BECONTREE CENTENARY PROJECT MANAGER

Contract: Fixed Term, 4 days a week, July 2020 until March 2022 (20mths) Reporting to: Senior Curator Salary: £33,750 pro rata Annual leave: 22.5 days p.a. (28 days pro rata) plus statutory holidays Pension: 4% if matched by employee Location: Barbican Centre, The White House () and various sites across London Borough of Barking & Dagenham

This role is supported by a grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Becontree Centenary and is being advertised in line with NLHF recruitment guidelines.

Programme partners include RIBA, Barbican, and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Office hours are usually 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday; this may vary and the post-holder will be required to work evenings and weekends as the programme dictates, time off in-lieu will be provided.

INTRODUCTION Create London is looking for an experienced and dedicated Project Manager to oversee an ambitious new arts and heritage programme to mark and celebrate the centenary of Dagenham’s Becontree Estate in 2021.

The role will involve managing a multi-strand cultural programme, working closely with artists, community groups and multiple partners to deliver a multi-faceted programme including; an exhibition, radio broadcasts, a documentary film, gardening activity, education and training programmes, public realm infrastructure commissions and a varied public programme such as talks, screenings, music, and research / educational trips.

This programme will take place across the Becontree Estate throughout 2021, marking 100years of life on what was once the largest housing estate in the world through the lived experience of residents.

ABOUT THE BECONTREE ESTATE Becontree is of national and international significance, home to over 100,000 residents, it is the largest council estate in Britain and was once the largest in the world. The building of the estate was an unprecedented feat of government planning. It covers four square miles (10 km2), was the originator of the cul-de-sac and most houses had both front and back gardens: unprecedented for at the time. Becontree set the agenda for housing that put wellbeing and typological innovation at the heart of its design.

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Today it reflects and embodies the huge changes and challenges that many communities in Britain have undergone over the course of the past century; issues of migration, de-industrialisation, unemployment, community spirit and issues to do with race and refuge have played out across this sprawling neighbourhood over the past 100 years.

Becontree is a success in many ways and has shown resilience in the face of huge challenges. It is also acknowledged that work, investment and new energy is needed to revitalise the estate, improving the lives of its many residents.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

The Project Manager will deliver the operational and logistical aspects of the programme, including:

● Ensuring the whole project is delivered to the highest standard on time and within budget, through the production and delivery of a comprehensive schedule, operations strategy and project plan. ● Lead on health & safety, safeguarding, risk assessments and licensing for events and commissions. ● Stakeholder management with both local and national delivery partners including cultural institutions and venues, local authority, community organisations and groups, schools and media partners. ● Event management including working with LBBD and other local venues to coordinate public events, and oversee the public opening of the centenary hub in a Becontree house. ● Working closely with Create London’s Senior Curators and the White House Curator to ensure the programme is coherent and joined up between sites. ● Work in collaboration with artists, architects, local authority staff, local residents, community groups, young people, arts/non-arts organisations and other stakeholders to support the development and delivery of the programme. ● Take an active role in outreach and engagement amongst local residents, community groups and volunteers, ensuring the programme is accessible to new and existing audience/participants groups. ● Manage project budgets, reporting to Create London’s Curators and Executive Director. ● Contribute to writing project briefs, contracts and agreements. ● Work closely with the Communications Manager and external project partners to ensure the project is visible and promoted effectively.

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● Contribute to the project communications strategy including writing copy and press releases, collating visual content, managing print and distribution and web updates. ● Manage freelancers and volunteers as appropriate, ensuring adequate H&S, training and safeguarding is in place. ● Represent and report on the project at steering groups, project meetings and events. ● Contribute to funding reporting and evaluation, liaising with the Development Manager.

General: ● Be fully conversant with all Create London policies including Equality & Diversity and Health & Safety and ensure that policies are adhered to at all times ● Protect and enhance the reputation of Create London, presenting the organisation in an appropriate and professional manner to stakeholders ● Be an advocate of Create London’s work, act as an ambassador/point of contact in the Create office and at events ● Build appropriate relationships with relevant organisations ● Safeguard members of the public and staff, and ensure high levels of professional conduct at all times ● Working in partnership with Create to collect the appropriate data/forms for reporting and evaluation ● Undertake other reasonable duties as required by the Curators. ● To work independently, often offsite, with support from the team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential experience, skills, qualities and knowledge:

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience of leading multi-strand projects and commissioning creative practitioners • Experience of managing events/commissions in an art and community setting • Demonstrable knowledge, understanding and experience of working with artists and creative practitioners • Excellent written and verbal English communication, presentation and numeracy • Extensive experience of managing complex budgets • A proactive and constructive approach to problem solving • A highly organised approach to work and demonstrable ability to work under pressure and to deadline • Proven ability to work on a number of projects at the same time with meticulous attention to detail • A proven track record of collaborative and team based working;

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• Demonstrable ability to work under own initiative; ability to prioritise and manage time effectively • Flexibility, willingness to learn and to undertake a variety of tasks • An accepting and non-authoritarian approach • Ability to work independently • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish good relationships with all types of stakeholders • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Adobe software • Good understanding of inclusion and diversity with the commitment to applying these in practice

Desirable Skills and Personal Qualities: • Interest in social art practice • Experience of managing capital projects • Knowledge and experience of working in the creative sector

Create London is committed to creating opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to all. Candidates with Black, Asian or minority ethnic heritage, those who are facing barriers due to difficult socio-economic and/or are disabled are particularly encouraged to apply for this role. The Panic! research commissioned by Create demonstrates a lack of representation within the arts sector of young professionals with these backgrounds. We welcome applications from everyone who meets the requirements of the Person Specification.

ABOUT CREATE LONDON Create London is an arts organisation dedicated to making long-term projects that are useful to society. We curate, commission and produce work that reimagines the role of the artist in the city, finding new and often surprising ways for art to become part of daily life.

We work in collaboration with communities and most often outside of galleries and museums. We take on unlikely sites, establishing new forms of infrastructure for art that have included a soft play centre; a job brokerage service; a spa; a community-minded art school; a drinks company and a new form of artist housing.

We work with a growing network of cultural institutions, local and city governments, project partners, residents, artists, architects, curators and practitioners. We are part of a movement across the UK and internationally that seeks to extend what art can do, who makes it and who it is for.

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SAFER RECRUITMENT Create is committed to providing a safe environment for all those working with us, visiting our projects and participating in our programmes. Safe recruitment of all those who work for us is an important part of fulfilling this commitment.

All positions at Create are offered subject to meeting the following conditions:

● Receipt of satisfactory references covering the last 2 years of your employment or education ● A satisfactory DBS check ● Proof that you are legally entitled to work in the UK

TO APPLY Please send your CV and a covering letter (max 2 A4 pages) to Senior Curator, Habda Rashid at [email protected] stating ‘Becontree Project Manager’ in the title. Your letter should respond to points in the person specification to demonstrate your suitability for the role.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10am, 1 June 2020

Interviews will take place during the week beginning 8 June 2020 via Zoom. Please contact us with any specific access needs you may have.

This post is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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