|
Details of, and guidlines for, the 5 new theatre for young people franchises for Wales |
|
1 Introduction The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) invites applications for five time limited Funding agreements to develop Theatre for Young People (TYP) as a national network across Wales. These will be offered for a period of three years (from April 2000 to March 2003), with possible extensions for each agreement for a further two years. The underpinning concept of the new network will be regional identity within a national framework. Each ACW Funding Agreement will refer to a designated area of Wales as a primary service responsibility. Applications are invited from existing companies, new collaborations or other groupings of experienced professionals. Access to quality is at the heart of these new opportunities. Applicants must be able to provide high quality theatre experiences for a large number of young people. ACW aims to ensure productions of international standard for young people in Wales through this new policy and invites bids from a broad range of theatre specialisms and approaches. ACW’s definition of Theatre for Young People is broad and inclusive. Theatre that is relevant to young people in a range of different settings and contexts is encompassed in the definition. Applicants must address professional performance work as a central strand of their application although methods of developing and delivering the work may vary according to context and target groups. Appropriate approaches are not restricted to school based Theatre in Education (TIE). Whatever style of theatre discipline is proposed, applicants must illustrate how broad educational support programmes will be carried out. For example, this may involve teacher liaison groups for school based work, or interactive processes with young people to help develop material relevant to them using community facilities or arts venues. ACW is committed to ensuring that this new national network of organisations includes a comprehensive provision of English and Welsh language theatre. In the event of a company not providing bi-lingual service, there may be a need for financial adjustment if presumably Welsh language provision for that area needs to be provided by another company. Applicants must demonstrate potential to create strong strategic partnerships within Wales exemplified by arrangements with local authorities or with presenting venues. ACW is keen to ensure that quality work is available to the widest possible audience and requires applicants to consider how professional standards will be addressed. 2 Purpose of the Theatre for Young People Funding Agreements The Theatre for Young People Funding Agreements are the result of ACW’s 1998-9 policy and expenditure review which included a comprehensive review of drama strategy, in general, and Theatre for Young People, in particular. Public papers relating to this consultation process are available from ACW. The Theatre for Young People Agreements will assist ACW to fulfil its corporate objectives of increasing access to the arts, to supporting sustainable employment for Welsh artists and to training and creative development. The Theatre for Young People Agreements are established to: · encourage the production, promotion and touring of work of the highest quality; · ensure diversity of opportunity to experience the arts; · strengthen the economic and planning base of the arts; and to fulfil the following objective from ACW’s Arts and Young People strategy: · to develop strategies which increase opportunities for young people to attend performances; · to increase the number of productions, exhibitions and other arts events created specifically to cater for the interests of young people; 3 Planning and delivery arrangements Five areas of Wales will form primary service areas for the five companies selected to deliver the strategy. These five areas will conform largely to the European political constituencies excepting Meirionnydd Nant Conwy which for the purpose of the Theatre for Young People strategy will join the North Wales region. The five service regions will be identified for convenience as follows: · North Wales: Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Wrexham · Mid and West Wales: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Powys. · Western Valleys: Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea · Mid Valleys: Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Vale of Glamorgan · Eastern Valleys: Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen The local authority areas listed will comprise the primary service areas. The Theatre for Young People strategy reflects ACW’s aim to redress imbalances in opportunities for people to enjoy the arts. This aim should be reflected in the programmes of all ACW funded organisations. The following factors should be considered by applicants when developing their proposals in response to later sections below: Location: Funding Agreements with companies serving the North and Mid and West areas will require their location in those areas though will not specify where. Funding Agreements with companies serving the West, Mid and East Valleys areas will specify that the companies are located in the Valleys conurbation in order to bring broader community benefits. Service areas: ACW will expect the primary service areas to provide the majority of touring and production opportunities and partnership funding arrangements. The concept of the Theatre for Young People strategy is regional identity within a national framework and all five companies will be expected to offer performance projects outside their service area and to plan these in co-operation with the other companies. Artistic development: Artistic groups applying for opportunities under the new Theatre for Young People strategy will need to convince ACW that high artistic quality is achievable. This is an opportunity to build new artistic collaborations and celebrate inventiveness, imagination and originality in serving young audiences across Wales. 4 ACW funding to the Theatre for Young People strategy ACW total support to the new national Theatre for Young People Strategy will be £720,000 in 2000-2001, inflation proofed for the following two years (subject to government funding). Applications for the five primary service areas should be made on the ACW figures below. However ACW will decide on final grant figures at its meeting on 15 October 1999. These may alter from the planning figures below after consideration of the applications. The total ACW support for the Theatre for Young People strategy in 2000-2001 will not change. The planning figures for applicants are as follows: Area ACW Planning Figure (£) North Wales 160,000 Mid and West Wales 185,000 West Valleys 125,000 Mid Valleys 125,000 East Valleys 125,000 Total 720,000 In addition to presenting balanced budgets including one of these grants, applicants must provide a brief analysis of how a years activity and operation would be affected were the ACW grant: a)10% less (viz £144,000 for North Wales) b) 10% more (viz £176,000 for North Wales) 5 Eligibility Applicants which do not provide convincing evidence of the following will not be considered in comparative evaluation with other proposals. Proposals must include details in support of the following: · key personnel with a substantial professional knowledge of Wales; · a significant artistic track record including the production of work of high quality and appropriateness for young audiences; · expertise, generally, in work for young people; · knowledge of Wales, particularly the current and possible networks to provide theatre for young people; · administrative and managerial expertise with a track record in managing budgets and resources; · successful planning with other parties to establish shared operational or strategic partnerships · intentions as regards bi-lingual provision; for example to explain why this may not be provided, or how it might be provided. For those who believe they satisfy the criteria above and intend applying, the next step can be taken. 6 Assessment of the Proposals In order for ACW to compare the proposals competing for the Theatre for Young People Funding Agreements, each applicant must supply the following: · which zone or region the applicant wishes to service and relevant qualifications or interests. Subsequent information should refer to the home region and to national touring; · evidence of planned, or attained, local authority financial support; · an artistic policy; · a mission statement and objectives for the first 18 months; · plans for how the company’s artistic programmes will take account of the bi-lingual nature of Wales; · activity plan for year one, with an outline for years two and three; · evidence of support for the quality and innovation of the work proposed; · convincing plans for the housing and operation of the company within Wales; · clear plans for strategic partnerships. These may be with a venue, or consortia of venues; local authority, or consortia of authorities; another company or consortia of companies; · viable financial plans for three years of operation (see pro forma). This must include an assessment of any capital funding needs; · clear plans for acceptable legal structure that allows for limited liability, charitable status and proper processes of managerial accountability; · evidence of the company’s equal opportunities policy (or intention to develop one satisfactorily); · evidence of the company’s arts and disability action plan (or intention to develop one satisfactorily); · evidence of effective working in the broad education and presenting sector. This could be through an intention to engage specialists to assist in some areas of work; · plans to involve young people in the formulation of company ideas; · plans to develop and present new writing and new work; · proposals to employ Welsh artists; · proposals for training and mentoring. 7 Performance Measures Applicants must supply as much quantified detail as possible to illustrate the outputs they would achieve. These must include (for presentation in Wales) estimates of: · the programme of work presented annually; · the number of performances for each production; · the number of young people benefiting from both performance based projects and educational/participation projects; · the number of performer weeks employment over a year; · the ratio of artists costs (including relevant core staff and touring costs) to administrative costs and overheads. 8 Artistic Vision and Scale of Production ACW has no preconceptions about the scale of productions proposed or touring patterns through Wales. However ACW would expect applicants to take account of the existing infrastructures which are, in the main, small scale (e.g. community venues; youth clubs; schools etc.) and middle scale (150 - 500 seater performing arts centres and theatres). This does not exclude plans for site specific or large scale work. The profile of the work can be regional, national and international. Plans submitted should be appropriate, and the touchstone of artistic policy should be professional production of the highest quality for young people. 9 Timescale for Decision Making Before submitting a proposal, applicants may wish to contact Anna Holmes, ACW Senior Dance and Drama Officer, for a preliminary discussion to seek advice on eligibility. This is not mandatory, but the purpose is to give early warning where an applicant may not satisfy eligibility criteria. Any additional information provided or clarification sought from ACW on request will be put in writing and supplied to all prospective applicants. 12 September 1999 Closing date for applications. Please submit 3 copies of your application. These should be addressed to Judy Purdy, Performing Arts Scheme Administrator, Artform Development Division, Arts Council of Wales, Museum Place, Cardiff CF1 3NX. All applications will be scrutinised for eligibility by an Evaluation Panel consisting of three members of the Council along with specialist ACW officers and advisors. Week of 20 September 1999 Applicants which satisfactorily comply with the published criteria will be informed of their selection for the next step in the process and will be invited to attend a presentation and interview with the Evaluation Panel. Weeks of 27 September and 4 October 1999 Presentation and interview with the Evaluation Panel. Friday 15 October Council will make a final decision on Theatre for Young People fixed term agreements. Applicants will be notified of Council’s decision as soon as possible after the Council meeting. It is possible that further negotiations may be needed with each successful applicant and/or the five companies together regarding issues that may not have been anticipated at point of application. 10 Monitoring and Planning ACW expects the five successful organisations to establish fora for sharing future plans to which ACW officers should be invited. The first meeting should be held before December 1999. In addition, organisations will be expected to hold regular management meetings to which ACW officers are invited as observers. ACW will establish fixed term Funding Agreements with each organisation. Each fixed term Agreement will be subject to annual review at which time performance measures will be agreed for the following year. Subject to satisfactory progress, the fixed term agreement could be extended up to five years, with re-advertisement at the end of the fourth year. Artform Development Division June 1999 |
| Arts Council of Wales web site: www.ccc-acw.org.uk |
| Artform Development Division e-mail: |
Thursday, June 17, 1999 |
Older news
stories have been carefully archived.
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999