Project Manager Cloudlands (Maternity Leave)

Helium Arts is seeking an experienced project manager to lead the Cloudlands Project from December 2012-July 2013. 

1. About Cloudlands

Cloudlands is a new performance arts and technology project for teenagers with chronic illnesses. The project will take place between November 2012 and July 2013 in Children’sUniversityHospital, Temple Street;GalwayUniversityHospitalandCorkUniversityHospital. The project will place an artist in residence in each of the three hospitals where they will work collaboratively with patients to develop new work based on the participants’ stories, interests and experiences. The project will use a online creative space where artists and teenagers will share their work and collaborate across the three hospitals.

In Ireland, teenagers have cited that one of the causes of a negative hospital experience was lack of peer support & interaction (Clift 2007). This resulted in them feeling anxious, isolated, bored & unhappy. Through Cloudlands, Helium will work with chronically ill teenagers to facilitate their active participation in the design and delivery of a multi-media, performance arts and technology project through which they can connect with each other to create, perform, and exchange their stories with peers.  This target group is a significant group at disadvantage creatively as they often miss-out on opportunities to participate in group performances within their school or community due to long stays in hospital or low energy levels.

Aims of Cloudlands

Cloudlands aims to

• Inspire young people in hospital by presenting them with opportunities to engage in professionally run arts engagements where their stories, experiences and interests are at the core
• Encourage resilience among participants by providing them with the creative tools to re-imagine their situation and to engage in activities that have nothing to do with illness
• Connect participants and artists across three hospitals in a creative conversation which encourages communication, collaboration and peer support
• Collaborate with a team of highly skilled artists and technologists to further develop a programme that meets the needs of teenagers in hospital and allows for ongoing collaboration through online tools which will evolve as the project progresses
• Contribute to the development of arts and health for young people by documenting, evaluating and disseminating the work
• Strengthen relationships within each hospital and encourage the sharing of skills across sectors by working in close collaboration with hospital staff and encouraging engagement and participation in Creative Exchange Days
• Support and develop the artists professional practice through regular artist development and ongoing mentorship provided by Mark Storor (UK).

2. Structure of the project

The project will take place from November 2012-July 2013. Three artists will be placed in residence in three hospitals around the country; Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street, Galway University Hospital and Cork University Hospital. The Dublin artist will visit the project once a week while the Galway and Cork artists will visit the hospitals once a fortnight.

Training and Development for artists

Professional development and ongoing support for the participating artists is a vital component of Cloudlands. Helium has engaged Mark Storor (UK) as artists’ mentor. Mark will run a series of development days over the course of the project: two days in November before the project commences, three days in February and two days in July. He will also provide weekly mentorship to artists through Skype.

The artists will also attend two additional development days, which will deal with the practicalities of working in hospital settings as well as exploring the development of the new online creative space. The first of these will take place prior to the projects’ commencement and the second in early 2013. The development of the online creative space is an integral part of the project and will continue to evolve as the project progresses. Artists will be asked to participate in a fortnightly Skype meeting with the project manager and the tech development manager to examine how they are using the technology and how it can be further developed to meet the needs of the project.

Creative Exchange Days

Hospitals and artists will come together for three days over the course of the project. Helium’s Creative Exchange days are designed to encourage cross-sectoral collaboration, ownership of the project and clarity around objectives and roles. It is also an opportunity to address any issues that have arisen for artists or hospital staff.

Innovation Panel

Helium has gathered a group of technology advisors who will meet at intervals throughout the project to enhance the development of the online space. This panel will be made up of artists who were previously involved in Helium’s artist in residence projects and others who have been involved in developing online spaces for healthcare settings.

3. Role of the project manager

The project manager will oversee the smooth running of the project across the three hospitals, working closely with Helium’s artistic director, the artist mentor Mark Storor, the three artists, the technology manager and the key contacts in each hospital. Duties will include:

• Budget management and managing the payment schedule
• Organising all practical aspects of training and development days for artists (venue, travel, catering, agendas etc.)
• Organising all practical aspects of Creative Exchange Days for artists and healthcare partners (venue, travel, catering, agendas etc.)
• Overseeing the artists and checking in regularly to see how their projects are progressing
• Facilitation of the technology development in consultation with artists, tech development manager and innovation panel
• Communicating with hospital contacts to ensure the smooth running of the project – this will include a number of visits to each hospital
• Online PR – updates on Helium’s blog, Facebook and Twitter
• Providing regular updates to Helium’s artistic director on an agreed schedule
• Managing documentation, consent etc.
• Managing ongoing evaluation of the project

Necessary Skills 

• A minimum of three years experience in arts management
• Strong coordinating and inclusive leadership skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people
• Excellent organisational skills
• Capability and evidence of budget management
• Understanding of collaborative arts and health practice
• Understanding of youth arts practice
• Competent administrative skills and access to full office facilities
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Confirmation that if successful the applicant is ready to provide a current Tax Clearance Certificate and provide evidence of relevant insurance. This is a contract for services and the successful candidate will be responsible for his or her own taxes.

Desirable skills

•           Experience of managing arts and health projects
•           Experience of managing youth arts projects

4. Renumeration

The fee for this position is €4000. A schedule will be agreed between the project manager and artistic director. An additional budget for travel will be discussed with the successful candidate.

5. Application Procedure

Please submit the following:

1. An up-to-date CV relevant to this position

2. A cover letter stating why you are interested in this position and how your experience makes you a suitable candidate.

3. Contact details for two referees

4. Examples of previous projects you have managed

6. Dates & Deadlines

Closing date:            Thursday, 8 November 2012 at 5.30pm

Interview:                  Tuesday, 13 November 2012 in Mullingar

Notification:               Wednesday 14 November 2012

Commencement:      Meeting with artistic director and company manager week of 19 November 2012 with a start date week of 3 December 2012