What We’re Looking for:
As part of Stage the City we’re looking to work with an Associate Director. The ideal candidate would be a freelance theatre maker and facilitator with experience in physical theatre, contemporary devising practices, community making and outdoor performance, although we are open to other candidates with suitable experience. The Associate Director will lead community theatre sessions and will work closely with the wider Stage the City team to be inspired by local stories and ideas to co-create new and exciting performances across local communities.
For this initial stage of the project, we’re going to be running three kick-off projects, one each in Bulwell, Sneinton and The Meadows. These mini projects will launch the Stage the City project in each ward and will take place between October 2025 and March 2026. The performances created will be presented at a range of local festivals and events i.e. Bulwell Christmas Festival, Nottingham Light Night etc.
The Associate Director will be an integral collaborator and leader within the Stage the City project. We’re looking for someone who is confident in facilitation, working with a range of communities, someone who can be adaptive to individual/community needs and who can bring creativity and fun to sessions. As Stage the City is a multi-year project, we’re looking for someone with excellent planning and organisation skills who is great leading independently and can work as part of a wider delivery team.
During this first phase of the project we will be working within three communities to kick-off Stage the City. As such we are looking for up to three Associate Directors to engage on this project. It might be that we only recruit one Associate Director who can facilitate within each community.
Fee: The Associate Director fee is £1200, based on £120/session at 1-2 hours, for each project. Should the same individual wish to undertake all three projects a total fee £3,600 is available.
Planning and preparation time inclusive. Local travel costs are reimbursable. All fees are inclusive of VAT.
Support:
The Associate Director will have an Assistant Facilitator who will support participants through the whole process.
Locations:
Bulwell Academy Community Hub Oct - January 2025 (Tuesdays Likely)
Sneinton (Venue TBC) November 2025 - February 2026
Meadows (Venue TBC) January 2026- March 2026
Days and times to be confirmed with the Facilitators' availability
Who you will be working with:
You will be working within community hubs with a range of different people. This project is open to a range of ages however, for the kick-off project, you will likely be working with a group of adults.
Co-Creation
The Associate Director will work with Nonsuch Studio’s Community Engagement Producer, community members in each location, and the Stage the City steering group to creatively plan and consult.
The short pieces of performance will be inspired by stories from the people of each area. These stories could be related to the heritage of the area, personal neighbourhood stories, or a non-fiction story that is set in each local area. As part of the consultation stage of this project we have been collecting stories and ideas which can be used to spark and develop ideas for the project.
These co-creation sessions must teach theatre-making skills to participants, a sense of belonging, voices heard, and community to be instilled in the culture of every session.
Budget:
There is a budget to support workshop materials and refreshments as well as a modest props, costume and design support budget to bring the performances to life. These will be managed by the Associate Director alongside the Programme Producer.
Requirements
- At least 3 years of professional theatre-making experience
- At least 3 years of drama and theatre facilitation
- Experience of creating work for outdoor performances
- Experience of co-producing theatre and performances with community members
- Experience of contemporary devising practices, physical theatre and/or movement-based practices.
- An understanding of the needs and culture of local communities in Bulwell, Sneinton and/or the meadows
- Excellent knowledge of safeguarding, accessibility and risk assessment. Full Enhanced DBS.
- Organised, excellent communication between partners, the project manager and the workshop assistant
- Confident working with a range of participants with a range of abilities and experience
- Ability to co-produce high-quality performances in a short time frame
How to Apply:
Please apply here
Please complete & submit this application by 12pm (noon) on Monday, 29th September 2025. After this time, you won't be able to submit a response, and any applications in progress will be lost.
Interviews will take place on w/c 5th October 2025 in person in Hockley, Nottingham City Centre.
