We are looking for a Workshop Facilitator for our new Emerging Writers Programme
Workshop Facilitator - Job Description
Croydon Emerging Writers Programme: Writing for an Online Audience
Stanley Halls, South Norwood’s Grade II listed arts venue, in association with Disentangle Projects and Arts Council England, are pleased to announce the launch of their very first Croydon Emerging Writers Programme (CREW).
In these unprecedented times people are looking to artists across all genres for a response to the global pandemic, the political climate and the multitude of captivating stories coming out in the media. The lockdown also presents very specific challenges to the art we can make during this period. We want to meet those challenges head-on.
We are looking for a creative writing practitioner with experience in facilitating writers’ workshops. This facilitator will be able to give guidance and support to new writers, as well as inspire established writers looking for a new perspective.
The writers they will be working with could be based in any genre: prose, poetry, screen and playwriting, etc. Each writer will aim to develop a piece of work that they can perform (or submit for performance by an actor) in an online live-streamed event at the end of the course.
These writer’s workshops will take the form of up to ten led sessions, using the current situation as a stimulus to provoke discussion, thought and creative solutions to these challenges.
The purpose of the programme is to give support to new writers who want to engage with the world at present and respond and reflect the times we are in by creating and sharing new stories. In this unprecedented era, we are all learning to use the online world to connect in ways we have never done before. Exploration and innovation in this field should be championed so as to encourage people to actively shape the future.
This programme lays the groundwork for a new community network of creatives in South London. It will be open to applicants over the age of 18 who are interested in developing any kind of work for online live performance. The hope is that this programme will build the foundations for an ongoing relationship with writers in Croydon as well as inspire confidence for them to present their own work locally, nationally and internationally.
Stanley Halls and Disentangle are dedicated to the idea of a global Croydon, and we are therefore working to foreground the work of artists from the many communities within Croydon. Applicants from BAMER and LGBTQ+are particularly encouraged to apply.
The workshop facilitator role includes:
● Designing the writing programme alongside Disentangle and the Director of Stanley Halls.
● Delivering workshops both by video-conferencing (while lockdown restrictions are in place) and in-person (once restrictions have eased) based on government guidance.
● Offering one-to-one mentoring support to the participants alongside the Director of Stanley Halls.
● Working with the producing team to support the setting up of a peer-led writers’ group with an ongoing home in Stanley Halls.
● Working with our Technical Producer to explore and investigate online possibilities with the writers.
● Working towards a final festival featuring each participant's work which will be performed live for online broadcast.
Essential skills:
● Proven experience in writing for live performance.
● Strong communication skills.
● Proficiency with video conference software (Zoom or other).
Desirable skills and qualifications:
● Education: BA Honours or higher in English, Creative Writing or Performing Arts.
Fee:
· £1000 for delivery and final presentation.
If you are interested in applying, please submit a CV with a 200-word outline of how you would deliver this workshop series to norman@disentangle.org. Selected applicants will then have an interview with the producing team which will be held online.
Deadline for applications: midday on the 22nd of June.
The Producing Partners
Stanley Halls’ aim is to fill the building with a community of artists across a wide variety of different creative disciplines, traditional and modern, both craft-based and cutting edge. We aim to be a radically inclusive space that welcomes all audiences; and one that is particularly welcoming to communities that have previously been excluded from creative spaces. www.stanleyhalls.org.uk
Stanley Halls’ new Venue Director Daniel Winder has fifteen years’ experience as a director, writer and producer in the London theatre scene and will be supporting the delivery of this writers’ programme providing additional one-on-one mentorship for the writers and course leader.
Disentangle Projects are a team of arts and culture consultants, producers and programme managers. We work with creative people from the arts and other sectors to develop and deliver creative and engaging projects in all kinds of spaces. For us, it’s all about reimagining private and public spaces, bringing communities together through our learning and participation work and leaving a legacy of skills and newfound potential behind. More information about the company can be found in our About section.