Opportunity: WAF Dance Showcase Producer

We are seeking a Dance Producer to work in collaboration with several local dance organisations, artists and community groups to co-design and deliver a dance showcase in the Lombard Road / Falcon Road / York Road focus point area as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2022.  

The WAF Dance Showcase will be an important strand of the Fringe programme this year, and will support artists, local organisations and community groups in coming together to present an exciting and inclusive programme of dance in the Lombard Road area. It will be supported by a self-contained budget that will cover the Producer’s fee, operational costs and a modest gap programming budget.  

Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF) is an open access festival as opposed to a programmed festival. This means that the festival is very much reliant on artists, companies and community groups wanting to be part of the festival and the cultural life of the borough. The festival is emphatically inclusive and welcomes participation from artists across all art forms - including street performances, exhibitions, comedy, theatre, music, dance and everything in between. The festival will take place indoor, outdoor and digitally all over Wandsworth from 10 to 26 June 2022. 

Fee and working conditions 

This freelance contract is expected to last from January to July 2022 and cover 30 - 40 days of work, including weekend work during the festival dates, for a total fee of £4,500. The number of days could potentially be increased with further fundraising. Applicants must be available for the duration of the festival, 10 - 26 June 2022.

This fee is inclusive of all expenses and VAT, however access costs will be paid on top - provided they are agreed in advance and in writing. 

The Dance Showcase Producer could work either from their own home office or from the Town Hall but would be expected to visit showcase venues and attend some meetings in person. Please note that you will be expected to be on site during the showcase main events.  

The Dance Showcase Producer will be supported and managed by Wandsworth Arts & Culture Programme & Partnerships Manager and work alongside the Festival Producer. 

Responsibilities 

The Dance Showcase Producer will be expected to: 

• • Bring together the various venues and dance organisations within the area and encourage them to play an active part in co-designing the showcase – the festival has already received many Expressions of Interest from relevant companies, artists and community groups to take part 
  • Support WAF with additional fund-raising (which could support additional producing days, programming and audience engagement opportunities) 
  • Identify and negotiate an outdoor performing space within the focal point area 
  • Liaise with existing venues (Royal Academy of Dance and London Children’s Ballet) 
  • Shape the programme by pooling artists and projects together to form coherent events  
  • Support all participating artists and venues, acting as the main point of contact to mainstream communications and arrangements 
  • Ensure that any artist with specific needs can take part in the showcase and that audiences’ needs are catered for 
  • Identify any gaps in provision and source local or professional companies to fill them, keeping the local strategic objectives of collaboration in mind 
  • Contract any programmed work using Council’s templates and liaise with them to collate their supplier details 
  • Identify audience engagement opportunities in the lead up to the festival and during the showcase 
  • Liaise with the festival’s Marketing Department to ensure they have a good understanding of the structure of the showcase and the finalised programme of events 
  • Identify and coordinate specific operational needs that cannot be met directly by the host venues 
  • Ensure that the Dance Showcase is delivered on-time and within budget 
  • Provide a short evaluation report, identifying successes and areas for improvement, and suggesting legacy programmes and funding avenues. 

How to apply 

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter detailing your relevant experience, what you think you will bring to the role and your availability, to Lelia.Greci@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk, by Monday 24 January at 10am. Please note that the Council reserves the right to close this opportunity early if a sufficient number of strong applications have been received.