APPPLICATION PACK

Job title: Curator of ParticipationLocation: The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, LS10 1JQResponsible to: Co-founder and Director Kerry Harker; Chair and

Board of TrusteesResponsible for: Freelancers, VolunteersSalary: £22,000 per annumWorking hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)Holiday: 25 days per annum plus Bank Holidays

Thank you for your interest in this position. Please find the following enclosed:

Background information Aims and Objectives of The Tetley Job description Candidate profile Application Form

Your completed application should be sent to gary.williamson@thetetley.org or by post to: Gary Williamson, The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, LS10 1JQ, UK

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Thursday 3rd April 2014. No applications received after that deadline will be considered. Interviews will be held on Friday 11th April 2014.

If you have not heard from us by Tuesday 8th April you should assume that, on this occasion, you have not been successful with your application and will not be called to an interview.

Good luck with your application.

Yours faithfully

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Gary Williamson Operations Manager, The Tetley

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BackgroundThe Tetley is a new centre for contemporary art and learning which opened in south central Leeds in November 2013. The centre, housed in the renovated former headquarters of Tetley Brewery, is curated and managed by Project Space Leeds [PSL], originally founded as an artist-led organization in 2006.

Our aim in founding PSL was to close a critical gap in visual arts provision in the city, namely the long-term absence of a permanent, independent centre for contemporary art along the lines of Arnolfini in Bristol, the CCA in Glasgow, or Cornerhouse in Manchester. From 2007-12 we operated from a 500sq m unit within a new mixed-use development in the west end of the city, where we delivered a rolling programme of projects and events, working with over 300 artists and arts professionals over the five-year period.

The Tetley was developed with funding from Carlsberg UK, Arts Council England, The Garfield Weston Foundation, Leeds City Council, and the LEP Business Growth Programme among other supporters. A Founding Partners scheme (for corporate and private supporters) was launched in 2013 to support the capital project and recruitment will continue throughout 2014. We have also recently launched a membership scheme for individuals, couples and families.

The Tetley aims to provide a space which sits in the territory between grass roots artist-led activity in the city, and more established spaces such as the Henry Moore Institute and Leeds Art Gallery. Our work aims to provide early- to mid-career artists with professional support and making/showing opportunities of a very high standard; and to make this work available to the widest possible audiences. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience high-quality contemporary visual art. Participation plays a key role across all programmes at The Tetley, which focus on production and process, and we invite visitors to take an active role in the development of our projects. As of mid-March 2014 The Tetley has already welcomed 35,000 visitors – an amazing achievement when set against our original Year 1 target of 45,000. The Tetley now looks set to welcome over 100,000 visitors this year.

The building was constructed in 1931 and retains stunning Art Deco interiors. The Tetley houses: spaces for contemporary art on the ground and first floors; a Bar & Kitchen which serves great Yorkshire-inspired food and drink daily; historic interiors including the Tetley Boardroom; a range of event spaces; and dedicated Learning Studio and visitor Resource Space. We also look after The Tetley Collection, a respository of artworks, objects and brewery ephemera left behind after its closure in 2011. Items from the Collection are on public display and are also a resource for the programme.

The Tetley sits opposite a new public green space created on part of the former brewery site, which is due to open in Spring 2014, presenting further opportunities for programming. A major thoroughfare across the site, Hunslet Road, has been closed to public access for decades but will also reopen to pedestrians and cyclists from the Spring, meaning that footfall directly past The Tetley will increase further. The site is well-served

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by the adjacent large-scale short- and long-stay Brewery Car Park. The entire former brewery site sits at the centre of the new ‘South Bank’, a priority regeneration area for the local authority, which is developing rapidly. Our new neighbours on the South Bank include Leeds City College’s ‘Printworks’ campus. A new campus for Leeds College of Building is under construction now, and construction of the Ruth Gorse Academy, which will be the largest free school in the country, begins shortly. The Tetley therefore sits at the heart of Leeds’ new ‘academic quarter’.

Our new location on the South Bank within the City and Hunslet ward gives The Tetley a unique opportunity to provide a valued and important public facility at the heart of a major regeneration scheme. Our aim is to influence policy by building strong local partnerships as the South Bank develops and to engage our new constituencies of south Leeds and the city centre proper, including local residents, workers and students of all ages.

Our Aims and ObjectivesProject Space Leeds is a registered charity (number 1148716) and receives core funding from the local authority (Leeds City Council) and Arts Council England (as a National Portfolio organization). PSL’s charitable objects are specifically restricted to the following:

i) The provision and maintenance of an art gallery for the exhibition of visual art to the public

ii) To support artists in their professional careersiii) To advance direct contact and understanding between artists

and the publiciv) To advance the participation and education of the public in the

visual arts

The Tetley is a site for production, discussion and display where early- to mid-career artists working across all media can be supported to experiment and push the boundaries of their practice. We aim to make their practice available to the widest possible public and to create opportunities for artists and the public to meet in a stimulating, creative and sociable setting. The venue is also a registered Ambassador for Child Friendly Leeds, and is an accredited centre for the Arts Award scheme to bronze and silver level.

Our work focuses on supporting new practice emerging across the North. However, our networks are national and increasingly international. Alongside supporting practice emerging within the region we also wish to bring artists to Leeds who have not shown here before and to encourage new creative dialogue and partnerships. Our projects take the form of exhibitions, residencies, publishing, events, and participatory activities which sit around the main programme and take it as a starting point.

Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of our artistic ethos and we are working to build further on the achievements of our first five years at Whitehall Waterfront and to cement The Tetley’s position in the cultural life of the city and the region, as well as further afield. Our key partners include Leeds City Council, Arts Council England, Leeds & Partners, Welcome to Yorkshire (we have 2014 membership), as well as numerous

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Trusts and Foundations, partners in the corporate sector, and other arts organisations and agencies nationally. Our 2014 programme includes partnership working with Film and Video Umbrella, Yorkshire Dance, Phoenix Dance, NVA, Pages (Contemporary International Artists’ Book Fair) and others to be announced. A Founding Partners scheme (for corporate and private supporters) was launched in 2013 to support the capital project and recruitment will continue throughout 2014. We also have a membership scheme for individuals and families.

Curator of ParticipationThe Tetley is recruiting for the post of Curator of Participation at a pivotal point in the our growth and development. Having opened the doors in November 2013, an opportunity now exists to raise awareness of The Tetley more widely; build strong partnerships with the relevant agencies, organizations and funding bodies; engage with broader and larger audience numbers by creating meaningful, inspiring programmes; and to establish The Tetley as a much-loved and respected place with audiences, partners and funders alike. The role has recently been refreshed in line with the aims and ambitions of the new venue, and this is a unique opportunity to join The Tetley at such an early stage in its life and to genuinely help shape its future from the very beginning.

The Curator of Participation will work closely with, and be line managed by, Co-founder and Director Kerry Harker, who leads on the artistic programme at The Tetley; and with Curator Zoë Sawyer. The successful candidate will also work alongside Co-founder and Director Pippa Hale, who leads on Fundraising and Communications for The Tetley, and with its Development Manager Jessica Williamson, as well as with our team of Gallery Assistants and Volunteers.

The Curator of Participation will lead on the design and delivery of The Tetley’s audience engagement and participation programmes, in close collaboration with the Curator, and in response to the agreed overarching artistic programme for the venue. The focus will be on developing programmes for i) audiences new to contemporary art, and ii) young people. They will also form part of the Programme Team, attending regular programming meetings including the Programme Sub-committee chaired by Professor Lubaina Himid MBE. The Curator of Participation will form the key link between The Tetley’s participatory programmes and its fundraising and communications activities.

This role requires regular weekend and occasional evening working.

Job Description

Main Duties1. To research, design and deliver participatory programmes and

resources at The Tetley and off-site, with a focus on new audiences and young people, ensuring that these correspond with and take inspiration from The Tetley’s curatorial programme

2. To deliver these within agreed parameters, systems and budgets3. To take personal responsibility for ensuring that all projects are

carried out in line with best practice as identified in the

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organisation’s policy documents, including Child Protection and Health & Safety

4. To ensure that DBS checks are or have been carried out where appropriate and in line with relevant legislation

5. To ensure that evaluation of all projects takes place and to provide written reports

6. To manage and deliver projects which form part of The Tetley’s existing commitments to funders and stakeholders

7. To manage The Tetley’s team of ‘Springboard’ volunteers and ensure delivery of family-oriented weekend activity with them

8. To manage Gallery Assistants, freelance artists and others involved in the participation programme at The Tetley, including identifying relevant freelancers and artists, and undertaking training with them as appropriate

9. To manage and animate the second floor Learning Studio, including furniture and materials and storage facilities and periodically other spaces at The Tetley for the delivery of activity

10.To work alongside the Development Manager in researching and applying for participation-related funding

11.To work alongside the Director responsible for Communications to ensure effective promotion of The Tetley’s participatory programmes

12.To ensure that the relevant data collection systems are in place, to meet the requirements of the Programme, Communications and Development teams, and that this information is collected and stored in line with best practice and Data Protection legislation

13.To be aware of key research, policy and learning agendas, including the National Curriculum and published priorities and strategies of Arts Council England and Leeds City Council, which may impact upon the development of The Tetley’s participation strategy

14.To represent The Tetley at professional networking events15.To identify, build and effectively manage key partnerships in the

furtherance of the participation strategy, including liaison with schools, community and youth organisations, further/higher education establishments and other arts organisations

16.To take responsibility for The Tetley’s status as an Ambassador for Leeds City Council’s ‘Child Friendly Leeds’ initiative, working in partnership with the relevant bodies

17.To effectively respond to enquiries about participation at The Tetley from a range of stakeholders including funders and the general public

Our Ideal CandidateThe Head of Participation will join The Tetley at an exciting time, but in a challenging economic climate. Playing a key role within the Programme team, you will be a dynamic self-starter used to working to strict deadlines, and knowing how to prioritise and achieve within a fast-moving creative environment.

You will have prior experience of delivering participatory activities for new audiences and young people within the setting of an arts organization, and possibly have a background in curating or some experience in this field. You must be passionate about contemporary visual art. You will be knowledgeable about the range of current participatory practices and

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programmes, be aware of debates around good practice and of the leading agencies and policy makers within the field. You will have a proven track record of delivering inspiring activities, and of successfully meeting project outcomes on time and within budget.

Person Specification for Curator of Participation

Skills: Essential Passionate and knowledgeable about contemporary visual art Degree in relevant subject Excellent understanding of current research, debate and best

practice within participation in the arts, including issues around access, diversity and barriers to participation

At least two years’ experience of education/participation in an arts setting

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral

Highly self-motivated and organised with drive, positivity and professionalism

Experience of managing own budget Aptitude for team working Competent Office IT skills including Word, Excel and email The responsiveness to adapt to change and pace Enthusiasm for The Tetley’s vision and values Willingness to participate in training Willingness to work weekends and evenings Legally entitled to work in UK

Skills: Desirable Experience of education/participation specifically within a

contemporary visual art setting Own transport and full, clean driving licence Experience of fundraising within an arts setting Experience of working on communications within an arts setting Attendance on training courses (H&S, IT, First Aid etc)

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APPLICATION FORMCurator of Participation

Please complete and return by email, along with your current CV and the names of 2 referees to gary.williamson@thetetley.org or by post to: Gary Williamson, The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, LS10 1JQ.

Name and Address

Email and Telephone contact number

Briefly describe your interest in this position (250 words max)

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How do you see yourself contributing to The Tetley? What skills and experience can you bring to the role? (250 words max)

Relevant experience – expanding on your CV. Please detail any previous experience, qualifications and skills gained in an employed or voluntary capacity which you feel are relevant to the role (250 words max)

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Equal Opportunities

It is the policy of The Tetley to treat all employees, artists, volunteers and job applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, disability or union membership status.

Please let us know if you have any access requirements or particular needs which The Tetley will need to provide in order for you to fulfil this role.

Details of access or other requirements to support you in this role:

Signature ………………………………………………

Date …………………………………………………...

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