The Welcoming Party
Commissioned by Manchester International Festival, Theatre-Rites, Z-arts and the Ruhrtriennale. Supported by the Granada Foundation.
Associate Artist opportunity.

Join the welcoming party! MIF, Theatre-Rites and Z-arts are looking for six freelance artists to work with them on an enrichment programme around the world premiere of new commission, The Welcoming Party (4 – 16 July).

Background to the production
Theatre-Rites – one of Europe’s most imaginative theatre companies – will be giving a warm welcome to new arrivals as part of immersive show The Welcoming Party. Audiences will embark on an exciting journey through a historic hidden warehouse at the Museum of Science & Industry, walking alongside people who have travelled here from towns and cities far beyond Manchester, all looking for a place where they can feel safe.

The Welcoming Party will be a beautiful blend of puppetry, performance, dance and live music for both children (aged 8+) and family audiences.

Enrichment Programme
Thanks to a recent grant from the Granada Foundation we are able to deliver a programme of participatory activity for over 540 children (aged 8-12) promoting awareness and understanding of the key themes of the production – such as displacement, immigration, asylum, difference and home.

We are looking to appoint 6 Associate Artists with diverse heritage; including, but not limited to, Syrian, Sudanese, Nigerian, Iraqi and Moroccan who specialise in the fields of music, dance, performance and puppetry – to be linked with 18 schools (three per Artist) across Greater Manchester to explore students’ thoughts and feelings on these issues.
Associate Artists will have the opportunity to work alongside members of the Theatre-Rites creative team as part of an intensive training weekend. Each Artist will then be partnered with schools to form – through their own artistic medium and newly-created resources – a creative response with pupils to the question: why do you want to join the welcoming party?

The programme will culminate in students attending a schools’ performance of The Welcoming Party during the Festival. Programme Timeline Applicants must be able to commit to the following essential dates:  Saturday 6 May & Sunday 7 May – training weekend with Theatre-Rites at Z-arts  Between Monday 5 June and Wednesday 28 June – Delivery of three half-day workshops in schools across Greater Manchester. (Workshop dates within this time to be negotiated between school and artist).
A fee of £700 will be paid to each Associate Artist to cover the training weekend, prep time and workshop delivery costs.

Person Specification
This is a creative, hands-on role and the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:
i. Experience of working with young people (a current DBS certificate must be held by all applicants);
ii. Experience of working with schools;
iii. Demonstrable excellent artistic facilitation skills;
iv. High quality artistic practice in the fields of dance, movement, puppetry, music or other related performance arts; v. Strong planning, communication and organisational skills;
vi. Ability to exercise initiative, work with minimum supervision and take personal responsibility;
vii. Ability to work well in a diverse team and cooperate with others;
viii. Excellent time keeping skills, conscientious and punctual;
ix. An understanding of equal opportunities practices and interest in enabling more people to experience the arts;
x. Experience of working in a creative environment or arts venue. Applying for the role The Welcoming Party is an opportunity for six artists to creatively respond with their allocated schools to the question, why do you want to join the welcoming party?

To apply for this position, you should outline your experience and knowledge in working with 8-12 year olds; in delivering creative participation; and how you will use your diverse heritage to explore this question through participatory workshops in school. You should also include in which artistic medium you would create the response.

Please submit this information, along with a current CV, covering letter and contact details for two referees, via email to paul@z-arts.org by 12pm on Friday 31 March. In the email subject line, please use reference TWPAA. Interviews will take place on Thursday 20 April.

Project partners
Manchester International Festival (MIF) MIF is the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events. The Festival is staged every two years in Manchester – the next edition will take place from 29 June to 16 July 2017 at venues all over the city. www.mif.co.uk

Z-arts  is Manchester’s dedicated venue for children and families with a mission to inspire and enable generations of young people from across Manchester and beyond to use their creativity to maximize their potential. www.z-arts.org

Theatre-Rites Acclaimed nationally and internationally, Theatre-Rites’ touring productions and site responsive works stir the imagination and stimulate thought. They specifically promote understanding and enjoyment of ‘object-led’ theatre and celebrate the power of visuals, puppetry and animation by working in genuine collaboration with designers, visual artists, film-makers, puppeteers, musicians, composers