Background to the role

Orchestras Live believes orchestras are for everyone. We are a national producer and create projects where music and creativity can thrive. We work with communities across England to forge new opportunities and access to world-class orchestral experiences. Celebrating 60 years of impact, we have collaborated with artistic and community partners to pioneer innovative approaches in co-creation, place-making, community cohesion, orchestral programming, digital production, and cultural regeneration in historically under-invested areas. Our work has established us as a sector leader, with a strong focus on creative health, music education, and diversity and inclusion. We receive funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. Our other principal funding sources are co-investment from local partners (local authorities, music hubs, community organisations), grants from private trusts and foundations and earned income through Business Innovation. Orchestras Live collaborates with a rich array of partners in the Midlands. In addition, the Regional Producer – Midlands will explore opportunities to establish new relationships in the region which meet Orchestras Live’s long-term aim to increase its impact through a range of diverse partnerships.

The role

The Regional Producer – Midlands is a creative, strategic and entrepreneurial role with an emphasis on co-production with an extensive range of current partners and programmes in and around East and West Midlands and a few strategic, long-term promoter partners in the South of England. The post is based in the Midlands.

Orchestras Live Regional Producer – Midlands fulfils a key role in the organisation’s structure, designed to support our national footprint through regional delivery. This role sits alongside the Regional Producers for the North and East in our Production team, which includes Community Impact Coordinators for each of the regions. The successful post holder will report to the Chief Executive and line manage the Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands.

As a champion for Orchestras Live’s ethos that orchestras are for everyone, you will develop place-based programmes that engage people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly in historically under-invested, non-metropolitan communities in England, in creating place-based work that harnesses the transformative power of orchestral music to inspire, bring joy and support wellbeing. As a co-producer you will assemble creative teams, including world-class professional orchestras, diverse artists, creatives and emerging music leaders, to work with local communities.

You will join a focused, experienced, supportive team to contribute to Orchestras Live’s unique thought leadership role in the sector, influencing change to address inequalities in the sector, both within the orchestral workforce and our audiences and participants.

What you will do

The Regional Producer – Midlands will report to the Chief Executive, supported by the Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands and liaising closely with the Production Team. You will be working closely with colleagues in the Stakeholder Engagement team (Development, Business Innovation, Impact and Insight and Communications).

You will drive a strategy to support and develop the regional and local partner network, fostering consultation and collaboration across the network in order to deliver Orchestras Live’s business plan priorities.

Day to day, the work is very varied, ranging from periods of intense project activity to periods of partnership/relationship building and planning. There is a mix of desk-based and on-site work.

The work consists of four core elements:

Partnership development and programme delivery

Provide the regional focus to develop and coordinate a programme of innovative, collaborative, inclusive orchestral projects and events, for which Orchestras Live is the creative producer, to engage audiences and participants in high quality live orchestral experiences, largely in the East and West Midlands through the following:

• Lead creative development and maintain strong and effective partnerships with a specified portfolio of Orchestras Live’s existing partners
• Liaise with producer colleagues to maintain a coherent approach to partnership management, aligned with Orchestras Live’s business plan.
• In consultation with the Chief Executive, Producer Team, Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands and Head of Development, identify and build new opportunities for strategic partnerships e.g. with local authorities, music hubs, social and health care providers, promoters and orchestras, with a focus on historically under-invested communities, in the Midlands.
• In consultation with the Chief Executive and Business Development and Innovation Associate, identify and build new opportunities for paid consultancy services in the Midlands.
• In consultation with the Regional Producers for the North and East, implement delivery of national programmes at a regional/local level with specific Midlands partners.
• Work proactively with artistic partners to embed inclusive practice and achieve measurable progress in diversifying the orchestral and creative workforce, audience and participant base.
• Liaise with our co-production partners to consider and mitigate environmental impact in developing activity.

Impact and advocacy

• Work closely with the Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands and Production, Data and Insight Analyst to monitor, evaluate and report on the impact of Orchestras Live’s activity in the Midlands.
• Liaise and collaborate on a regular basis with the Production, Data and Insight Analyst, together with the Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands, to supply financial, engagement, audience and other monitoring data as required.
• Support the work of the Communications team through creation of content across a range of platforms.
• Use an evidence-based approach to demonstrate the impact of our work across the region, including application of the Social Value Engine to calculate a social return on investment for projects.
• Represent and advocate for Orchestras Live to a wide range of stakeholders, building an active and notable presence in the region.

Strategic Leads Team

• Collaborate with fellow Regional Producers to develop Orchestras Live’s artistic strategy.
• In consultation with the Chief Executive, provide internal leadership to support delivery of Orchestras Live’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Delivery Strategy.
• Collaborate with fellow Regional Producers to develop digital work that adds a new layer to Orchestras Live's co-curation role with existing and new promoter partners.
• In consultation with the Business Development and Innovation Associate and Chief Executive, identify opportunities to capitalise on Orchestras Live’s specialist expertise to provide consultancy services to clients in the Midlands.
• In consultation with the Communications Strategist, deliver a strategic regional communications plan to support the national brand and engage with Orchestras Live’s thought leadership strategy to influence positive change in the orchestral sector.
• Support the Funding Development Team to identify funding opportunities for Midlands projects.

Line Management

• Provide line management for the Community Impact Coordinator – Midlands,

- identifying areas of focus and planning workflow

- overseeing day to day activities

- ensuring internal and external reporting requirements are met

- supporting skills development

- providing the first contact point for problem solving and support

- conducting bi-annual appraisals

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• The position is full time.
• Confirmation of the position is subject to a 4-month probationary period.
• The normal place of work will be your home, in East or West Midlands. Orchestras Live’s registered office is in Leeds, with an ancillary office in London; the team meets regularly – in person in either office and/or virtually.
• The salary will be £40,200.
• Expenses for necessary travel will be reimbursed on receipt of monthly claims and receipts. 
• The annual leave will be 25 days plus Bank Holidays/Extra Statutory Days. 
• Orchestras Live’s workplace pension provider is the Local Government Pension Scheme run by the Essex Pension Fund.
• After 1 month’s service, notice can be served by either party, giving three months’ written notice of intent.

Find out more

• About us
• About the role
• Who we are looking for
• How to apply
• Read a copy of our inclusion statement

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