesday 22nd April
How to apply
Please submit the following to rosie.seager@thewallich.net and cc denise.rogers@thewallich.net by 5pm on Friday 28th March 2025
1) Your CV
2) A cover letter including a short outline of your past experience facilitating creative workshops for vulnerable and socially excluded people including any relevant examples and images of past work.
References must be available on request.
If you have any thoughts or questions you would like to discuss before submitting an expression of interest, please contact rosie.seager@thewallich.net.
To get a sense of who we are, who we work with and what we do, please visit our website www.thewallich.com