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Development Manager (Trusts & Foundations)

Employer
Caryl Jenner Productions t/a Unicorn Theatre
Location
London Bridge, London
Salary
£29,000
Closing date
24 Jun 2019

Job Details

Thank you for your interest in the role of Development Manager (Trusts & Foundations) at the Unicorn Theatre.

The Unicorn is committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The Unicorn Vision

The Unicorn is the UK’s leading professional theatre for young audiences, dedicated to inspiring and invigorating young people of all ages, perspectives and abilities, and empowering them to explore the world – on their own terms – through theatre.

Year-round, the Unicorn works with some of the world’s most exciting theatre-makers to produce, present and tour a surprising, innovative and broad range of work that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook.

At the Unicorn, we believe in:

  • bringing art to young people and young people to art
  • pushing the boundaries of what theatre for young audiences can be
  • opening our doors to everyone
  • speaking to the audience of today, not just creating the audience of the future
  • diversity. Because the world is diverse.

At the Unicorn, we strive to push the boundaries of imagination in everything that we do; welcoming families, schools, and young people for unforgettable theatrical experiences that will expand horizons, change perspectives, and challenge how we all see and understand each other.

The Unicorn is committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

What the Unicorn Is

The Unicorn was founded in 1947 by Caryl Jenner, with the aim that ‘the best of theatre for children should be judged on the same high standards of writing, directing, acting and design as the best of adult theatre’, a value which still holds very much true today. Since its early days as a touring company, the Unicorn has become a key player, not only in children’s theatre in the UK but across Europe, and within the ecology of British theatre as a whole. The Unicorn moved into its current purpose-built home in Tooley Street in 2007 and currently stages around 15 shows a year, the majority in-house productions and commissions, and enjoys a reputation as a leading innovator in new work for young audiences.

In August 2018, we welcomed Justin Audibert as our new Artistic Director alongside Anneliese Davidsen (Executive Director). The theatre is subsidised by Arts Council England and is currently the fourth most highly-funded theatre in London, with £1.3m annually committed until 2022.

To spring 2019, the company has produced and presented 156 theatre productions, and toured 30 in the UK and internationally, to young audiences of over 400,000.  The theatre has just announced Justin Audibert’s first season, running from Autumn 2019 to Summer 2020, with another 12 shows in London and on international tour.

The Unicorn has a turnover of £3 million, with over 20% coming from Box Office – with almost all tickets being sold to children at concessionary rates – and a similar amount from fundraising.  The theatre’s audiences are broadly defined as families and schools, and the theatre plays to all ages from six months to adulthood.  We maintain a strong commitment to representing diversity in our audiences as well as on our stages.  The Unicorn has a unique and in-depth Learning Programme in schools, a busy range of Accessible performances, a strong programme of activities out in the wider London community called REACH, and a resident Associate Company, the Phosphoros Young Company.  Commercial activities – café, merchandise, events – are growing fast.  The Unicorn has strong relationships with a number of European theatre makers and companies, with a recent history of co-producing partnerships with and presentations of major overseas work.

The Unicorn’s priorities are:

  • To maintain the Unicorn’s position as an artistic innovator in the cultural life of the UK and beyond
  • To maintain a stable business model
  • To build our reputation and brand, including abroad
  • To work with schools to maintain access to the arts for all London’s children
  • To represent the diversity of London
  • To ensure the future viability of the Unicorn, creating a strong rolling legacy for the theatre’s next custodians.

Working at the Unicorn

The Unicorn is a fast-paced, innovative and extraordinary theatre with big ambitions and big ideas. We programme exceptional theatre for young audiences and work with the most exciting talent in the UK and beyond.  We share great theatre with around 90,000 children and young people every year, and we work hard to reach the widest possible range of audiences.

Every role matters, every contribution is valued and needed.  It's hard work but fun, it's fast paced but meaningful and rewarding.  We're a great team and you will get to work with, and learn about, most areas of the theatre and how it operates just by being here and taking part.  You will make a difference and your work will help the theatre maintain its artistic excellence and social and moral ambitions. 

As one of London’s busiest producing theatres, we work closely with artists and have a reputation for being welcoming, open and supportive.  We're a place where great ideas are generated and great art is made.  Working closely with artists, directors and writers is the fun part of our jobs.  We expect our staff to be self-motivated, ambitious people who enjoy the opportunity and freedom to shape their roles, to make a lasting impact, and to develop their skills and experience.

Development Manager: Trusts & Foundations

Responsible to: Development Director
Responsible for: Work experience placements and other volunteers, occasionally
Working closely with: Development Officer

The UK’s leading theatre for young audiences is looking for an ambitious, dynamic Trusts fundraiser to join the Development team.

In addition to this pivotal role, the Development team currently comprises a Development Director, two part-time Development Executives, and an Officer.  The department is responsible for raising an overall target of around £500k, towards the busy onstage programme, our wide-ranging schools’ and new REACH community initiatives, and our ticket subsidy schemes.  A large part of this income comprises Trust support, including major flagship multi-year grants.  You will work closely with the Development Director to manage and deliver the Trusts strategy for the department and contribute to ambitious overall income targets at the Unicorn.  You will be an energetic, focused fundraiser, with the drive to take on and own substantial targets, a proven track record in developing complex fundraising narratives, and the tenacity to follow applications through to conclusion.

Key responsibilities

  • Working with the Development Director, to focus on achieving the Trusts & Foundations target as part of the wider Development target of £500,000.
  • To manage the delivery of the Trust & Foundations strategy, undertaking research, identifying and cultivating new approaches and putting together dynamic funding bids, supporting documentation and grant applications.
  • To proactively identify funding opportunities within the Unicorn’s programme of activity, maintaining effective liaison with other departments.
  • In conjunction with the Development Director, to maintain credible high level contact and dialogue with the key Trusts & Foundations stakeholders who support the Unicorn.
  • To create budgets in support of funding applications, liaising with relevant departments, the Executive Director and Finance colleagues.
  • To ensure support is suitably credited and stewarded.To ensure that colleagues at the Unicorn are aware of the evaluation and accreditation requirements of grants and can provide timely and clear information, and to support them in this.To collate and write detailed, convincing reporting on all areas of the programme, monitoring projects for current and future funders, and understanding funders’ aims and Unicorn achievements and failures in an open, honest and creative way.
  • To liaise closely with the Unicorn’s Learning, REACH and Marketing teams for the wider profile and development of the Unicorn’s story and fundraising narrative.
  • To contribute to the overall Development strategy and wider Unicorn business plan where appropriate.
  • To help maintain the department’s financial systems, including monitoring income, expenditure and cashflow.
  • To ensure that all Trust and Foundation information on Spektrix is up-to-date and accurate.
  • To undertake any additional, reasonable, duties and deputise as required.
  • To attend events and support other projects as required and act as an Ambassador for the Unicorn at all times.

Person Specification

  • An absolute sympathy for the Unicorn’s artistic vision and for theatre
  • A proven ability to develop clear and convincing arguments, and to respond to funder requirements and briefs
  • Excellent organisational skills and assiduous attention to detail, with good knowledge of Microsoft, demonstrable writing skills and impeccable time management
  • Proven initiative alongside the ability to take instruction, and excellent interpersonal skills
  • A clear commitment to diversity in all its forms

TERMS & CONDITIONS

This role is offered as a full-time, permanent contract on a salary of £29,000 per annum. 
Applications to work flexibly will be considered.

Holiday: 25 days, excluding Bank Holidays

Other:

  • Auto-enrolment into the NEST pension scheme
  • TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) can also be used on occasion by arrangement with your line manager
  • Complimentary tickets for Unicorn shows
  • Access to UK Theatre’s mentoring scheme
  • Use of available rooms at the Unicorn for personal projects where possible

Application procedure:

To apply please complete the application form and return to [email protected] Please note that only applications made in this way can be accepted; CVs will not be considered.

If you need this information in an alternative format, please contact [email protected] in the first instance.

The Unicorn Theatre is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.  We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applicants from the broadest range of backgrounds, with different skills and experiences to bring into our organisation. 

All candidates who identify as disabled and demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be invited for an interview, in line with the Equalities Act 2010.

Closing date for applications: Monday 24 June, 10am

First interviews:  Wednesday 26 June 2019

A second interview may take place the following week.

 

     

Company

The Unicorn is the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, producing an eclectic and surprising programme of work year-round for children aged 6 months to 18 years.

Based in our purpose-built home at London Bridge, we aim to connect artists and audiences through a broad range of work that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook, across a range of disciplines.

We present and tour around twenty shows each year, at home and abroad, to around 90,000 children and their parents and carers, and work extensively with schools and in the community to invite children from all cultures into a conversation about art and the world we live in.

Company info
Website
Location
Unicorn Theatre
147 Tooley Street
London
London
SE1 2HZ
GB

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