Events and Tour co-ordinator

EQUATOR FESTIVAL /  ShivaNova, the national cross-cultural arts company, is looking to take on a dynamic person with new creative ideas to work as Events and Tour co-ordinator on their projects, events, tours and World in a Tent Festival events, and associated school and community events in the South East.    ShivaNova is a national portfolio organisation with Arts Council England from  April 2023 with funding to help develop partnerships around its community and festival work.  Our World in a Tent Festivals, associated events and and heritage work is mainly based around Ashford, Folkestone and Dover.

Equator/ShivaNova has produced diverse community, heritage and arts projects with touring and promotion of diverse artists in Kent including Ashford and surrounding regions, Chatham, Dover, Folkestone, Canterbury, Whitstable, Margate, Ramsgate, Tenterden, Rye, Hastings, Sevenoaks, Gravesend and London. Applicants will need to demonstrate experience in:

• Project development and co-ordination, workshops management including in schools, museums, community centres, community and refugee groups, venues and outdoor festivals, parks and spaces.  You will be actively involved in working on 3-4 multicultural World in a Tent Festivals in Ashford, Folkestone and Dover working with diverse communities in these areas – many of the festival events will be outdoors in different settings.
• Linked to our festivals will be the development of community projects using arts and heritage. Some experience in Education and community work would be useful as there will be co-ordination of workshops in schools and setting up after-school and weekend music/dance/ classes for young people and families within different diverse communities.
• Tour co-ordination and working with venues, museums, schools, community organisations and local authorities, and developing partnership projects in the region and in the UK especially in relation to our 2 new diverse orchestras made up of refugee musicians – Orchestra from Everywhere and Women of the World orchestra.
• Liaising with artists and musicians, exhibition co-ordinators – issuing contracts, workshop and event schedules, health and safety guidance, doing risk assessments and safety checks.  Organising DBS checks for work with schools and young people
• Working with local businesses and companies, community groups and establishing local networks

You should be prepared to travel within the region, preferably be based in the south-east or London.  Ideally we are looking for someone who is based in Kent but will consider applicants from London, and other areas of the South. This is a part-time position and pay will be according to level of experience.  Some of the work can be done from your own base, and you will also be given the opportunity to undertake training to help with festival and project development.  As many of our events are over weekends and evenings we welcome applicants who are able to work flexible hours, or need to adjust their working schedule due to family commitments.  You will work with our regional partners, venues, community groups and schools, and will be overseen by the Artistic Director and the Board.

ShivaNova / Equator Festival actively implements an Equal Opportunities Policy, and especially welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds including African, Caribbean, Asian middle-eastern and Roma backgrounds.  It actively implements a Child Safeguarding policy, Anti-harassment, and Health and Safety policies, and has an Environmental Plan in place.

Heritage Engagement co-ordinator

This is a managerial role to undertake the co-ordination of this project. Some experience in managing Heritage or cultural projects as well as Festival production and event management skills are essential.

The Heritage co-ordinator will do the following:

1. Liaise with the Nepalese community
2. Co-ordinate meetings with the Nepalese community and ShivaNova.
3. Set up and run the Nepalese advisory committee – ie the Project Support Group overseen by ShivaNova
4. Oversee the Nepalese youth advisory group which will be set up by the Youth co-ordinator.
5. Manage the presentation of the exhibitions, their layout and researching places within the centre of Dover, Folkestone and Dover especially empty shop fronts and finding partners and businesses to display the exhibitions. Liaising with local authorities, preparing documents, risk assessments, event management plans and any permissions and licenses needed.
6. Help with co-ordinating events and festivals – these would be our World in a Tent Festivals that will include these exhibitions and screenings including promoting these events to the local communities in Dover, Folkestone and Ashford.
7. Support the planning and managing of youth events and screenings by the Youth co-ordinator and Film co-ordinator.
8. Promote and market these events so as to interest the widest range of people.

This person will deliver the project and will be tasked with the following:

• Project Support Group: Supporting the delivery of the project through working to provide admin support to the PSG, minute taking, produce reports, co-ordinate meetings helping to support members to attend and engage, etc.
• Volunteers: Recruit, then train and support volunteers to enable them to deliver elements of the project and the various activity programmes
• Programming: Activity Plan development and timetabling, help organise and co-ordinate workshops, booking freelancers to deliver activities, co-ordinating programme and timetabling, booking spaces, etc.
• Training: Provide up to 3 workshops for the PSG to act as the legacy to ensure that skills are embedded within this team to continue the work further, without the need for input from ShivaNova
• Mentoring: Help support, engage and train two young people under the age of 25yrs to conduct these workshops.
• Evaluation: Support the Evaluator to evaluate the programme from the start using a range of techniques such as focus groups, surveys, Q&A’s, etc.

Pay and contract – This will be 1-2 days per week , and fees will be from £125- £135 per 8 hour day depending on level of experience. This is a 24 month contract with a probation period of 6 months. The person must be based in Kent and have some knowledge of the local communities around these towns in east Kent. Also a driving license and a car is essential. Working from home is possible but there will be a certain amount of travel within East Kent. Some of the work can be done at the Nepalese Community Centre in Folkestone where ShivaNova conducts some workshops. The HEC will report directly to the Artistic Director and to the Project Support Group.

Nepalese Film and Heritage project 2024 – Film Co-ordinator

This person’s role would be to:

• Co-ordinate the programme of films: Working alongside the Steering Group to define the programming, content, themes and help them to select those for screening
• Permissions and copyright: Sort the permissions and copyright and screening rights, etc. required to bring the films to the film festival
• Talks and activities: To programme in conjunction with the Steering Group the programme of talks and events around the screenings.
• Publicity and marketing: To help devise and help implement a marketing plan to promote the film festival.
• Start of contract – July 2024 – August 2026
• Pay: 20 days spread over 2 years at £150 per day = £3,000 + travel costs of up to £500
• Some knowledge of film programming and screening is essential, and experience of working on film festivals, links with the BFI and other film-based organisations would be useful.

Heritage Youth co-ordinator

This is specifically for a young Nepalese person under the age of 30 years to work with young people. They will gain experience as well as learn about their own heritage. They will also gain project management skills, event co-ordination, admin and presentation skills, gain confidence to talk about their own heritage and also be a role model for others within the Nepalese community. They will work with the Heritage Engagement Co-ordinator and be line managed by the Artistic Director.

The Heritage Youth co-ordinator will do the following:

1. Set up and run a Nepalese youth advisory committee overseen by ShivaNova. The youth group will be selecting some of the films to be screened as well as inputting into what is presented in the exhibition and have some input into content. They will be tasked to do some of the research into their own heritage and present this to the Heritage Engagement co-ordinator who will in turn present this to the Project Support Group and to ShivaNova and other partners.
2. Assist the Heritage Engagement Co-ordinator in presenting the exhibitions, their layout and researching places within the centre of Dover, Folkestone and Dover especially empty shop fronts and finding partners and businesses to display the exhibitions.
3. Assist and support the 2 youth mentees and also recruit other young volunteers.
4. Help with co-ordinating events around the exhibitions and screening including promoting these events to the young people in their own community, planning and managing youth events, and inputting on how to promote and market these events so as to interest young people in their community.

Pay and contract – This is a freelance contract at £120 x 40 days = £4,800 + £200 travel costs = £5,000

Person Specification:
Age from 18-35 years, based locally or within Kent, and from a Nepalese background. Enthusiastic, eager to learn about their heritage and keen to develop their presentation and project management skills, outgoing and happy to talk to people and to interact with all age groups. Some experience working in sales or in a shop or in the education or hospitality sector would be useful.