DONMAR WAREHOUSE PROJECTS LTD HEAD OF NEW WORK (PART-TIME MATERNITY COVER)
Repor ng to Ar s c Director
Working with Associate Ar sts, Senior Management Team Producer Produc on Assistant
Responsible for Resident Assistant Director and Resident Design Assistant Freelance script readers
Loca on Home based while the Donmar office is closed; therea er 3 Dryden Street, London WC2E 9NA
Working hours Part- me – up to 3 days per week with poten al to be flexible to accommodate other work
Contract dates Maternity cover: commencing July 2020 for an ini al period of 6 months, which may be extended
Salary According to experience
ABOUT THE DONMAR “Powerhouses do not come much smaller, nor more powerful, than the Donmar Warehouse” Sunday Times “The Donmar is a credit to the Bri sh stage” Observer “One of the glories of London’s theatre scene” Evening Standard
The Donmar Warehouse, led by Michael Longhurst, Ar s c Director and Henny Finch, Execu ve Producer, is a 251-seat subsidised theatre located in the heart of Covent Garden in London’s West End.
Since 1992 the Donmar has built a reputa on for ar s c excellence as one of the UK’s leading producing theatres.
From our iconic warehouse space in the heart of London’s West End, we create world-class theatre with interna onal impact. Our in mate auditorium offers audiences – 95,000 annually - a unique shared experience, and an unparalleled connec on with performers.
We believe that representa on ma ers; diversity of iden ty, of perspec ve, of lived experience enriches our work and our lives.
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We develop new ar sts and future audiences through our renowned training programmes and our Discover educa onal ac vity in schools and communi es.
We share the theatre we make widely through transfers, tours and on screen.
A registered charity, with a turnover of around £7m/year, the Donmar is funded by a combina on of Arts Council England investment (7%), box office (35%) fundraising from individuals, Trusts and Founda ons and corporate sponsorships (53%), and other income (5%).
This appointment will be made on merit, but we believe that diversity strengthens and enriches us, and that it is the responsibility of everyone at the Donmar Warehouse to make the arts and cultural sector a more diverse and equal place. As Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and disabled people are currently under-represented at the Donmar, we par cularly encourage and welcome applica ons from BAME and disabled applicants. We also welcome applica ons from people with dependents and will consider requests for flexible work arrangements.
Our Recent History
Michael Longhurst was appointed Ar s c Director in June 2018, officially taking over from Josie Rourke in March 2019. In January 2019 Henny Finch joined as Execu ve Director and the new leadership team announced a season of five produc ons in April 2019 to warm response from audiences, press and the theatre industry. In June 2019 Michael directed his first produc on as Ar s c Director, David Greig’s Europe, to great acclaim. Teenage Dick directed by Michael opened at the Donmar in December 2019.
Michael is an award-winning stage director. His civil rights-era musical Caroline, or Change, starring Sharon D Clarke, completed sell-out runs at Chichester and Hampstead before transferring to the West End in November 2018. In April 2020, it was set to transfer to Broadway. It was nominated for three Olivier Awards, delivering its lead, Sharon D Clarke, the award for Best Actress in a Musical. In August 2019, his acclaimed produc on of Florian Zeller’s The Son transferred to the West End.
Michael’s smash-hit produc on of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus featuring orchestral accompaniment from the Southbank Sinfonia, opened to excep onal reviews at the Na onal Theatre in 2016 and completed two sell-out engagements in the Olivier Theatre, (the longest running show there since War Horse). His Royal Court produc on of Nick Payne’s Constella ons transferred to the West End (starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall) and Broadway (starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson) winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play as well as receiving Olivier, Drama Desk and Tony nomina ons.
Our Covent Garden Home
The Donmar moved into Donmar Dryden Street in March 2014, a building which provides a rehearsal, office and educa on space for the organisa on.
While the Donmar Warehouse theatre on Earlham Street in Covent Garden has been home to Donmar performances since the establishment of the company in 1992, the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) was landlord and operator of the theatre un l 2016. The Donmar took on full responsibility for the Donmar Warehouse theatre building, and key opera ons including box office, in January 2017. The theatre’s bar and retail opera on con nues in partnership with ATG.
Our theatre and office buildings are currently closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Du es and Responsibili es
The Head of New Work is a member of the Senior Management Team.
Ar s c Strategy
• Support Michael Longhurst in extending and realising his ar s c vision for the Donmar, contribu ng projects that align with it • Bring an understanding of the needs of the sector, audiences and supporters to programming choices, and help to define the Donmar’s ar s c role for those communi es.
Programming and Dramaturgy • Bring ideas to programming mee ngs, both new plays and those from the canon, and work with the whole programming team to bring them into produc on • A end first days of rehearsals, run-throughs and previews and give notes as appropriate • Keep writers at the heart of the Donmar’s work and ensure that writers are well looked a er throughout the produc on process • Support the Marke ng department in how to communicate about our programmed plays • Collaborate with the Par cipa on department on any new work made for the Donmar’s stage • See produc ons and readings elsewhere and report back • Support the Ar s c Director in responding to proposals from agents and freelance ar sts • Meet with directors, producers, and other theatre makers on behalf of the Ar s c Director, when required • A end Development events when required; occasionally host Q&As with ar sts • Depu se for the Ar s c Director in their absence, if required.
Commissioning • Work with the Ar s c Director to find and develop poten al commissions • Manage the delivery process of commissions • Dramaturgically support the development all commissioned scripts, right up to press night, with the Ar s c Director and any freelance directors a ached • Oversee any crea ve development work, such as readings and workshops • Run the commissioning and crea ve development budget (day-to-day managed by the Producer)
Script Reading • Led by the Ar s c Director’s vision for the Donmar, solicit scripts from the UK and interna onally • Develop and nurture rela onships with writers who are both new to and familiar with the Donmar • Call upon your exis ng rela onships with UK and interna onally-based literary agents • Ensure an efficient script reading and responding process, recrui ng and managing an excellent and diverse pool of freelance readers • Work closely with the Produc on Assistant, who co-ordinates the script reading process and the script submissions database • Act as Senior Reader for all script submissions • Ensure that the Donmar’s script reading prac ces don’t just meet, but exceed and lead industry best prac ce.
Talent Development • Responsible for the Donmar’s Talent Development strategy. This includes: o Recrui ng and line managing the Resident Assistant Director o Recrui ng and line managing the Resident Design Assistant (mentored by Tom Scu ) o Running any Resident Writers Groups o Overseeing the rela onship with any Resident Companies o Managing how we share our studio, rehearsal room and mee ng spaces to support external ar sts, where possible o Suppor ng the Ar s c Director to involve our Associates in the work of the Donmar
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• Work closely with the Par cipa on department to make sure their support ‘pre-career’ ar sts align with the Talent Development strategy • Support the Development department in fundraising for all of this ac vity.
This is not an exhaus ve list of du es and the Ar s c Director may, at any me, allocate other tasks which are of a similar nature or level.
Person Specifica on
Essen al • This posi on is a senior ar s c role at the Donmar. It would suit someone with the essen al strategic and administra ve experience coming from a background in dramaturgy, literary management, crea ve producing, direc ng or wri ng • Detailed knowledge of the Donmar’s work and enthusiasm for Michael Longhurst’s ar s c vision. • A strategic thinker, who can work with the team to shape the Donmar’s ar s c output in accordance with a singular vision • Excellent knowledge of the new wri ng scene in the UK and interna onally, including strong exis ng rela onships with writers and agents, and a current network among theatre-makers more generally • Excellent knowledge of plays and musicals from the canon • Excellent knowledge of directors and actors; ability to consider programming from a cas ng perspec ve • Proven, long-term experience as a script reader with the ability to iden fy material suitable for development and produc on at the Donmar and give insigh ul, construc ve feedback to senior ar sts • A strong and experienced dramaturg with a proven track record of working with writers in a detailed way • A champion of ar s c talent development • Crea ve ideas around digital content • Willingness to undertake the administra ve as well as crea ve elements of the role • The ability to collaborate with stakeholders, staff and crea ve personnel • Enthusiasm for communica ng with donors • Ability to priori se and mul -task • Willingness to work outside of normal office hours when required • Strong administra ve skills.
Desirable • Line management experience • Previous experience of developing early career ar sts • Budget management experience • Experience of working in a producing theatre and suppor ng its strategic aims.
Holiday 25 days a year pro rata
Benefits (post-proba on) • 6% pension contribu on in Donmar’s stakeholder pension scheme (with requirement to contribute 2%)
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