What is Dance Blast?

Dance Blast is the dance development organisation for Monmouthshire based in Abergavenny. Our base is a vibrant Centre for Dance and Aerial Circus that provides a variety of classes for our local community as well as space for professional development, training and performance. We deliver a wide range of activities for adults and young people, including weekly dance classes, holiday projects, site specific performances and community events. Dance Blast has a particular reputation for the quality of our youth dance & aerial circus plus our inclusive approach. Alongside our community classes we also have three performance Companies: Monmouthshire Youth Dance Company (MYDC), our inclusive adult dance company: Monmouthshire Connected Dance Company (MCDC), plus Monmouthshire Youth Circus Company (MYCC)

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What is this new post all about?

Dance Blast has recently secured funding from Arts Council Wales for our new outreach project 'Dance Blast Out & About'. This dedicated outreach project will provide sustainability for our more rural projects and enable us to offer people of all ages and
abilities across Monmouthshire and beyond the equivalent high quality, inclusive programme of work that participants enjoy at our Dance Centre in Abergavenny.

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In addition, Dance Blast is working in partnership with The Borough Theatre and The Melville Centre for the Arts to deliver arts provision to young people across Monmouthshire as part of the Creative Futures programme, the successful candidate for this post will assist the Company Director to project manage and facilitate this programme.

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Job Summary

Dance Blast is seeking an experienced community dance and/or aerial circus artist who will project manage and deliver

the equivalent high quality, inclusive programme of work that participants enjoy at our Dance Centre in Abergavenny. Reaching  people of all ages and abilities across Monmouthshire and beyond.

 

The job includes  project managing and delivering workshops in the community as well as recruiting and managing additional freelance artists, when needed. The successful candiate will nurture existing relationships with partner organisations in Monmouthshire & surrounding areas, as well as developing new relationships into the future.

 

This post will support our Arts Council of Wales funded Dance Blast Out & About programme and Creative Futures youth outreach programme.

 

Guidance

Please read the job description carefully before starting your application to ensure that you meet all of the essential criteria and are able to provide evidence in your application to support these areas. Only relevant information will be considered when shortlisting candidates.

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Responsible to:        Company Director

Responsible for:      Planning & delivering dance and aerial projects in the community plus recruiting & managing freelance artists.

Location:                   Dance Blast, Abergavenny

Salary:                      £24,000 pro rata

Hours:                       Part-time (18.5 hrs per week)
Availability to work regular evenings in termtime and some weekends is an essential requirement for this post.

Annual Leave:         5.6 weeks pro rata, including Bank Holidays

Contract:                  Fixed term 12-month contract from start date, (with a view to securing funding to extend beyond the contract end)

                                    Dance Blast is open to considering job share applications

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Job Description

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Role & Responsiblities

• To project manage and deliver high quality, inclusive dance and/or aerial activities to the members of our community, of all ages and abilities who are currently not accessing the opportunities Dance Blast provides due to barriers such as, disability, rural geography and socio-economics.

• To recruit & manage experienced freelance artists also to deliver the above

• To continue the project management and administration of the existing outreach projects developed by Dance Blast's Company Director as part of Dance Blast's Out & About and Creative Futures Programmes, including, Building Bridges, Questbusters, Sparkle, Cross Ash Primary School and Over Monnow Primary School, Monmouth.

• It is expected that the successful candidate will themselves facilitate half of these initial projects as part of their role.

• To work alongside Dance Blast's Company Director to nuture and develop relationships with community organisations in and around Monmouthshire.

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Essential Criteria

• Training to degree level or equivalent experience in dance, aerial circus or a related artform.

• Demonstrable experience of delivering community dance and/or aerial circus to a variety of community groups of diverse backgrounds, ages and abilities

• A clear understanding of how to work inclusively and ensure all our participants are enabled to achieve their full potential

• Experience of project managing and administrating community based projects

• Strong organisational skills, including an ability to prioritise your own workload and meet deadlines.

• Knowledge of Safeguarding principles relating to young people and adults at risk.

• Excellent communication skills verbally and in writing

• Experience of working with young people and liaising with parents/carers.

• Experience of working as part of a small team, collaborating with fellow artists

• Experience of working with partner community organisations

• To be willing to commit to Dance Blast' Environmental and Welsh policies

• Full, clean driving license and access to a car

• Computer Literate

 

     This post will require an up to date Enhanced DBS check for working with children and vulnerable adults

      plus a minimum of level 1 Safeguarding Training before the successful candidate begins facilitating workshops

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Desirable Criteria

• Welsh Speaker

• Experience of managing volunteers

• Experience of evaluating arts projects        

                             

How to Apply

Please send an up to date C.V with a covering letter addressed to Dance Blast's Company Director, Kathy Young, explaining why you would be suitable for this post and evidencing how you meet the essential criteria for the post.

Please send to: kathydanceblast@gmail.com

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If you have any questions you need answering before applying for this post, please contact Kathy for an informal conversation on kathydanceblast@gmail.com

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Closing date: Wednesday May 1st

Interviews: Week starting Tuesday May 7th

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