Dance North

Background information:

Drawing upon associations of the word ‘collective’, the Arts in Moray group have been granted £294,000 as part of Creative Scotland’s Culture Collective programme to employ a new and radical approach to engaging a network of creative practitioners and communities within Moray. Rhizome theory explores multiplicity of thought in a non-hierarchical structure. Rhizomes have no beginning, middle or end, they are interconnected, and there is a collective approach to the development of the organism. This theory will underpin the ethos of the project, championing fairness, transparency, agency, equity and collaboration across its members.

Dance North Scotland is the lead applicant for the Arts in Moray partnership group, which includes Moray Arts Development Engagement (M:ADE), the Moray Way Association (MWA) and Wildbird. Working together as part of the Culture Café network, the group will host at least eight artist residencies. While the majority will be individual residencies, there will be opportunities for formal partnership residencies. Time will be included either side of delivery for project planning and reflection. Each creative practitioner will be expected to work towards a SMART output with, and for, the local community, aligning with the Culture Café manifesto. Designed as a meeting place for those working in the arts and creative industries, Culture Café was founded in 2011 and brings over 500 like-minded people with cross-sectoral community groups and businesses, to network, share ideas, develop partnerships and support one another.

Each partner has expertise across different artforms (Dance North in dance and choreographic practice, M:ADE being multidisciplinary, MWA in walking art, and Wildbird in film and public art) and public engagement methodologies, which will result in a rich diversity across the residencies. Each residency will be non-prescriptive and inclusive, contributing to social connectedness across the region. Partners will work with the Project Co-ordinator, and symbiotically with the Culture Café network, to enable the artists within their specific projects. While each residency will be rooted in specific communities: M:ADE will support three residencies adopting a place-based approach; Wildbird will deliver one thematic residency (i.e. around social justice or healthcare); the MWA will co-ordinate one residency also taking a place-based approach, but focusing on environmental, social and historical issues; and Dance North will prioritise a movement-led methodology for at least three residencies.

Purpose of the role:

Based in Moray and working closely with the rest of the Dance North team and the Arts in Moray partnership group, the post-holder will be responsible for the Arts in Moray Collective activity. This is an ambitious project, utilising a theoretical approach to develop a network and produce a series of community-based creative residencies. The project aims to establish a strong and meaningful network of relationships, through creativity, with creative practitioners and local people living and working in those communities.

The role is integral to the success of the project and will require a highly organised individual to project manage and co-ordinate the residencies in line with the objectives of the partnership group and the wider Creative Scotland Culture Collective initiative. The successful candidate will be expected to represent the interests of all partners in the Arts in Moray group, as well as of the artists and communities the project will be working with.

As a rurally based company, we are committed to increasing our diversity and inclusion. As such we particularly encourage people from underrepresented communities to apply, including but not limited to disabled people, those who are D/deaf, Black/+ People of Colour, those from minority ethnic communities, those who are part of the LGBT+ community, and all those who feel their voices are not commonly represented.

Responsibilities:

Overview project:

• managing the overall budget
• arranging monthly partnership meetings, circulating agendas, taking notes and following up actions
• providing ongoing support to partners
• working with existing team members to promote the project across the region and sector, including through Culture Café’s newsletter, social media channels and website, and other local networks
• ensure all data collected for project evaluation is in line with Dance North’s RFO reporting requirements
• organising a post-project residential to enable all stakeholders to reflect on the project
• organising related Culture Cafe events to promote and share information on activity undertaken as part of the residencies
• ensuring safeguarding procedures are in place including managing and implementing a code of conduct across the project

Residencies:

• contracting of creative practitioners
• providing ongoing support to creative practitioners and projects, including marketing, administration, research, logistics and evaluation
• co-ordinating and attending meetings between creative practitioners, project partners, community organisations and stakeholders
• supporting M:ADE’s research residency to document the project
• be the main point of contact for supporting the involvement of community members

Wider Culture Collective network:

• representing the interests of all partners and stakeholders to the wider network
• actively participating in the national Culture Collective network
• liaising, where required, with other local Culture Collective projects
• sharing information about, and advocating for, the rhizome theory underpinning project development, to colleagues and peers within the network
• sharing information from the Culture Collective network back with project partners
• co-ordinating our project evaluation strategy in line with the wider evaluation requirements, ensuring M:ADE’s research residency is integrated
• liaising with Creative Scotland as appropriate

This job description should not be considered an exhaustive list of duties, and other tasks not included above may arise, which the post holder will be expected to fulfil. These additional duties will be determined by circumstances and be as and when required.

For the full job description, including personal specification, terms and how to apply, please click here – AIM Culture Collective Lead JD or email info@dancenorth.scot  The deadline for applications is 14 April 2021.