Opportunities
FREELANCE ADMINISTRATION OFFICER – THEATRE COMPANY BLAH BLAH BLAH
OVERVIEW
Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah (the Blahs) are seeking a freelance Administration Officer to support the general running and admin function of the company, 2 days per month (15 hours).
This is a fixed term 14 month role from February 2022 to April 2023.
FEE:
28 days at £120 per day (£3360 total)
EXTRA DAYS – as funding is secured for new projects, further additional days supporting the admin of these projects will be available to the Admin Officer. For illustration, in the last 12 months our current Admin Officer has worked an average of 4 days per month. These days will be agreed with you with appropriate lead in time but there is no obligation to take them.
DAYS:
We are happy for the 2 days to be worked flexibly to fit around other responsibilities.
PLACE OF WORK:
You will have access to a shared office space at Interplay Theatre in Armley, Leeds. Or you can work from home or your base, occasionally you will be required to come into the office for meetings or tasks.
ACCESS:
We are happy to support any access needs you may have in order to undertake this role.
ABOUT THE BLAHS:
The Blahs have a 37 year history of creating high quality theatre and creative experiences for children and young people about the things that matter to them. We are passionate about exploring stories, not just telling them – and do not shy away from difficult or challenging subjects and ideas. We take work to wherever children and young people need it, including schools, theatres, community settings and museums.
We believe children and young people have the drive, capability and desire to be part of the dialogue about how we live in the world today – and by so doing, contribute to a more understanding, compassionate and inclusive society.
We are proud of the diverse stories we tell; the range of people we reach; and the work we do to meaningfully engage with children and young people who would not access the arts otherwise.
There is more information about the Blahs on our website (www.blahs.co.uk) and some examples of recent projects at the bottom of this document.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
You will be part of a small, friendly and collaborative team of freelancers, led by the permanent Executive Creative Producer Iain Bloomfield, as the company works towards re-thinking and re-framing what a C21st company who make work with and for children and young people can be.
You will provide general admin support for the day-to-day running of the company and our projects. You will be well-supported by the Executive Creative Producer, but with lots of autonomy to work in the way that best suits you as a vital part of a small, flexible and people-centred team.
We want you to enjoy being part of our team, feel free to contribute to our thinking, share our ambitions for the future and come along to our shows and events (free tickets provided and travel costs covered).
Responsibilities
Smooth running of the company
- Responding to emails and phone calls
- Filing, maintaining records and updating our database
- Coordinating meetings and training sessions
- Managing office supplies and carrying out general administrative tasks
- To coordinate and monitor the company’s various services and supplier contracts: database, website hosting, insurance, contract renewals etc
- Attending Board meetings and taking notes (once every 3 months)
Online updates
- Updating images, text and information on our website
- Posting updates and opportunities to social media
- Sending out company email newsletter
(don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, full training will be provided)
Information and monitoring
- Gathering information and data to support the creation of company reports and reports to funders
- Monitoring visits and engagement with our digital and online creative content (training provided)
Projects and people
- Coordinating the advertising of short term roles and opportunities
- Issuing contracts to short term staff and freelancers
- Booking travel and accommodation
- Arranging rehearsal space and hire of equipment
- Arranging DBS checks for new team members
Other responsibilities
- Work collaboratively with the team and contribute to a culture of support and collaboration
- Undertake training and development as requested by the Executive Creative Producer or Board of Trustees
- Any other reasonable duties as requested by the Executive Creative Producer or Board of Trustees
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
| ESSENTIAL | DESIRABLE |
| Experience, Skills and Knowledge | |
| · Paid or voluntary work in an admin role
· Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel · Good email skills and etiquette · Good at working to deadlines and working unsupervised |
· Experience of updating websites (particularly WordPress) and social media
· Experience working in an arts or creative organisation · Skills in gathering and organising data |
| Personal Attributes | |
| · Good communication skills
· Friendly and personable · Committed to access and inclusion · Can do attitude and enjoy working with people with different skills and experience |
· Interest in theatre and live performance
· Passionate about opportunities for children and young people
|
OTHER QUESTIONS/ WANT TO CHAT?
We are happy to answer any questions or have a general chat about the role before you apply, please contact Executive Creative Producer Iain Bloomfield – iain@blahs.co.uk
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this role please send your current CV. Along with a cover letter (no more than 2 pages of A4) telling us a bit about:
- Your experience relevant to this role
- How you meet the experience and skills required
- Your availability and what days/ what kind of working pattern would suit you
If you have any access requirements in relation to making an application please contact us about how we can support you.
If you would like to make an application in another format (e.g video or audio) this is fine – please make sure you cover the points above and it is no longer than 4 minutes.
Please send your application to: admin@blahs.co.uk with ‘ADMIN OFFICER’ in the subject line
DEADLINE
The deadline for applications is Sunday 16th January 2022. Please make sure you get your application to us by then.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews will take place on Friday 21 January 2022. We intend to do interviews in-person in Leeds – however we will monitor the CV-19 situation and based on everyone’s safety and comfort.
If you cannot make an interview on 21 January – or could do an online interview, but not in-person, please make a note of this in your cover letter.
THE BLAHS RECENT WORK
- The Vultures’ Song – inspired by Partition of India this play explored ideas of migration, journeys and home, it toured to schools, venues and community spaces.
You can watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/U6SUfhp4wIU
Or the full show here: https://youtu.be/J2CbApty2xs
- Stirring Up The Past – a project working with children over a number of years to uncover figures from Leeds’ history often marginalised in historical discourse. We created:
A series of films and classroom resources for schools, an example of one of the films can be seen here: https://youtu.be/QMdz404zzak
A storytelling audio walk through Leeds city centre, available free for schools and families to access anytime: https://www.stirringupthepast.org/
- Guerrilla Gardening (working title) – we recently completed early research and development (R&D) into a new show for young families around growing, food poverty and reclaiming public space. A short film of the R&D is available here: https://youtu.be/1lN0AyArDx0