Job description
East Side is hiring a Creative Learning Freelance Project Manager to support the Schools Programme team with the delivery of the Who are we? project, Eastside’s new enquiry-led creative education project funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund.
This spoken word poetry project will focus on supporting teachers to develop children’s oracy skills by building collaborative relationships between artists and teachers to embed arts-based approaches into cross-curricular learning in Primary schools.
This is an innovative, enquiry-led project which puts Eastside at the forefront of research into how creativity can be more embedded into teachers’ practice and cross-curriculum teaching.
Through participatory CPD sessions, workshops in schools, reflection sessions and in-school poetry slams, teachers and artists (and Eastside) will work together across the academic year to bring spoken word poetry skills into the classroom and curriculum.
The broad theme for the project will be exploring identity and celebrating diverse cultural heritage within the school communities.
Reports to: Schools Programme Manager
- Key relationships with the Senior Management team, programme team, external creative facilitators, schools
Main Responsibilities: Project & Event Management:
- Project manage the Who are we? Project, including contracting facilitators, scheduling complex timetables of workshops, overseeing the reflection and evaluation process and proactively problem-solving to ensure the smooth running of the project.
- Work with the school programme Manager to coordinate artist and teacher CPD sessions, creating resources and supporting with administration.
- Support artists to develop lesson plans and participate in reflection and evaluation of their ongoing collaboration with teachers.
- Work with the Schools Programme Manager and external evaluator to monitor, evaluate and reflect on the progress of the inquiry-led project, to assess the progress of the project enquiry questions and evaluation framework.
- Liaise with schools to organise their Sharing Event at the end of their first year on the project.
- Coordinate a cross-school sharing event in a local theatre/arts venue, bringing all schools together at the end of the two-year project, including liaising with schools and artists, managing event volunteers, providing event briefings and supporting the technical and logistical production of the event.
- Visit schools to observe workshops and provide critical feedback to Eastside artists.
- Coordinating the digital capture of workshops and CPD sessions, including ensuring schools have relevant permissions and liaising with freelancer photographers and the Film & Digital Manager.
- Attend Cohort Learning Days organised and run by the project’s funder, Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Relationship management:
Build strong relationships with artists and schools and act as a point of contact for the Who are we?
Project, including answering queries, providing event information and collating participant details.
Liaising with schools, facilitators and theatre management teams to ensure the smooth running of the
programmes.
Administration:
Undertaking all other administrative duties as required to support the smooth running of the project, including managing a five-figure budget and processing invoices.
Person specification and Knowledge & experience
- Minimum 2-3 years experience of working in project and/or event management in the arts or education sector
- Experience working with schools and/or artists / facilitators
- Experience in developing and carrying out enquiry-led evaluation
- Some understanding of theatre/creative learning event production
- Knowledge of the National Curriculum (desirable)
Skills & abilities
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- Highly proficient in the use of the full Microsoft Office suite and online equivalents
- A practical approach to problem solving
- Excellent focus and attention to detail
Qualities & behaviours
- Friendly, positive and helpful demeanour
- Highly organised
- Ability to work independently and follow initiative
- Calm under pressure
You will be required to hold an Enhanced Child Workforce DBS that Eastside will apply for on the offer of contract.
Hours and pay
Day rate: £190 per day
Hours: 2 days per week or 4 half days a week with occasional evening work (advance notice will be given). We are open to flexible working so please express in your cover letter if you would like to discuss alternative work arrangements.
Duration: January – August 2025 (with the possibility of extension beyond August 2025)
Location: Eastside’s Shoreditch office (E2 7NX), plus remote home working and visits to Eastside.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit a cover letter as a PDF (no more than 1 side of A4) by Friday 22nd November 2024 at midday listing why you are interested in applying for this position, detailing how your skills, experiences and personal attributes match with the Person Specification and Job Description. Please note that we will not consider any applications without a cover letter, or submitted through other means.
Please also submit a succinct CV (no more than 2 sides of A4) as a PDF detailing your educational and professional experience and qualifications and any other relevant experience – send both submissions to online@eastside.org.uk with ‘CREATIVE LEARNING FREELANCE PROJECT MANAGER APPLICATION’ in the subject line.
If you have any questions about the role or the interview process, please email online@eastside.org.uk.
Interviews will be held on 28th November 2024. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck with your application.
Please note that we can only offer feedback to candidates shortlisted for interviews for this role.