Project Lead – Ark Music Scholars

Pay: Project fee February – August £6,160 (Opportunity to renew engagement from 1st September as a 12-month engagement at £10,560)

This role presents the opportunity for a project lead who is fully committed to equity of access and opportunity in music education. Your work will be detail-orientated and impact-driven, delivering a purposeful programme and suite of events which truly make a difference to our young people’s lives.

As the scholars’ lead, you’ll be responsible for all aspects of the programme, including ensuring that any scholars entered for Gold Arts Award achieve the qualification.

Though we have established partnerships with a number of organisations and Artists, the ideal candidate will also have their own relationships and be able to identify pathways and next steps for our scholars.

Key Responsibilities

This role offers the opportunity to think creatively and develop a programme. You will be wholly responsible for the management of the scholarship cohort. This includes:

• Holding oversight of the programme, ensuring that the activities, fund allocation and scholar benefits are purposeful and supportive of their goals
• Identifying opportunities to bring scholars together through masterclasses, gigs and other events which will inspire them and accelerate their musical progress
• Leading and running all scholars away days, the Residential and the end of programme showcase
• Overseeing the evaluation of the programme, undertaking case studies and questionnaires, and end-of-year reporting
• Ensuring key stakeholders are kept up to date (including schools, parents and scholars, liaising with teachers, DSLs and SENCOs where necessary) to ensure that scholars are supported as best as possible
• Managing relationships with venues and suppliers for away days, the residential and the showcase
• Holding relationships with key venues and Artists connected to the programme
• Briefing, directing and working closely with all Artists, mentors and organisations working with the scholars
• Overseeing the budget for the programme ensuring it’s cost-effective whilst remaining ambitious and manageable
• Reporting regularly to the Music Programme Manager to update on progress
• Writing the end of scholarship report to be shared with funders
• Working with the scholars directly to ensure they have achieved goals set on their Personal Development Plan (which may include Gold Arts Award) and there is a clear legacy pathway for each scholar.
• Ensure that planning is complete for the programme in the following academic year with recruitment information sent to schools in June/early July

Please note that this is a non-exhaustive list, to serve purely as a guide and is not wholly comprehensive or restrictive.

Person Specification

Experience, knowledge and skills:

• Experience leading impactful, youth-centred programmes, and working with others to co-design purposeful programmes according to young people’s needs
• Solid project management experience, following a project through from the initial planning stages, to delivery, to post-project reporting
• Experience with the complex nature of working with multiple schools, juggling their varying needs and priorities, and lightening teacher workload as best possible
• Able to brief and lead a wide range of Artists, organisations and suppliers so that they work purposefully and to a goal.

Personal characteristics:

• Positive and motivated, action-oriented style
• Confident and capable in managing varying workload and prioritising time effectively
• A keen eye for detail
• Reflective, emotionally literate and highly collaborative

Values and alignment:

• Genuine passion and a belief in the artistic potential of every young person
• Values creativity in all its forms
• Recognise and equally value all types of music and musician
• Recognition of the importance of smooth operations and administrative systems in supporting creative outcomes for young people

Requirements of the role:

• Right to work in the UK (essential)

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.