Tinderbox Youth & Community 2017/18

JOB DESCRIPTION

Role: Youth Worker (freelance)

Job Summary: Providing support to young participants and teaching team at weekly music workshops at North Edinburgh Arts. These workshops will come together with others across the city to form an exciting and collaborative youth music collective and a unique and contemporary youth orchestra.

Dates:

• Two terms between 31st October 2017 and 27th March 2018. Workshops on various days and times, see below for details.
• A compulsory training/induction session on Tuesday 31st October 5pm – 8:30pm.
• A compulsory training session on Tuesday 23^rd January 5pm – 8:30pm.
• Other group meetings, workshops, rehearsals and concerts will also be arranged in the course of the project.

Pay offered:

• Fixed fee of £45 for workshops, inclusive of any set-up time, preparation and admin required for the workshops.
• Any additional tutoring work required will be paid at a rate of £15/hr for delivery/engagement time (time spent actually working with the group).
• Any additional group meetings, admin or preparation work must be agreed with the Lead Tutor and will be paid at £12.50/hr.

Note: Most workshops will be paid at the fixed fee above, and any additional work will be discussed and arranged at the rates described. If there is significant or unexpected extra work (or work of a different nature/timeframe) that comes up during the project we will try to support this within the budget, or help manage the workload using the people and resources we have available.

Application Deadline: Midnight on Sunday 22nd October 2017.

Job description:

You will be part of a large team of Lead Tutors, Assistant Tutors, Apprentices, Youth Workers, and Volunteers, all working together to build an alternative and accessible youth music collective and orchestra, and to inspire young people in music who may not otherwise have these opportunities.  This team will be working with young people and communities groups across Edinburgh from highly diverse backgrounds and with various support needs, and we will try to bring everyone together through inspiring creative projects and events.

For this Youth Worker post, you will be responsible for ensuring the safety, well-being and inclusivity of music workshops and events with a group of young people.  The music workshops take place across several groups of varying sizes and backgrounds. These groups will all come together in different ways, performing with and alongside each other at events, and combining to form an orchestra playing their music.

Primary Youth Work engagement will take place on Tuesday evenings at North Edinburgh Arts in Muirhouse.  Teams of Lead Tutors, Assistant Tutors, Apprentices and Volunteers operate throughout several spaces in the centre, providing a range of accessible music lessons for children and young people of ages 8 – 25 years, both local and from around Edinburgh city. The hub is open to anyone with or without a background in music, and instruments can be provided at the sessions from a bank of equipment belonging to Tinderbox.

The groups have widely varying needs, structures, ages and behaviours, so we will have to be flexible and adaptive to bring to life what the different groups achieve in the best way possible, and in how we bring the different groups together as well. Successful applicants will primarily assist the team in maintaining a positive and efficient group dynamic, ensuring all participants are supported equally.

With each group we would like to work on some original material from the group, as well as teaching some basic parts of one or more pieces so everyone can perform together in the orchestra.  The groups have widely varying needs, structures, ages and behaviours, so we will have to be flexible and adaptive to bring to life what the different groups achieve in the best way possible, and in how we bring the different groups together as well.

Duties & Responsibilities

• To nurture a safe, welcoming and positive creative environment at designated workshops, rehearsals and performances, promoting consistent standards of behaviour.
• To give particular attention and support to young people who might be disengaging in group activities.
• To work with project management and Lead Tutors to help deliver and assist with the workshops specifically with regards to participant support and behavioural needs.
• To liaise with the project managers to ensure all organisational and logistical details are in place to assist your work.
• To be sensitive to the varied needs of all participants, encouraging and enthusiastic of positive participant ideas and suggestions, and establish an approachable and supportive point of contact at workshops, rehearsals, performances and other events.
• To be aware of behavioural needs of participants, and instigate reasonable and responsible disciplinary actions when required.
• To assist with registration/sign-out and supervision of participants and groups whilst at workshops, rehearsals, performances and other events.
• To assist with health & safety and child protection awareness in regards to supporting the team fulfill their roles and duties safely.
• To attend meetings and training events when required.
• To write a case study of a participant you have worked with to be completed by 15th April 2018 (support for this will be provided if needed).
• To write a short personal account of your experience to be completed by 15th April 2018 (support for this will be provided if needed).
• To complete a short evaluation of each week and update the project manager (feedback spreadsheet and/or direct contact with lead tutor/project manager).
• To generally contribute to discussion and work as part of a team to build and shape the project as it evolves.
• To familiarise yourself with the Tinderbox Project Child Protection Code of Conduct.
• To be aware of and comply with any child-safety regulations and other policies & procedures of Tinderbox and any partner organisations you may be working with.

Person Specification:

To be suitable candidate for this post you should be:

• Highly experienced in youth and community work settings.
• Be qualified in or have a good and demonstrable level of understanding of Child Protection and Health & Safety laws.
• Responsible, reliable and punctual.
• Resourceful and able to adapt to changing plans or circumstances, which is often necessary due to the nature of the groups we work with.
• Friendly and able to communicate well with young people.
• Experienced or interested in music and/or the arts.

Essential Experience:

• Work-experience within youth & community work settings, such as group teaching or group music workshops.
• Work-experience with vulnerable groups and young people with behavioural support needs.
• A level of musical ability and experience playing with others in bands or ensembles is preferred but not essential for this post.

Dates and Times:

Term dates and workshop times are outlined below. All apprentices will ideally work at the Tuesday Night hubs at North Edinburgh Arts with the possibility of working at other workshops by arrangement with the Lead Tutor.

• Term 1: 31st October – 19^th December 2017
• Term 2: 23rd January – 27th March 2018

Currently the days/times for the different workshops are scheduled as below, though these may be subject to change depending on the needs of the group. These include set-up time for the workshops.

• Tuesdays, 5pm – 8.30pm – Tinderbox Youth & Community Hub at North Edinburgh Arts
• Thursdays 3:30pm – 5pm – Tinderbox Youth & Community Sessions at Craigroyston High School.
• Other workshops will be arranged throughout the course of the programme.

There will be a training and induction session on Tuesday 31st October (5 – 830pm at North Edinburgh Arts)

Collaborating Groups & Organisations:

The core youth and community groups involved in the project are (with other partners/contributors potentially becoming involved as the project develops):

• Kaimes School – working with young people with autism and additional support needs.
• Rock Trust – Charity working with young people around homeless issues.
• Muirhouse Youth Development Group – Drop in youth hubs at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project and North Edinburgh Arts centre.
• Tinderbox Youth & Community Music Hub at North Edinburgh Arts – central music hub for the project.
• Tinderbox Orchestras – Part of the wider Tinderbox Collective, these are contemporary youth orchestras for more experienced young musicians. The groups often collaborate and perform together.
• Craigroyston Community High School.
• Tomorrow’s People – Giving young unemployed people the confidence and the skills to find work, succeed in their new role, realise their potential, and value themselves.
• Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity – Transforming the experiences of children and young people in hospital so they can be a child first and a patient second.

The key aims of the project are:

• Engaging young people in music who would not otherwise access these type of opportunities.
• Creating opportunities for young people of diverse and often isolated and vulnerable backgrounds to take part in positive activities, meet and work with new people, and engage with wider networks.
• Developing an all-inclusive and contemporary youth orchestra, accessible to young people who do not play any music through to experienced young musicians.
• To build and grow an exciting and diverse creative collective of young people in Edinburgh.
• To build a sustainable and lasting youth music hub in North Edinburgh Arts Centre as a base for Tinderbox Youth and Community, and a place where young people can continue to attend if and when these workshops end.

Applications:

Applications should consist of a cover letter detailing your experience and interest in the position, and a recent CV including a reference.

Please email your application to admin@tinderboxcollective.org by Midnight on Sunday 22nd October.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend an interview to discuss the project and position.

If you have any questions or for an informal chat about the post, please contact Jed Milroy at jed@tinderboxcollective.org  or 07815 901429