MJM Creative Producer - Information Pack

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Justin Conley
6 years ago
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MJM Creative Producer - Information Pack Overview Manchester Jewish Museum (MJM) opened in 1984 and is housed in a former synagogue on the edge of Manchester city centre.

1 MJM Creative Producer - Information Pack Overview Manchester Jewish Museum (MJM) opened in 1984 and is housed in a former synagogue on the edge of Manchester city centre. We are a museum of Jewish stories stories of journeys, communities and identities, past and present. Through our collections, synagogue and location on Cheetham Hill Road - the most diverse street in the UK - we are uniquely positioned to bring people together to share these and their own stories. Together, we use the past to build a more tolerant, culturally rich future. Last year we were listed by The Times as one of the 10 best small museums in the UK. This year we will become one of Arts Council England s National Portfolio Organisations. With the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) we will also be starting a 5million capital development project. Over the next 2 years, to allow for construction work, we will have a pop-up museum in Manchester Central Library and will continue our work with local communities through a partnership with Cheetham Hill Welcome Centre. The new Jewish museum will open in 2020 with a major new gallery, collection store, learning studio and visitor facilities. We are now looking for a Creative Producer to help us think differently about the way we share stories with our diverse audiences and ensure our programmes are high quality, original and risktaking. Working with a network of artists, partner organisations, and local communities, the Creative Producer will help us grow our programmes, activities and ideas around the interests, desires and creative contributions of our current and future audiences. Combining artistic ambition with a strong strategic vision and a willingness to get stuck in, this audience focused role will foster collaboration and help create a supportive environment for experimentation and risk taking.

2 We are seeking a warm, open and confident communicator with the energy and enthusiasm to help us deliver the big ambitions of a small museum and the drive to take advantage of the opportunities for development that come with joining us on our journey at this exciting time. This role builds on work already delivered in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) as part of a two-year research and development programme, Creative Museums. BAC will continue to work with the museum throughout 2018 as strategic partners and will provide bespoke support, mentoring and training opportunities to the Creative Producer and the wider MJM team. Main Duties and Responsibilities Work with Head of Programmes to devise, manage and deliver a high quality, innovative and risk-taking events and activity programme in the lead-up to the opening of the new museum. This two-year programme, delivered in venues across Greater Manchester will test ideas and help to shape the content delivered in the new museum when it re-opens in Curate a diverse network of local and national artists; project managing their involvement in museum programming and working with MJM staff to focus their work around our collection, our building and our diverse local communities. Work with Head of Programmes to develop MJM s artist commissioning programme, producing the final commissioned projects. Regularly attend performances, cultural events and participatory activities at other venues and institutions, and in doing so maintain knowledge of ground-breaking artists, innovative work and methodologies being developed in the UK and abroad. Build and maintain relationships with other arts and culture organisations, sharing best practice and exploring opportunities for partnership working. Work with CEO and Head of Programmes to embed collaborative, creative working processes (such as Scratch) across the organisation. Work with staff and volunteers across the organisation to ensure programming for all audiences embodies the quality principles of originality, excellence and risk. Actively seek out fundraising opportunities to contribute towards the growth of the museum s creative programme. Capture and interpret evaluation data in line with the museum s evaluation framework. Manage budgets and ensure all work is completed within agreed time and financial constraints. Carry out administrative tasks as required - marketing, ticketing etc. Essential Skills Qualities and Experience Passionate about arts and culture, committed to the values of the museum and driven by a desire to reach new audiences. Extensive experience of planning, managing and delivering a diverse events and activity programme within an arts, heritage or cultural setting with a particular focus on one or more of the following areas - live performance, theatre, music, spoken word and visual arts. Proven experience of project managing the work of artists, particularly in a participatory context. Demonstrable experience of first-hand facilitation of creative activities for a diverse range of participants. Significant experience of working with culturally diverse communities.

3 Strong understanding of collaborative creative working processes, particularly iterative processes such as Scratch. Proven ability to successfully raise funds, experience of writing bids and good understanding of the arts funding landscape. Strong organisational skills with proven experience of managing budgets and working to time constraints in a high-pressure, rapidly changing environment. Warm, open and confident with strong communication skills and a demonstrable ability to work successfully with a wide range of people - staff, volunteers, artists, funders, partner organisations, audiences etc. An enthusiastic, energetic and pro-active team player A commitment to get stuck in and make things happen in a small museum with very big ambitions. A proven self-starter with the drive and determination to take advantage of the opportunities for development that come with this exciting role and the opportunity to work closely with and be mentored by MJM senior management and BAC staff. Computer literate with significant experience in the use of common PC software such as Outlook, Word and Excel. Experience of collecting and interpreting evaluation data. Ability to work some evenings and weekends. Strongly committed to diversity, access and inclusion. Desirable Skills Qualities and Experience Existing network of arts, culture and heritage contacts, with a particular focus on Manchester and the North. Experience of working in partnership with a broad range of arts and culture organisations. Experience of working with volunteers. Experience of training or mentoring others. Experience of working in an organisation going through change. Experience of creating high quality marketing materials, both physical and digital. Experience of a range of ticketing systems. Other Information MJM Is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all individuals regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. This role is subject to an advanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a two-year contract initially. The role will be reviewed at the end of this period with a view to possible extension. Reports to: Head of Programmes Salary: 23,000 to 25,000 dependant on experience. How to Apply To apply, please send a copy of your CV, along with a covering letter (maximum two sides of A4) outlining how your skills, qualities and experience make you a good fit for this role to Head of Programmes, Gareth Redston - gareth@manchesterjewishmuseum.com The deadline for applications is 10am, Monday 16 th April Interviews will be held in Manchester on Tuesday 1 st May 2018.

4 Appendix 1: Organisational Diagram BOARD OF TRUSTEES BAC (MENTORING and SUPPORT) CHIEF EXECUTIVE HEAD OF PROGRAMMES FINANCE MANAGER CURATOR CREATIVE PRODUCER LEARNING OFFICER VOLUNTEERS (Programming) VOLUNTEERS (Collection) Appendix 2: Our Audiences We have identified the following target audiences for our work over the next four years: Locals This is a large group of people who live, work and play in the area that surrounds the Museum. These communities are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and we want to celebrate this diversity. Within this group, we will work with key gatekeepers and venues that give us access to wider groups. We will work across the generations, from young families through to elders. Many of these communities will not be museum-goers. They will be looking for a welcoming place close to home or work to provide them with a space to gather and share stories about their own lives, faiths and cultures, and the people who lived in their locality before them. Jewish communities We want to engage with people across the broad range of the Jewish faith, from all of the communities within it. Some communities will be keen to explore their own culture and be active across the heritage and cultural offer in Manchester. They will be looking for opportunities to gather socially and share ideas. Others will be keen to contribute their own story, to volunteer, and to visit a museum that reflects their own culture. The Synagogue is of interest in terms of being a heritage site somewhere their ancestors may have used. Some communities will be motivated by familycentred days out which fit in with their religious practice. Schools and organised groups Teachers of KS2 are most likely to engage with the museum. They are looking for Curriculum-led workshops and resources, as well as the opportunity to develop cross-curricular projects over a longer period. They need practical, safe, engaging spaces to provide something different to

5 classroom learning and to engage pupils during a visit. The collection and Synagogue should be at the heart of their engagement with the museum. Heritage and culture consumers This group are regular visitors and attenders of heritage and cultural venues and events and live within 1 hour s drive of the Museum. They will be actively seeking out opportunities to learn and experience more and be keen to visit anywhere meeting their needs for a cultural day out. They may be seeking out the unique, looking to engage with big issues, to interact and discuss topical issues. This group are regular culture consumers and cross the age ranges and life-stages. They include: - Families with primary school-aged children, keen to spend time together learning and having fun. - Empty nesters and retirees who enjoy days out as couples or with groups of friends, or with grown-up children. - Young people aged enjoying the cultural melting pot of the city, seeking out new experiences and venues, looking for somewhere to enjoy inspiring, social occasions. A targeted programme of events and changing content will encourage repeat visits from this audience, as well as involvement in the wider Manchester cultural calendar of events. Appendix 3: Our Collection The museum holds over 31,000 items in its collection, documenting the story of Jewish immigration and settlement in Manchester. The collection provides a detailed and multi-faceted representation of the history and development of an immigrant community over several generations. Material relates to working life, political activity, communal and philanthropic activities, home life, leisure and entertainment - illuminating the story of one of the UK s oldest minority communities in exceptional depth. Our collection is widely recognized as having national and international significance - an outstanding collection with certain exceptional resources richer and more extensive than those of the Jewish Museum London and rare, if not unique, among European Jewish museums (Rickie Burman, President, Association of European Jewish Museums). Appendix 4: Development Project Plans

This helps you work out how to take your idea on to the next stage. It s an iterative process that can be used again and again.

6 Appendix 5: Scratch Scratch is about sharing an idea with the public at an early stage of its development. When you Scratch an idea, you can ask people questions and consider their feedback. This helps you work out how to take your idea on to the next stage. It s an iterative process that can be used again and again. Over time, ideas become stronger because they are informed by a wide-range of responses. The feedback is an important part of the process, but Scratch is not about doing everything that people s feedback suggests; it is about using the responses to help you understand how

7 people currently receive it and to help you shape your idea. The feedback doesn t have to be a Q&A, you can simply share your idea live and, by doing this, you can often tell what works and what doesn t. Scratch recognizes that when an idea does not fully succeed, or even when it crashes and burns, that there is great learning to be gathered. Scratch is used by artists to make theatre, by young people to develop entrepreneurial ideas, by local people who want to get creative and much more.

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