We are looking for a new member of our Improbable team, a Facilitation and Open Space Programme Lead. We’re at an exciting moment in the company’s story, we’re making shows like My Neighbour Totoro with the RSC and An Improbable Musical which is touring this Autumn. We’re running Devoted and Disgruntled, starting new programmes of work like Improbable for Business and importantly following clues for The Gathering, our search for a home.

We’re looking for a couple of new team members at the moment and one of these is the Facilitation and Open Space Programme Lead. This role has some tasks associated with it like managing and facilitating our annual Devoted & Disgruntled event series, and developing Open Space conversations with organisations inside and outside of the performing arts sector. You can read the job specification here which tells you about the tasks we imagine this person regularly working on.

However we are looking for someone who feels deeply passionately about the power of Open Space and improvisation to bring people together, to spark conversation and challenge. Someone who enjoys the irregular and responsive nature of working in a small, pretty fast paced and busy team, someone who is plugged into the challenges facing our sector and our world and who has the entrepreneurial spirit to seek out ways to address these challenges. On any given week you might be liaising with a renowned theatre company to produce a series of Open Space events connected to one of our on-stage works, be travelling across the country to deliver an Open Space conversation for a health charity, chatting to leading arts industry figures about the key issues facing our sector and exploring ways to address those in the next Devoted & Disgruntled.

What the job spec doesn’t tell you about is the spirit of the company, so we have also written a Spirit Ad. Not to list the spirit needed by the person in the role because the specific thing about spirit is that it does not belong to anyone. It exists between people. An understanding of this is at the heart of the company's practice, that the brilliance of the work, be that an Opera, an Impro, or an Open Space event, does not lie in any one person's singular stellar performance, but in the atmosphere between the players, amongst the audience - between all the participants, it emerges. Much like in a poem, the meaning unfolds from the combination of the words and their particular clustering, their constellation.

We care as much about finding someone who is excited about the company, the work and the spirit as we do about the experience and skills you bring.

People from diverse backgrounds, in every sense of the word, are encouraged to approach us. Unlikely, implausible and improbable applicants, are, by definition, extremely welcome.

Job Specification

We are looking for a collaborator to join our team. Below you will find some specifics about the job. Just as important is finding someone who is excited about the work and spirit of the company, so read our Spirit Ad too.

We are purposefully keeping this job specification as light as possible to encourage people from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible to apply. You might have worked in theatre before, you might not. You might have a degree, A levels, GCSEs etc, you might not.

We do not expect you to have experience in all of the things that this job will entail and we will offer any training needed to the person who joins us.

About the Role

This role exists to shape and deliver Improbable’s facilitation work. This includes Open Space events, we have two existing programmes and running which will form the core of the role, Devoted & Disgruntled and Open Space for Hire. We also work with a lot of other improvisation-based practises and techniques to hold events and workshops (for example WorldWork & World Cafe) and this role will lead all work in this area. You will:

Collaborate with Improbable’s artistic leadership to programme all facilitated work including Devoted & Disgruntled and Open Space for Hire

Manage planning and delivery of all facilitated programmes (Devoted & Disgruntled, Open Space for Hire, WorldWork, World Cafe etc) including scheduling, budget management including income generation where appropriate, booking teams, event management, facilitation, and evaluation

Facilitate events where appropriate (in person and online)

Represent Improbable’s facilitated programme to a range of internal and external stakeholders

Devoted & Disgruntled

Lead and facilitate Devoted & Disgruntled - Improbable’s events for the performing arts sector including an annual 2.5 day core event and a programme of satellite events throughout the year. You will:

Lead on securing and negotiating partnership agreements with host venues and organisations

Coordinate the writing and release of the invitation for each event

Lead on the access provision for each event

Market each event as required

Support technical delivery as appropriate

Promote sales and manage ticketing systems

Ensure appropriate staffing

Facilitate at events and/or engage and contract freelance facilitators

Manage all logistics for the event including travel, accommodation (where necessary) and catering

Act as lead contact for other arts organisations wishing to host D&D Satellites and produce these events and manage these relationships

Run the D&D social media pages and work with the Operations and Finance Administrator to run the website and promote activity accordingly

Open Space for Hire

Shape Improbable’s strategy for securing and facilitating Open Space events for organisations outwith the performing arts sector, working closely with the Executive Director. You will:

Lead on the delivery of this strategy, taking responsibility for the OS for Hire income target and managing relationships with clients from initial enquiry to aftercare

Develop a strategy for securing new Open Space clients within and beyond the arts sector, and lead pitches to these clients. Supported by the Executive Director

Produce Open Space events for external clients, including but not limited to identifying a suitable venue, securing staffing and supporting the creation of the invitation. Where appropriate also engaging in facilitation.

Work with the Development Officer to develop a strategy for bringing together OS for Hire and Improbable for Business to build a lucrative and cohesive corporate income generating plan

Other Projects & Events

Stay alert to current issues in the sector and proactively identify where Open Space could be helpful to work on an issue

Work with the Executive Producer to seek out opportunities for OS events around Improbable’s wider artistic programme

Work to develop ongoing and one-off partnerships where Improbable’s processes can be useful.

Connect and lead space we hold across our programme including around shows and through The Gathering.

General

Ensure OS events are accessible to all potential attendees and proactively research new ways to integrate accessibility into OS

Be responsible for OS budgets, reporting to the Executive Director on income and expenditure

To be an ambassador for the Company and act on Improbable’s values and principles

Ensure Improbable has a good pool of OS facilitators and coordinators available, including training new people and proactively managing existing relationships

Be an advocate for Open Space and Improbable

Participate in internal Improbable meetings and events

To fulfil any other duties as reasonably requested by the Executive Director, Executive Producer or Co-Artistic Directors



This list is indicative and specific duties may change.