RECRUITMENT PACK

Compass Live Art / Compass Festival 
Senior Producer

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About Compass
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Our mission is to bring extraordinary, life-enhancing arts experiences to people as they go about their daily lives. 

We believe that everybody should have access to great art. We focus on live art - participatory and socially engaged practices - because it is boundary breaking and brilliantly suited to engaging people who may not have accessed the arts before. The work is multi-disciplinary, flexible. It embraces diversity and demands involvement: this is art that you ‘do’ rather than merely watch.

Based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Compass Live Art delivers its mission by supporting outstanding professional artists – local, national and international, both established and early career – to create bespoke pieces, which resonate with the people, spaces, life and heritage of our home city. We work across the spectrum of art forms - dance, music/sound, performance, digital and visual arts – experimenting with traditional arts practices to deliver memorable experiences that engage and entertain, challenging people to think differently and to see the world through fresh eyes.

Compass Live Art is a unique commissioning engine of exceptional, visionary projects conceived by nationally and internationally significant freelance artists and co-created with engaged communities of interest. We deliver projects year-round and produce a biennial festival. Over its 10 year history, Compass has commissioned 76 artists, reached 49,000 audiences, created over 150 partnerships and prioritised access and participation at the heart of our work. The detail, impact and originality of our projects has won widespread recognition:

“Compass ... punches well above its weight in terms of output... They occupy a significant place in the live art infrastructure both regionally ...and nationally – rapidly taking their place within the national context of significant live art festivals” 

Lois Keidan, former Director, Live Art Development Agency

We take this conversation into the everyday spaces of our city, its streets and public spaces, its markets and libraries, through a far-reaching network of partners: shopping centres, cultural venues, businesses and charities, helping us to reach under the skin of the city and to connect with its diverse communities in surprising and innovative ways. 

Our programming model involves selecting artists experienced in collaborative live art practices. Partnering them with local participants whose lived experiences make them experts in the issues being explored whether that’s food justice, loneliness, or racial discrimination. We recognise that social and economic background, education, culture and ethnicity, lack of local/relevant opportunities, time constraints, lack of confidence and fear of being patronised - all of these, individually or severally, prove substantial barriers to engagement for many. Compass addresses these by commissioning diverse artists and inviting diverse participants into the heart of the work to lead how the art is created, presented, accessed and experienced. Projects evolve over many months and years allowing time for trust to develop. Projects are widely different but all linked by being relevant to people’s lives and presented out in public for free in our high profile city festival.

Every two years, these conversations and ideas burst onto the streets of Leeds as part of Compass Festival, when 10 days of interactive live art draw wider audiences to join us in playful enquiry, silent contemplation, astonishing feats of madness, hospitality and communality, in the places where we live, work and play.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic our festival scheduled for November 2020 has instead unfolded as a ‘slow festival’ over the first 6 months of 2021. We presented 6 different projects, mostly original commissions alongside a 4 episode Compass Podcast series. Almost 18,000 people experienced a Compass 2021 project.

The Future 
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We now have our sights set on delivering the remainder of our 2021 residency programme including projects by Amy Lawrence, Clare Patey (Empathy Museum), Noëmi Lakmaier, Popeye Collective and Toni Lewis. We hope many of these residencies will become festival projects in the next edition of Compass Festival, currently scheduled for November 2022. These will be joined by other projects we already have in the pipeline as well as a programme of launch events, film screenings, dining events, talks and workshops. 
We are also planning further representations of existing work from the 2021 festival in Leeds and beyond. 

The Role
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Compass is looking for a new Senior Producer to join the team. We are seeking someone who is dedicated to interactivity, socially engaged practice, co-creation and commissioning new work that takes place outside the gallery or theatre and out into unusual spaces not normally associated with art. 

The new Senior Producer will be instrumental in shaping and delivering Compass’ strategic aims. They will also be the engine room behind the planning and delivery of our residency and festival programmes. 
The Senior Producer role sees artist projects through on the journey from proposal, enquiry or seed of an idea through to a fully realised artistic vision.

	•	A successful candidate will be able to work flexibly with participants and artists. They will have a strong interest in networking within Leeds and beyond for the benefit of the organisation.
	•	They will have a strong level of understanding and appreciation for socially engaged practice and working in the public realm.
	•	They will be confident in leading the production of Compass residencies and public programmes with support from the wider team. 
	•	Access, inclusion and care for artists, participants and audiences will be paramount in their planning and decision-making process. 
	•	They will have exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven track record of developing and sustaining networks of individuals and organisations within and beyond the arts. 
	•	They will have an excellent proven track record in project management and financial management.
	•	They will be a confident, empathetic and professional collaborator when delegating tasks to colleagues and assigning briefs to short term freelance staff, placement students and volunteers. 

Team
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We are a small, hard-working team dedicated to supporting the artists, participants, audiences and partners we work with.  
We work with a wide range of communities with lived experience of a range of issues which include racism, LGBTQ+ rights, disability, disadvantages caused by class, financial instability and poor educational opportunities. The invitation to participate is focused on creating art and we work creatively and sensitively to foreground the experiences of participants. e.g. - market stall holders leading self-created tours of the market describing their working lives and personal histories.

25% of board have lived experience of racism
60% staff identify as women
20% are LGBTQ+
66% of Compass Young Producers Scheme participants have lived experience of racism

Of the 21 freelance artists we are supporting this year:
50% have lived experience of racism
13% are LGBTQ+
33% Have lived experience of ableism due to mental or physical disability or neurodiversity

We particularly encourage applications from people who are currently under-represented within the UK arts sector - including those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are ethnically and culturally diverse and who experience racism, who are disabled and neurodiverse. 

We are committed to further building representation across our team in respect of protected characteristics. We are focusing on developing further as an inclusive organisation where access and care is embedded and where people’s needs are met. 
The new Senior Producer will join a team that currently includes Co Directors Annie Lloyd and Peter Reed, Producer Polly Cuthbert and Interim Communications and Engagement Manager Lydia Cottrell all working on part time contracts. The new Senior Producer will also work closely with freelance support roles across art direction, fundraising, production, online/offline design, press and comms.

The Senior Producer 
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The Senior Producer will lead on the planning, project management, delivery and evaluation of specific residencies, projects and initiatives as assigned by and under supervision of the Co-Directors. The Senior Producer will also contribute to the development and advancement of the strategic aims of Compass Live Art / Compass Festival.

We outline below the tasks and responsibilities we expect the role to include, and the kinds of experience, skills and qualities that we think are needed for the role. 

Please don’t be put off if you don’t feel you meet every single aspect. If you feel unsure if this role is for you but are interested, we are organising one to one sessions between 27th August – 14th September. Please contact polly@compassliveart.org.uk for more information. 

We are seeking a candidate for this role who can be based in or within commutable distance to Leeds. We are based within Yorkshire Dance, a landmark creative building, and our office is accessible. 

We expect aspects of this role to include attending meetings, residency events, performances and exhibitions in Leeds.
This role is initially being offered for 6 months, with potential of extension towards Compass Festival 2022 and future development of the role. 

These are the tasks and responsibilities that we expect the role will include: 

LEAD ON
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	•	Making and maintaining partnerships with potential new stakeholders and participants 
	•	Producing our residency and public programmes 
	•	Oversee admin and delivery as required keeping projects administered to a high standard and keeping accurate records for budgets, schedules, contracts etc
	•	Be a main contact for external freelancers 
	•	Managing project budgets 
	•	Day to day artist liaison on certain projects
	•	Curatorial oversight on aspects of certain projects 
	•	Fielding and pursuing external meetings, including with artists new to Compass
	•	Supporting creative processes as required by artists 
	•	Identifying and securing locations for projects and liaising with location managers
	•	Drafting and sending (post review) contracts for artists and partners 
	•	Supporting residency and production periods as required 
	•	Overseeing and signing off Risk Assessment and Method Statements for projects 
	•	Introducing artists and stakeholders to Leeds 
	•	Ensuring projects run on schedule and within budget

CONTRIBUTE TO:
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	•	Working closely with Co-Directors to strategically position and develop Compass’s work locally, nationally and internationally 
	•	Work with the Co-Director to shape, create and deliver engagement activities, including Young Producers Scheme, Graduate Award, Local Artist Development Bursaries etc 
	•	To maintain partnerships with new and existing funders, stakeholders and collaborators 
	•	Writing job descriptions and briefs for external freelancers 
	•	Commissioning and Programming Compass residency and festival programmes 
	•	Organisational budget management, planning and financial management 
	•	Funding applications and activity reports 
	•	Development planning for new programme strands 
	•	Manage technical and production management team
	•	Ensuring appropriate evaluation measures are in place for each project and ongoing activity. Collaborate with external evaluators where appointed. 
	•	Calculating requirements and opportunities for HE placement students and volunteers 
	•	Developing networks locally and nationally for our work and advocating for Compass at relevant events
	•	Research and stay up to date with potential funding opportunities and commissions or awards that could be relevant to Compass 
	•	Support development of engagement activities 
	•	Feed into marketing strategy, assets and implementation

Your Experience 
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REQUIRED 
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Background & Experience 
	•	Experience working in the arts or cultural sector, or relevant transferable experience 
	•	Experience supporting the development of artist practices at different stages of their career
	•	Experience of producing performances or creative projects, or relevant transferable experience 
	•	Proven commitment to diversity and inclusion 
	•	Experience working with partners and collaborators 
	•	Experience of managing projects in the public realm and spaces not usually used for making and presenting arts projects.
	•	Experience managing budgets 
	•	Experience in supporting access requirements 
	•	Experience writing contracts and letters of agreement 
	•	Experience in supporting access requirements 

Knowledge 
	•	Strong IT skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Excel 
	•	and Word 
	•	Strong writing skills 

Qualities 
	•	Strong interest in and commitment to the arts and culture, particularly live and participatory work
	•	Understanding of or interest in learning about co-created or participatory practice 
	•	Able to manage priorities and deadlines 
	•	Strong communication skills 
	•	Ability to work on own initiative 
	•	Able to contribute to group discussions whilst giving space to others 
	•	Ability to work with and support people from a variety of backgrounds and with various needs 
	•	Resourceful and open minded 

DESIRABLE
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	•	Experience of evaluation and report writing 
	•	Management experience 
	•	Familiarity with digital co-working tools such as Asana
	•	Safe-guarding understanding and experience 
	•	Health & Safety understanding and experience

Contract Details 
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Responsible to:
Co Directors – Annie Lloyd and Peter Reed

Responsible for:
Producer, Project Assistants, HE placement students and volunteers (as required).

Fee: 
The standard contract totals 69 regular working days 
(3 days per week) at £150 per day totalling £10,350.

Swell time: 
Around particularly busy periods focused on the Compass residency programme, there is the option to draw on swell time, with the option of moving to a full time contract in support of specific projects. A maximum further 16 days are available for this at £150 per day, totalling £2400.

Contract Basis: 
6 months initially with every intention to extend subject to funding. These 66 days are to be used flexibly as per demands of projects. However, they should typically be used 3 days per week.

Contract Extension: Beyond 6 months, we expect the opportunity to expand this role to 4 days per week until December 2022, with a view to develop the role beyond. 

Compass also provides a mobile phone allowance of £100 per year.

Location:
Leeds City Centre or commutable distance 

The Yorkshire Dance building is fully accessible and the Compass office is accessed via a door opening directly at street level. The building is directly opposite Leeds Bus Station, there are several pay & display car parks nearby and it is a 15-20 walk from Leeds Train Station. 

Hours:
Flexible. Main team office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am-5pm. 
Additional days to be worked flexibly as required by the needs of specific projects. 

This role will occasionally require some weekend and evening work.

Where illness/injury prevents a team member completing a day or days of work as part of their contract, Compass offers up to 4 paid days per year to allow for additional time to be made up later, or for backfill support to be contracted in support of the person off work. 

Compass practices TOIL (time off in lieu) meaning that if a team member is required to work above their contracted/agreed hours they will arrange with colleagues when they will take that time back for time off or other commitments. 

References:
Any offer is subject to receipt of satisfactory references.

Apply
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Access & Inclusion
We are committed to inclusion and to supporting different needs. 

If you require this call out in a different format, would like any support completing the application, or would require support to undertake the role - don’t hesitate to let us know by contacting polly@compassliveart.org.uk
 
We will be producing and sharing a video introduction to this recruitment pack.

Pre-Conversation
We are organising one to one sessions from the 27th August to 14th September to answer any questions or discuss the role with interested candidates - please contact 
polly@compassliveart.org.uk to book a session.
 
Please note this is not compulsory but if you would like a conversation in advance, we do welcome the opportunity to speak with you. You may like to discuss our working culture or ask any questions about the organisation or role, which we would be happy to discuss. 

Making an Application
Please send a cover letter of no more than 2 sides of A4 or alternatively a video/audio file of no more than 5 minutes in length, outlining why you are interested and what you would bring to the role. As part of this we would like you to: 

	•	Tell us about yourself 
	•	Tell us about why you are interested in the role 
	•	Tell us why you think you are a good candidate for the role, referencing the skills, experience and role description in this document 

Please also send a CV including your contact details and outlining your experience/past work (it is not necessary to include education details if you don’t want to - you do not need any formal qualifications or a degree for this role). 

Applications to be sent to 
polly@compassliveart.org.uk
with the title SENIOR PRODUCER APPLICATION

Deadline for applications
Thursday 16th September at 4pm. 

Interviews
Tuesday 5th October (afternoon and evening).

Interview Process

The interviews will most likely be held in person but can be arranged over video call due to the circumstances of the pandemic. 

The interview panel will consist of Co Director Peter Reed, Producer Polly Cuthbert and Compass Trustee Manpreet Dhadda. You’ll be met by and have chance to ask questions of Co Director Annie Lloyd and be shown the Compass office within Yorkshire Dance.
Interview questions will be sent in advance. 

The start date for this role will be agreed with the successful candidate but we anticipate this being sometime in October.