Join our team At ‘the most beautifully located and friendly theatre in Britain’ community engagement manager

Theatre by the Lake is looking to appoint a This pack contains background information, a job Community Engagement Manager. This is a description and person specification. new post for Theatre Trust and one we believe to be central to the development of If you would like to receive this pack in other a renewed vision and business model where formats, including large print, please contact: community engagement is at the heart of all [email protected] we do. WELCOMEWelcome

ThanksThanks for for your your interest interest in in joining joining Theatre Theatre by theby Lake the(TBTL) Lake atat a pivotalpivotal and and exciting exciting point point in the in theatre's the theatre’sfuture. future. Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) has been producing theatre in TheatreCumbria by the since Lake 1999. (TBTL) Named has been for its producing unique position theatre innear Cumbria the sinceshores 1999. of Named Derwentwater for its unique on the position edge of near Keswick, the shores the Theatre of Derwentwatersits amid the on northern the edge fells of Keswick, of the Lake the District,Theatre sitsa designated amid the northernWorld fells Heritage of the SiteLake since District, 2017. a designated In this unique World place Heritage TBTL Site has sincebeen 2017. a v Inital this resource unique forplace its localTBTL communities has been a creative and has hub been for its localentertaining communities and inspiring and has local,been entertainingnational and and international inspiring local, nationalaudiences and international for just over audiences 20 years. for just over 20 years. TBTL is set to reopen to the public in October, having been Eachclosed year wesince present the outbreak nearly 700 of Covid.performances During inthis our period two auditoria, we have creatingbeen ourworking own productionsto ensure that in collaborationwe emerge from with the some pandemic of the a country’sstronger, most more exciting exciting theatre-makers. organisation Wewhich host is festivals relevant of to the literature,changing film needs and the of ouroutdoors, communities. welcome visiting theatre, music andCommunity dance companies, engagement host performances is at the heart by of localour approach. charities and TBTL amateurwill be arts a c organisationsreative hub and and a producecentre for rural theatre-making, tours around village halls.producing Our arts andengagement presenting activities work which are enjoyed inspires, by and hundreds is inspired of peopleby our from communities different backgrounds and landscape. and experiences We will be developingfrom across the connectedcounty. spokes across the county, to understand the needs of our surrounding underserved communities. We will make Cometheatre and joinwith, our for team and byas thesewe plan communities, for the future working and help with us local to makeand national inspiring partners. and inclusive theatre for our communities and visitorsThis to is Cumbria.a really exciting time for us. We look forward to welcoming an inspiring individual to the team, someone who Executive Director shares our values, is eager to a make a positive impact upon Jamesour Cobboldlocal communities through their work, and who wants to Artistichelp Director shape the future of TBTL. Thank you for considering this role and please don’t hesitate to Liz Stevenson get in touch if you have any questions.

Liz Stevenson James Cobbold Artistic Director Executive Director Vision Theatre by the Lake as an exemplary producing theatre with regional and national impact, inspired Our Vision byOur the LakeValues District and its rich cultural heritage. Collaborative – we are stronger and increase our impact through Theatre by the Lake is the nation’s leading rural theatre. Missionworking with others Bold – we are brave and ambitious From our unique rural location, we will produce Our Mission excellent,Inclusive – weambitious, are accessible inspiring and welcoming, theatre, and providing benefit from a creativea range of hublived forexperiences the communities and perspectives of Cumbria, whilst We inspire and celebrate rural and remote communities to attracting visitors to the region. engage with theatre, increasing their health, wellbeing and Innovative – we are creative thinkers, making our own opportunities through increasing engagement with and Theseopportunities are both and exciting responding and challenging to need times and as we prepare Theatreparticipation by the Lake is the in trading the arts.name of We Cumbria nurture Theatre creative Trust, talent, support for reopening in 2021, we are working with leading culture a companyour staff limited and by guarantee partners’ and registered ambitions charity. and play a significant role consultancyConnected Counterculture– we are embedded to reimagine in our place,the organisation. our community This willand positioning Cumbria as a new visitor experience. in giveour environmentus the opportunity to review what we do, how we do it and who we do it for. About Theatre by the Lake Theatre by the Lake was willed into existence by local enthusiasts seeking a permanent building to replace an ingenious mobile theatre known as the Blue Box. The new Theatre by the Lake opened in August 1999 and the Theatre is loyally supported by over 200 volunteers.

The Friends of Theatre by the Lake have donated more than £900,000 since the Theatre opened. We have been inspired by the support our communities have continued to give us through the pandemic.

In recent years TBTL has produced up to nine of its own productions of classic, contemporary and new plays each year. Our 2019 Summer Season was seen by over 45,000 people.

The Christmas show has become a firm favourite; 22,892 people including 82 school groups enjoyed the 2019 production of A Christmas Carol.

In 2019-20 Theatre by the Lake’s community engagement programme included weekly workshops for people living with dementia and their carers; weekly young company workshops; free storytelling sessions for Under 5s; workshops with local schools and an over 55s theatre company.

Since opening in 1999, TBTL has earned over 80% of its annual turnover from trading. The closure of the building in March 2020 has therefore had a significant impact, particularly as we had heavily invested in eight productions against a strong sales forecast. This, together with depleted reserves following investment in our new-build cafe, left us with no working capital and cash flow issues.

In July 2020, in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation, TBTL had to make significant redundancies to its workforce. It has been an incredibly challenging period for the organisation and for our industry. However, as a result of receiving significant support from the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund, Arts Council funding and local support, we have been busy planning for the future. A team of 22 staff have been working on this long-term planning, making work digitally and out in the community, whilst preparing for the reopening of the venue. THEATRE BY Audiences THE LAKE 110,000 IN NUMBERS – seats filled 2019/20 67% of Summer Season bookings originated outside Cumbria – that’s over 50,000 people Performances 82 Over 700 schools came to our Christmas show performances, including: Ticket schemes 381 Over 16,000 children and across 10 shows young people benefited £10 produced in-house from our £10 seats

Over 530 people living in 110 rural isolation/areas of deprivation attended live by visiting professional theatre through a targeted companies ticket scheme

40 Helping those with disabilities by community groups accessible plus performances Festivals of film and literature 5 5 3 captioned audio described relaxed Working with the community People As well as our full time staff, our 560 home-produced shows engaged 89 toddlers came to freelance staff, including: storytelling sessions for under 5s 31 49 9 44 members of our weekly actors creatives backstage Young Company directors, and stage, staff sound and lighting designers

12 Volunteers members of our over 55s company 227 volunteers 650 who provided over people came to workshops for people with dementia and their carers 12,500 hours of front-of-house support

6% 1% Fundraising Other and donations

63% 11% Where Does Ticket Sales Café, Bars and Our Income other trading Come From? £3m Total 19% Arts Council income join our team

This summer we partnered with English Touring Theatre on 2020/2021 programme Trailer Story, a travelling outdoor performance space which popped up opposite the theatre on Crow Park, with support from The Theatre has been closed to the public since March the National Trust. Performances from an incredible range of 2020 but we have continued to engage with our national and local artists were housed in a truck over the course of a weekend. communities and reach new audiences by delivering inspiring online content, whilst delivering We have also been working with Cumbria County Council and a a programme of experimental activity, making work in team of local and national practitioners to deliver drama new ways and in new spaces. workshops for young people online, in libraries and in the theatre building. In 2020 we started a monthly digital playreading club where 30-40 participants read and discussed a play with our Artistic Director and All of this work has informed our future vision and plans for 2022 Playwright. and beyond, and we will continue to make work online, outdoors In addition, a local freelance designer was commisioned to work and in our communities. with the local community to create a Community Exhibition, 'Life After Lockdown', which has now been installed in the Theatre The theatre will reopen in October with a production of Home I'm Gallery ready for visitors when the theatre reopens. We launched Darling by Laura Wade, co-produced with Stephen Joseph Cumbrian Creatives, an artists' network to find, nurture and Theatre and the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. This precedes the celebrate local theatre makers. Cumbrian Creatives now has over world premiere of Jacaranda by Lorna French, co-produced with 250 members, and opportunities have included micro-commissions, rural touring company, Pentabus. Our family Christmas show will free workshops and supporting the development of new work. Local be announced soon. young people aged 14-18 attended weekly online workshops with theatre professionals. The outcome, Found Fettle, is an audio Information on TBTL’s business objectives, governance and journey across the Cumbria spaces that have motivated and finance can be found in the Annual Report and Financial inspired them throughout the last year. The result can be viewed Statements for the year to 31 March 2020, which can be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W8SoNXTKB8 accessed via https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov. uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/516673/charity-overview The theatre had planned to launch live events in the theatre from February 2021, but the third lockdown announcement following Christmas resulted in us adapting to deliver a digital-only Current staff structure programme between March and May 2021. The Spark programme of online events marked the beginning of a year of experimentation; Board of Trustees new ideas, new partnerships and investment in new work, and new Executive Director ways of making and sharing theatre, continuing to bring TBTL to its Artistic Director audiences at home. The programme had a mix of work, including a Producer series of Rehearsed Readings. Each month the Theatre’s creative General Manager team worked with a different company of writers, directors and Head of Communications actors over an intensive week on an exciting new play which has never been performed before, culminating each week with a ‘script Marketing Officer in hand’ performance which audiences viewed online. Our Open Customer Experience Manager Space scratch night showcased all kinds of untried and untested Sales Manager work supporting emerging artists in a supportive environment. The Production & Technical Manager programme also included digital family activity with Murray Lachlan Technicians (2) Young and Paul Hartnoll's audio tales of The Chronicles of Atom Stage Technician and Luna, as well as early years theatre specialists Stuff and Assistant Technician Nonsense's The Gingerbread Man. The final event of the Maintenance Manager programme was Assemble Here - an audio adventure for a full week Customer Experience Supervisors (2) of five plays written by Cumbrian writers that included immersive Customer Experience Advisers (4) listening instructions for listeners with each day’s tale. We have been delighted to partner with some inspiring theatre Programme Administrator companies on our digital output, including Paines Plough, Pentabus, Executive Assistant Graeae Theatre, DaDa Fest and the Everyman in Cork. The staff team is currently supported by additional freelance expertise and we will continue to increase the capacity of the team over the coming months. Keswick today is a bustling market town of 4,800 people. It is Living here the most northerly of the ’s towns and only 20 minutes from the M6. Keswick, The Lake District, Cumbria. The town sits at the head of Derwentwater at the northern end of Towns and villages in Cumbria appear regularly the Lake District National Park, which has recently been awarded in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list. UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It’s surrounded by large fells including Skiddaw and Blencathra, two of the most popular among walkers, and perfectly situated to explore the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere and some of the Lake District’s best-known towns and villages including Grasmere and Ambleside.

At Keswick’s heart is a fine historic square with its distinctive Moot Hall, the scene of markets on Thursdays and Saturdays and annual community gatherings.

The town has a rich heritage and lively cultural scene. The Alhambra is a delightful 105-year-old, 246-seat cinema which shows new films and National Theatre Live productions as well as opera and ballet screenings. Along with the theatre, the cinema hosts the annual Keswick Film Festival – just one of many outdoor and cultural festivals held in the area.

Keswick is a Fairtrade town. Many of its shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants are independently owned and run. There are two supermarkets, including Booths, a northern chain noted for the quality of its food. A satisfying selection of restaurants, from Thai to Tuscan, and many pubs, including one famed for its huge cow pie are open all year round.

Although Keswick welcomes thousands of tourists each year who ‘Cumbria’s one of the most fantastic come to tour, walk and climb, it manages to maintain a vibrant community life. People know each other, work together and relax places to live, especially Keswick and together and there are a number of groups and societies for adults the surrounding villages. One of the and young people including tennis, rugby, football, croquet, cricket, badminton, bowls, golf and archery clubs. things that to me makes the area in The Lake District, a National Park and now a World Heritage Site, general so great is the people and their is recognised as one of the most important cultural landscapes in will to be community minded, and to the world. contribute, going over and above for Cumbria is England’s second largest county in size but with a resident population of just 500,000. It’s a landscape for adventure each other.’ and imagination, with a deep heritage of culture expressed in traditions and a rich calendar of events and performance which Keswick Town Councillor, Adam Paxon attracts over 47 million visitors each year. join our team

Recreation The northern lakes area provides some of the finest walking and climbing country in Britain.

The 3,000ft peaks of Skiddaw and Helvellyn are close by. Catbells, more modest in height, on the west side of the lake is the first many local and visiting children climb and features in the famed stories of Beatrix Potter. Derwentwater is a popular lake for sailing, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, paddle boarding – and even swimming (TBTL has a keen group of wild swimmers!).

As well as its lakes and mountains Cumbria is also well known and visited for its many cultural attractions. From iconic cultural figures of the past, to contemporary and cutting-edge artists, culture in Cumbria has a lot to offer.

A brief roundup of some highlights: Kendal is home to the Brewery Arts Centre offering contemporary theatre, dance, cinemas, music, Keswick to Penrith is 20 minutes by car and 40 minutes by hourly workshops, youth drama and dance. Also, in Kendal, Abbot bus (with fine views of Blencathra from the top deck) Hall Art Gallery is one of the best small galleries in the north of Buses serve neighbouring villages, the towns of the west coast England (currently closed for a major redevelopment), its own (Maryport, Workington, Whitehaven) and Carlisle. The famous 555 collection includes work by Turner, Lowry and Freud. Blackwell, service from Keswick to Lancaster calls at Grasmere, Ambleside, the Arts & Crafts House, just south of Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere (for trains to the West Coast main line at Oxenholme) is a beautifully renovated 20th Century house which champions and Kendal. contemporary craft makers and applied artists.

Brantwood, the Coniston home of John Ruskin, today a vibrant centre for literature and the arts and just one of several literary venues including Wordsworth’s birthplace in Cockermouth and Property Dove Cottage in Grasmere which opened this summer as the first With bustling market towns, picturesque villages stage of ‘Wordsworth Grasmere’, a reimagining of the life and work of William and Dorothy Wordsworth. The £6.2million project will be and the historic city of Carlisle, Cumbria offers a completed in 2021 with the opening of a transformed Museum. variety of locations to live. There’s a wide variety of housing available from cottages and traditional terraces to new builds and town apartments. The Transport and connections average cost of a semi-detached home varies depending on where you choose to live. Train connections link Cumbria directly with a host Keswick or South Lakeland: £240,000 of the major cities including London, Birmingham, Eden: £189,600 Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle. Allerdale: £154,300 Carlisle: £137,000 London is only three hours and Manchester, Glasgow or Edinburgh Copeland: £121,500 are within 1h 45m by rail from Penrith, which is on the main West Barrow-in-Furness: £120,000 Coast rail line. If you choose to rent a place of your own or house share you The M6 at Penrith provides a route south to Manchester and could expect to pay from £320 a month for a room and £400 for Liverpool and north to the Scottish Border, Highlands, Glasgow a two bedroom property. and Edinburgh. There are several websites that can help you see what’s available: Cumbria offers some of the most scenic commuting in the country. e.g. rightmove.co.uk/house-prices-in-Cumbria or onthemarket.com/for-sale/property/cumbria/ A Christmas Carol, 2019

This is a new post for Cumbria Theatre Trust and one we believe to be central to the development of a renewed vision and business model where community engagement is at the heart of all we do.

The Community Engagement Manager will be an integral member of the Senior Management team working with the Artistic Director and Executive Director to develop a hub and spoke model which enables the theatre to work meaningfully in communities across Cumbria and uses the stunning facilities of Theatre by the Lake as a creative hub to serve those communities.

It is our long-term ambition to have spokes across Cumbria, but we expect to develop our first spokes initially in West Cumbria, followed by Carlisle. We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic individual who will inform and evolve these plans and drive the work forward.

The Community Engagement Manager will act as both broker and catalyst: identifying and developing collaborations and relationships; building and supporting networks; connecting people with resources; and encouraging a greater understanding of the place of the arts and theatre in people’s lives in Cumbria.

They will be a creative practitioner; conceiving, designing and delivering activity at Theatre by the Lake and out in our surrounding communities.

They will support the Artistic team in ensuring that the artistic programme is inspired by and made for our communities.

1. Work closely with the Artistic Director (AD), Executive Director (ED) and the Producer on the conception, delivery and administration of the Community Engagement strategy and programme.

2. Spend time on the ground in our surrounding communities, listening and gathering information from a wide range of individuals and organisations to develop a greater understanding of need and opportunity in these areas that will inform our plans for the future.

3. Develop existing and identify new potential partners across the county and from the third, public and private sector with whom we can work to achieve our goals for community engagement.

4. Identify, recruit and line-manage freelance creatives who can contribute a range of skills to our community engagement work, and design support and development programmes which enable them to maximise their potential.

5. Design and deliver creative workshops to attract and engage different sectors of the community (e.g. young people, under-served communities, socially and rurally isolated communities).

6. Work with the Artistic Director and Producer to shape and deliver the artistic programme, embedding community engagement and talent development at its heart. This may include the delivery of events, activities and resources in connection with the work on our stages.

7. Support the AD to research and develop new plays with, for and by local communities.

8. Create (and potentially deliver) a programme of Youth Theatre activity based at Theatre by the Lake and explore need and opportunity for young people in our surrounding communities.

9. Lead on and contribute to funding applications which enable pilot community engagement activities and longer-term projects to make our work wider reaching and more impactful.

10. Be accountable as the Designated Safeguarding Officer for Theatre by the Lake, ensuring that the safeguarding policy, procedures and practice across the organisation for children, young people and vulnerable adults are robust and effective, undertaking regular review.

11. Responsible for the delivery and integration of Arts Award within planned programmes of work.

12. Responsible for the effective monitoring and Evaluation of community engagement activity, reporting outcomes internally and externally against agreed targets.

13. Set and manage budgets for all community engagement activity.

14. Consider how the use of digital technology can support the aims of community engagement activity.

15. Support the staff team in improving the inclusivity, accessibility and sustainability of the programme.

16. Support the Head of Communications to inform audience development strategy and activity, and to develop ticket bookings by schools.

17. Represent Cumbria Theatre Trust on the committee of FRAME, the West Cumbria Education Partnership.

18. To be a responsible and engaged member of the senior management team, playing a key role in the organisation’s management and delivery of the overall strategic plan.

19. Undertake duty management training and responsibilities as required.

20. Undertake any other duties which may reasonably be required by the AD and ED.

Artistic Director In common with all Cumbria Theatre Trust staff, you will work as part of a small team working collaboratively to plan and stage artistic and engagement activity, and to relaunch Theatre by the Lake in 2021 with a new vision, business model and plan. In support of the reopening, you may from time-to-time need to undertake additional tasks and roles, including but not limited to:

 Provide practical support to stage or venue-manage activities  Sell tickets for events  Respond to customer enquiries  Support fundraising and profile-raising activities  Provide support to other functions at busy times  Advocate for the company

Therefore, a degree of flexibility will be needed and you may be required to perform work not specifically referred to in the job purpose and description. Such duties, however, will fall within the scope of the post, at the appropriate grade. You may be required to work outside of normal office hours, and work from home or at any company location.

Undertake training and development necessary or advantageous to your role as required by the company.

You will be required to carry out your duties in accordance with the Company’s policies and procedures including:

 Health and Safety  Safeguarding  Environmental sustainability  Finance Manual  Equality and diversity

You will be provided with training regarding these policies during your induction.

The person specification will be used to consider suitable applicants for the shortlist and for the exploration of skills at interview.

This is an exciting opportunity for a creative leader with experience of designing and delivering high quality community engagement activity, who will inspire our local communities, build strong relationships and drive our community engagement strategy forward.

Whilst we have outlined below the full breadth and depth of the role, we welcome conversations about candidate’s experience and ambitions for the role, as we would be open to shaping the job role to best utilise the skills of the right individual for the post.

 A passion for theatre, a firm belief in its power to improve lives and the ability to communicate this to a wide range of people.  Significant experience of managing and delivering impactful community engagement projects with a theatre focus, an awareness of best practice and a range of current contacts in the sector.  A creative and confident drama workshop facilitator, experienced in working with a wide range of children and/or adults.  Experience in evaluation and reporting on projects.  Proven ability to deliver projects on time and within budget.  Strong artistic judgment with an ability to identify and develop high quality work.  Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, specifically Word, Power Point and Excel.  Knowledge of best practices when working with young people and vulnerable adults and the training and implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures.  Full, clean driving licence and ability and willingness to travel regularly to build relationships and deliver work across the county.  A pro-active and organised self-starter, who can take initiative and drive a project independently with minimum supervision, whilst working collaboratively as part of a small staff team.

 Experience of managing strategic partnerships with the third, public and private sector.  Experience in fundraising and delivering funding agreements.  Experience of designing and delivering high quality youth theatre provision.  Experience of working with professional artists to co-create and deliver arts engagement activity.  Knowledge of working in a rural or isolated context.  Experience of working in a producing theatre venue.  Experience and knowledge of audience development.  Experience of using digital technologies in creative practice.  Experience of working with educational establishments and an understanding of the education system and creative curriculum.  Trained to deliver Arts Award, with experience in designing programmes which incorporate the Arts Award framework.

If you would like a confidential and informal discussion about the position before applying, please email Liz Stevenson (Artistic Director) at [email protected].

To apply for this post, please visit our website: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/job/community-engagement-manager/ and download the Application Form and Access/Equal Opportunities Form.

Please email both forms to [email protected], or post to: Angela Wilson, Theatre by the Lake, Lakeside, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5DJ.

Please ensure any gaps are fully accounted for.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 28th September 2021.

First round interviews will take place on Friday 15th October via Zoom. For candidates successful at first interview, there will be a second round interview on Thursday 21st October which will take place in person in Cumbria. Candidates shortlisted for first interview will be contacted by Tuesday 5th October.

This role is available for an immediate start in November.

The contract is permanent.

£28,000 per year

40 hours per week

Annual leave is 31 days paid holiday in each financial year (pro rata for part- time/part year), plus Christmas Day. This allowance takes account of weeks which include statutory holidays, for which no additional allowance or payment will be made.

The post will be offered subject to the following:  References satisfactory to Theatre by the Lake.  A minimum six month probationary period (full-time position).  Evidence of right to work in the UK as defined by the Home Office.  Standard terms and conditions apply to staff of Cumbria Theatre Trust (Theatre by the Lake). These will form part of a formal contract of employment.

The Company operates an Occupational Defined Contribution Scheme, provided by NOW: Pensions.

Theatre by the Lake is committed to the development of positive policies to promote equal opportunities regardless of gender, marital status, colour, race, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or responsibilities to dependants. The principal criteria for selecting a person for a particular job shall be a person’s ability and the job’s requirements. All disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for short-listing will be offered an interview.

2 ‘Some students have never attended a live performance before, for them it was invaluable and enjoyable’ Chadwick High School on TBTL’s Relaxed Performance