Opportunities
Be part of PaddleBoat Theatre CIC's Oversight Group
New Oversight Group Members - would you like to join us?
We are looking for new individuals to join our governing board as PaddleBoat looks towards the future. We are looking for new Oversight Members to join us as we work towards becoming an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.
Who We Are
Born from the vibrant city of Exeter, PaddleBoat is committed to delivering high-quality productions and exciting workshops for children and families across the South West. At the heart of PaddleBoat’s work is the desire to inspire the imagination in all.
PaddleBoat believes in ‘Theatre With’ – our ethos that declares we will not create work in isolation, but instead will collaborate directly with children, families and local professionals to create experiences (productions, workshops and books) that are playful and enjoyable for all ages; full of surprises and packed with adventure.
We aim to bring theatre to those who may not have the opportunity to normally experience it - whether that’s because of socio-economic deprivation or lack of access in mainstream theatres for young people who have communication or sensory needs.
Strands of Work
SCHOOLS RESIDENCY
PaddleBoat engage with over 400 children every year in our developmental residencies. Our work is long term and embedded - we create lasting links with schools, often working with one class over a term or more. This enables our work to have a lasting impact on the young people we work with. School residencies form the backbone of our work throughout the year, and we are committed to raising aspirations and talent progression amongst the young people we work with. We support young people as they progress through school to ensure that creativity is embedded within their learning experience.
HIGH QUALITY THEATRE SHOWS
On average, PaddleBoat creates a new professional show once a year. The work we do in schools often feeds into the creation of our show - we use our working model of ‘Theatre With’ to workshop ideas of our new show within our school residencies. Young people often directly influence the creation of our professional touring work. This ensures that our performances remain relevant & accessible to young people. It also allows us to champion young people’s voices in this process and create shows that celebrate their creativity. We are committed to enabling access to the arts for all, and embed this in our shows - performances often include Sign Supported English, sensory storytelling & audio description. We don’t brand any of our work ‘Relaxed’, but create a performance environment where all young people can access and enjoy our work.
TOURING TO THEATRES, SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY SPACES
Touring our professional shows across the South West is a large part of our yearly output. We particularly enjoy collaborating with rural touring networks to reach audiences who rely on touring work to access high quality theatre. Over the course of a year, PaddleBoat reach over 10,000 audience members.
This is across schools, village halls, theatres and outdoor venues. Shows in a range of venues allow us to engage audiences who are experiencing theatre for the first time. Each year we build our audiences, with both new and familiar families joining us.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
During the school holidays, we offer bespoke Theatre Weeks. These intensive week long projects offer young people the chance to learn new skills and perform in professional theatres. We have partnered with Exeter Northcott Theatre and Exeter Phoenix for these. We also run shorter, family drama days or drop in workshops, often partnering with venues such as Topsham Museum, RAMM & Libraries Unlimited. These give families the chance to try drama as a family unit and engage with PaddleBoat for the first time, often leading to long term engagement with our company.
Who We Are Looking For
We are excited to invite individuals who support and champion PaddleBoat Theatre’s work with young people and families in the South West. We want to work with people who understand the company’s roots and to help steer PaddleBoat into the future.
We are looking for experts who can guide PaddleBoat’s journey to becoming an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and help us deliver our next three years of activity for young people and their families.
We are committed to ensuring our organisation is more representative in every aspect of its being, from the make-up of our workforce, to where and how we tell our stories. We welcome applications from people with a wide variety of lived experiences and backgrounds to challenge us with new perspectives and ideas. We are passionate about removing barriers for all and will work hard to ensure our board is inclusive and accessible. Please get in touch with any specific access needs.
We are looking for people with experience in the following areas:
-
Inclusivity and accessible work (in theatre and/or education)
-
High quality theatre work (as creators, curators and producers)
-
Schools delivery (as an educator, producer or parent)
-
Marketing (including social media and inclusion)
-
Finance and budgeting
-
Partnerships and best practise with hard to reach audiences.
Being a Board Member for PaddleBoat Theatre CIC brings an opportunity to play a pivotal role in the direction of an inclusive, sector leading organisation. It is a chance to join in discussion, share ideas to benefit the community, work towards a common goal and gain valuable experience of strong governance.
What Are You Committing to?
Members are expected to:
-
Act independently
-
Attend quarterly Board Meetings
-
Attend productions &/or participatory projects whenever possible
-
Oversee budgets
-
Discuss, decide and review policies and reports
-
Make sure PaddleBoat Theatre CIC stays within the law and its constitution
-
Act independently from the executive to take responsibility for grant funding agreements
-
Provide general support for PaddleBoat Theatre CIC and in particular for its management team
-
Act as a spokesperson and advocate for PaddleBoat Theatre
Board members are elected on a three year term of office, renewable a maximum of twice.
Meetings and meeting resources will be inclusive and fully accessible. Meetings will either take place in Exeter or virtually or a mixture of both.
Please email hattie@paddleboattheatre.co.uk to register your interest in joining our Oversight Group