Call for proposals: ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme facilitators in SA

4 Apr 2023 - 12:20

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) in South Africa is inviting proposals for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme for the 2023 iteration of the programme.

Arts & Culture Trust interim CEO Jessica Denyschen.

The call is designed for the following programme personnel:

Visual and digital arts mentor.
Performing arts assistant mentor.
Artistic director.
Stage manager

Visual and digital arts mentor and performing arts assistant mentor

Description

ACT is looking for a visual and digital arts mentor and performing arts assistant mentor for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarships Programme to provide participants theoretical instruction in service of the practical skills and techniques through conducting bi-weekly workshops from 10 June to 19 August 2023.

Duties will include the following:

To develop workshop outlines and compile course material in accordance with ACT requirements.
Conduct hybrid auditions and advise on candidate selection for the programme.
Facilitate bi-weekly online workshops that will incorporate various activities and tasks within the relevant arts discipline.
Support the creation process of creative work developed by programme participants in preparation for monthly evaluative ratings.
Work with each participant to nurture their artistic development and hone their creative skills.
Advise and motivate participants in developing the intrapersonal attitudes that will assist them in achieving and sustaining their full potential.
Assist participants with crucial tools and techniques to accessing new arts opportunities and existing community or provincial resources.
Monitor participants’ progress and critically evaluate their knowledge and performance based on a standard ACT criterion to determine programme finalists.
Prepare the relevant monitoring, evaluation and reporting of activities in accordance with ACT requirements.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Be a South African citizen.
Be available for five months (April – August 2023).
Have a qualification in digital and visual arts/musical theatre, performing arts or related fields.
Have a minimum of five years’ experience of arts practice as a musical theatre or performing arts professional.
Have thorough knowledge of current practice, resources, and available opportunities in multiple fields of the arts.
Have an extensive and diverse professional network that can add value to the workshops for the empowerment of the participants.
Be able to work with and direct young, inexperienced talent.
Have experience delivering online workshops.
Have experience with digital technologies to support online learning.
Have an ability to build trust through consistency and commitment, follow through, respecting boundaries, and tactful in disagreements/dissatisfaction.
Provide corrective feedback and encourage positive reinforcement.
Have an ability to identify goals and current reality through building an ability to talk to vision and dreams and recognising how to bridge the gap.
Develop capabilities through providing resources and asking thought provoking questions.
Be inspiring by modelling self, providing other inspirational examples, challenging mentees to rise and inspire their own greatness.
Possess a large suite of interpersonal skills, including:
- Personal and artistic sensitivity.
- Aesthetic acuity.
- Excellent communication and organisation skills.
- Confidence to lead and inspire participants through a potentially difficult, unpredictable, and fast process.
- Multitasking.
- Problem solver.
- Reliable.
- Excellent time management skills
Have an ability to keep accurate records and to strictly follow guidelines and procedures.

Artistic director

Description

ACT is looking for a production artistic director that will be responsible for and facilitating the Performing Arts segment of the programme ‘finals month and preparation’, which will be hybrid (online and in person), from 1 September to 6 October 2023, and conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme Gala Event on 7 October 2023.

Duties will include the following:

Development and articulation of a clear and distinctive artistic vision, which provides the framework for a curated performance piece for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme Gala Event.
Create a unique, creative and unified vision for the overall production honouring the overarching theme and concept in terms of performance and theatrical design.
Application of coaching techniques to support and encourage quality individual and group performances.
Usage of provided programme theme to successfully stage socially conscious, thought-provoking work that illuminates the event experience and attracts opportunities for finalists.
Ensure that the curated piece conforms to the event adjudication standards and requirements.
Prepare the relevant monitoring, evaluation and reporting of activities in accordance with ACT requirements.

Eligibility

Must:

Be a South African citizen.
Be available for two months (September – October 2023).
Have a qualification in Musical Theatre, Performing Arts or related field.
Have a minimum of ten years’ experience in practical training as a performance artist and director.
Possess a strong knowledge of stagecraft, staging/choreography and tech design.
Be involved with set design, costumes, lights, sound, props, stage management, and graphics.
Be able to think critically and analytically about the script/text and the overarching concept.
Must understand how to facilitate the collaborative process and synthesise the efforts of both the creative and technical aspects.
Be able to work with and direct young, inexperienced talent.
Experience of delivering online workshops.
Experience with digital technologies to support online learning.
Possess a large suite of interpersonal skills, including:
- Personal and artistic sensitivity.
- Aesthetic acuity.
- Excellent communication and organisation skills.
- Confidence to lead and inspire participants through a potentially difficult, unpredictable and fast process.
- Multitasking.
- Problem solver.
- Reliable.
- Excellent time management skills
An ability to keep accurate records and to strictly follow guidelines and procedures.

Stage manager

Description

ACT is looking for a stage manager that will be responsible for coordinating the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme production from rehearsals to performances, working alongside the artistic director to ensure that the production is successful. The Stage Manager will be working with the artistic director during finals week from 1-6 October 2022 and execute the technical support for the artistic vision and focus for the ACT Nyoloha Scholarship Programme Gala Event on 7 October 2023.

Duties will include the following:

Create and set up rehearsal schedules.
Managing furniture and props.
Arrange costume and fittings.
Liaise with the artistic director and collate information.
Supervise the ‘get in’ and ‘get out’ (When the set, lighting and sound are installed and removed from the space)
Create a prompt script compiled with notes on finalists’ cues and requirements for props, lighting and sound.
Make alterations to the set and props between scene changes.
Cue the lighting and sound technicians.
Manage the backstage and onstage area during performances (rehearsals and Gala Event).
An ability to keep accurate records and to strictly follow guidelines and procedures.
Prepare the relevant monitoring, evaluation and reporting of activities in accordance with ACT requirements.

Eligibility

Must:

Be a South African citizen.
Be available for a week (1 – 7 October 2023).
Have relevant training and/or certifications as a stage manager.
Have proven work experience as a Stage Manager or similar role for a minimum of three years.
Have computer skills and understanding of current technology.
Have the ability to work under pressure.
Have a sharp eye for detail.
Have an ability to keep accurate records and to strictly follow guidelines and procedures.

In consideration of the above-mentioned theme and the duties listed in the specifications, ACT request the following from applicants:

A concept proposal for the three-month bi-weekly workshops of the programme from 10 June to 19 August 2023 for the visual and digital arts mentor and performing arts assistant mentor positions.
A full sample show proposal for the gala event on 8 October 2023 for the artistic director position.

To apply for these opportunities, applicants should click here to complete the RFP form and upload the following supporting documents: