509 Arts is seeking A COMPANY ASSOCIATE

Freelance part-time contract: £9,000
60 days for approximately 9 months from signature

Closing date Thursday 6th May 2021 at 5pm.

INTRODUCTION
509 Arts is ready for a process of transition and change. The company has been making work in Yorkshire for the past 10 years, and its key team members – Jenny Harris and Al Dix – are looking to diversify and reshape the company as we move into a new post pandemic world.

Our work is shaped by the creative exploration of what we all share and the things that make each of us unique. Over the past 10 years we have made exciting productions, won awards and worked with fabulous artists. At the heart of what we do is a belief in artistic excellence and relevance to the people and communities we work with.

WHO WE ARE
We are a project based creative production company and our home is in Bradford. Our work is theatre and live performance based, is highly visual and uses many art forms, including digital. We generally work in the North of England, but not exclusively. If you want to see what we do, take a look at our website and check out the company manifesto on Issuu here. Financially we always live within our means. Everyone is freelance and we flex and adapt to circumstances as they arise.

A PROCESS OF CHANGE
To meet the challenges and opportunities of the future, 509 Arts wants to expand the range of creative voices at the heart of the company and diversify our leadership. This is a chance to grow, learn and change for us all – a time for new collaborations, new ideas and new perspectives. The company has a wealth of experience and both Jenny and Al have decades of working in the cultural sector, but this on its own is not enough. We want to make 509 Arts into a more dynamic force in the cultural life of the nation and to do this we have to imagine a future that is different from the past. 

As a first step, we have secured the resources (in part from the Cultural Recovery Fund) to pay for an Associate to join the company in 2021 for at least nine months. We are looking for someone who will relish the opportunity to join us in the development of 509 Arts as we take on new projects, develop ideas and establish a secure future for the company in Bradford. 


The Associate role is designed for someone who already has experience of working in the arts. They will be creative and have worked with others in a collaborative setting, have some leadership experience and will know how to develop ideas. Their management skills will be matched by  imagination and a willingness to learn. 

WHAT KIND OF ASSOCIATE?
We have deliberately kept our options open. As a small team 509 Arts thrives on people who are imaginative, able to work creatively and who are adaptable, practical and capable. Your background may be as a producer or as a creative practitioner, but it will be essential that you can work as part of a team to realise the ambitions of 509 Arts. 

Of course we are probably looking for someone with a perfect mix of attributes and skills, and here are a few of the desirables:

  • Based in West Yorkshire
  • Experience of leading on the development of arts projects
  • A good understanding of the performing arts
  • Knowledge of the arts funding system and funding applications
  • A strong team player, but able to work without supervision
  • Has worked across art forms
  • Has a commitment to working with communities
  • A great imagination
  • A good communicator

509 Arts is particularly keen to extend the diversity of the team. New perspectives and life experiences are an essential part of the work we do. 

In the first instance we’d like applicants to tell us about themselves – their experience, background and why they want to work with 509 Arts. Please send us a CV together with up to 750 words (with links) explaining why you want to work with 509 Arts, what skills, attributes and experience you would bring to the company and what kind of difference you would make.

Before you apply we urge you to look at the company website and check out the company manifesto on Issuu here.
We will then shortlist and interview selected candidates.

We anticipate that the first phase of the Associateship will run for approximately 9 months for a fee of £9,000 on a part time freelance basis. If this is successful, and if funding allows, we will look towards building a longer term relationship.

Please send your application to hello@509arts.co.uk.

Closing date Thursday 6th May 2021 at 5pm.