St Mary’s Arts Trust – General Manager (maternity cover)
Thank you for your interest in the post of General Manager (maternity cover) at St Mary’s Arts Trust.
We have provided further information about this post, and background information about Revelation
St Mary’s and St Mary’s Arts Trust.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 24th March 2015, midnight. Applications received after
this time will not be accepted.
Please note that your completed application form should be accompanied by a covering letter
outlining why you would like this job and your preference of full-time or job-share hours.
Interviews are currently scheduled for Monday 30th March 2015 in Ashford. All short-listed candidates
will be contacted by phone or email. If you have not been contacted by the Friday before interviews,
please assume that your application has not been successful. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer
any feedback on unsuccessful applications.
Please email your completed application form to Karen Trimmings, General Manager, St. Mary’s Arts
Trust - [email protected]
We would be grateful if you could also complete and return the equal opportunities monitoring form
at the same time.
For additional information about Revelation St Mary’s please see our website:
www.revelationstmarys.co.uk
Thank you for your interest in Revelation St Mary’s and St Mary’s Arts Trust. We look forward to
receiving your application.
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Background:
Revelation St Mary’s is a unique arts venue in which Ashford’s growing community come together and
experience high quality performance and exhibition. Following the successful £1.7m refurbishment
and reordering of St Mary the Virgin (completed in Spring 2011) to create a flexible multi-use space in
the body of the nave, St Mary’s is already being seen as a focal point for the arts in Ashford.
The programme to date has included nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians such as
Aurora Orchestra, VOCES8, Courtney Pine, Martin Simpson and Fairport Convention; unique theatre
shows including Paper Cinema and Radio City Theatre; and spoken word events with Henry Blofeld
and Tony Benn (details on forthcoming artists can be found on our website).
With its unique and distinctive setting, Revelation St Mary’s is becoming recognised as one of the most
vibrant and exciting small venues in the country. It has recently been awarded the East Kent People’s
Award in a public vote from The Culture Awards.
Revelation St Mary’s is governed by a Board of Trustees – the St Mary’s Arts Trust (SMAT), and is run
by a highly motivated and energetic team of volunteers and staff. We are very much a growing
organisation, constantly striving to improve the visitor experience through audience development
initiatives, and engaging regular external hiring and quality artistic programming.
It must be remembered that St Mary’s is primarily an active church. Everyone involved with events at
the church must be fully aware of both the possibilities and the limitations inherent in using the
building, as well as the sensitivities of the congregation and PCC. This may include, but is not limited
to: diary management around key times in the church’s year, day to day use of the church by a variety
of community groups, appropriate content as part of events, and that many of the people working in
and around the church itself are committed volunteers.
General Manager:
This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic events manager to take a
leading role in the delivery of this expanding series of events in the heart of Ashford.
It is a new role which will underpin the strategic direction and operations of the organisation.
Responsible to the Board of Trustees, and working closely with the Creative Directors, Matthew Sharp
and Anna Moulson, and our event volunteers and paid technicians, you will have the opportunity to
prove yourself to be effective, dynamic and multi-skilled events manager.
As General Manager, you will proactively lead and oversee the preparation for events at the venue.
Income generation (including securing sponsorship, external hires and trust applications) and
communications are both crucial parts of the role, together with evaluation, reporting and building a
strong team for events. The events include all Revelation events and external arts hiring - primarily
music events of all genres, but also including arts shows, education workshops, conferences and
creative business events, private and corporate events. You will help ensure that SMAT achieves its
vision, aims and objectives as set out in our Business Strategy.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: General Manager (maternity cover)
Salary: £25,000 pa (or pro-rata for job share applicants)
Location: central Ashford, Kent
Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week; this will be flexible between the hours of 9am - 6pm, but
additional hours will be essential for evening and weekend events, for which time off in lieu is
available but no overtime is payable.
Start date: May 2015
Annual leave: 28 days pa including bank holidays
Contract Period: Full-time fixed term until April 2016, with 3 month probationary period
Responsible to: Board of Trustees
Working closely with: Matthew Sharp and Anna Moulson (Creative Directors, 4days/ month)
Also responsible for: Part-time administrator (15 hours/week), volunteers and paid event staff
Tasks The General Manager will be required to undertake:
Artistic liaison
1. Work closely with the Creative Directors, taking agreed programmes/artists and delivering
events to a high standard within a limited budget, ensuring all events have strong practical
and technical support
2. Liaise directly with agents and artists (and any project partners) on details of event
management (artists, programmes and fees will have been devised and negotiated by Creative
Directors).
3. In conjunction with Creative Directors, maintain an artists and events log, to track each stage
of a potential future event from suggestion stage through to final decision.
4. Contracting the agreed artists and companies and arranging all event requirements, working
with the Administrator to prepare and ensure all paperwork is completed.
5. Work closely with St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) and other partners, and negotiate
dates with Church Wardens to ensure that Revelation St Mary’s and external hire events
(including rehearsals, installations, and artists requirements) dove-tail with the day to day
running of this active church.
6. Support Creative Directors with specific longer-term projects and commissioning, including
liaison with education partners, emerging artists and producers.
Event management
1. Oversee the venue’s operations during events, acting as a champion for artistic content,
production and presentational quality.
2. Be the main overarching Manager for all events, ensuring that appropriate colleagues are fully
trained and able to act as deputies when necessary (eg, sickness absence)
3. Set up staffing requirements for all events and activity, and manage all event staff (both paid
and volunteer) in a positive and supportive way, including recruitment, induction, training,
event briefings and debriefs. Event staff include Event Manager, Front of House stewards, Box
Office team, technicians, caretaker.
4. Oversee and ensure that St Mary’s premises licence regulations, health and safety
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requirements, and risk assessments are adhered to.
5. Work closely with Front of House team and Church wardens to ensure that audiences and
visitors have the best possible experience.
6. Oversee management of the bar for events, co-ordinating with Trustees and Front of House
staff to ensure sufficient stock, profitable pricing and effective queue management.
7. Ensure all SMAT and Church equipment is safe, secure and well maintained ready for
operational use.
Income generation
The business strategy for Revelation St Mary's has as one of its primary outcomes to become 'a
financially sustainable arts business'. In reality, this will be achieved through a diversity of income
streams, quality artistic programmes, dynamic and imaginative audience development and through
engaging the wider East Kent business community with the opportunities to be found at this Grade 1
listed venue.
1. Agree and achieve income targets through an expansion of ticket income, external arts hiring of
the venue, sponsorship, grants from trusts and foundations and individual donations.
External hires
2. Building on existing users and current bookings, develop the external hire strategy, to maintain an
important income stream, which must run in harmony with the scheduling and vision of both St
Mary’s church and the Revelation St Mary’s programme.
3. Develop links with local, regional and national hirers, including agents and touring artists,
commercial and arts promoters, festivals and others (including community hires, conferences,
schools events, exhibitions) in order to stimulate bookings to hit agreed financial and community
focused targets.
4. Make occasional presentations to promote hire of the venue, attending meetings and showing
them round the venue, as required.
5. Manage enquiries relating to the hiring of the venue efficiently, providing full details online,
maintaining accurate records, and agreeing terms and conditions of hire.
6. Liaise and negotiate with clients over hire requirements, including use of St Mary’s staff and
equipment, marketing and ticketing plans and post-show reporting and payments.
Sponsorship
7. Research, prepare sponsorship packs, and approach a range of companies to secure at least 3
agreements per year as sponsorship, partnerships and in-kind support towards Revelation St
Mary’s, including title/season sponsor, event sponsorship, bar sponsorship, advertising or publicity
sponsorship packages, and support for artist, staff and volunteers.
8. Maintain relationships with existing and new companies in order to develop opportunities further,
using networking opportunities, and outstanding communication and professionalism, at all times.
Trusts and foundations and public funding
9. Research and apply for grants to support the ongoing artistic programme, specific education and
community projects, audience development initiatives, and venue and organizational
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development, as appropriate.
10. Maintain accurate records to ensure compliance with Arts Council England, Kent County Council,
Ashford Borough Council and other funder’s reporting requirements.
11. Complete and submit timely and informative evaluation reports to all funders, following approved
reporting guidelines.
12. Develop relationships with funders, inviting key individuals to events and keeping them informed
of Revelation St Mary’s programme and progress towards our goals.
Individual donors
13. With support of Trustees, set up a cost-effective and engaging Friends scheme to support
Revelation St Mary’s ongoing work.
14. Approach individuals for financial donations, volunteering time, or introductions to potential
sponsors.
15. With Administrator, maintain accurate financial and data records.
16. Set up and deliver a regular method of communication to ensure donor retention and donor
recruitment.
Marketing and communications
We have 24 events per year, and have broadened the artistic scope of the programme. We must
encourage more repeat bookings, grow the existing sectors of people, and reach out to new audiences
who will be interested in an expanded programme of activity.
Strategy and analysis
1. Raise the profile of Revelation St Mary’s through co-ordinated online, print, PR and targeted
marketing campaigns.
2. Segment our data more formally and increase our understanding of our audiences better (eg
through cross-referencing with Arts Audiences Insight findings).
3. Develop communications partnerships (eg with BBC Kent Introducing, ‘Ashford Best’ and the
Town Centre manager, and Orchestras Live) to build audiences and awareness of the
programme and venue across a broad range of audience sectors.
4. Capture and evaluate audience data from ticket outlets and event comment cards, to inform
future marketing campaigns.
5. Ensure excellent customer care for everyone involved in Revelation St Mary’s, including
audiences, artists, suppliers, external hirers, volunteers and staff.
Communications delivery
6. With support of Administrator, keep Trust websites, online booking sites, newsletters and
associated social media sites up to date; creating accurate and high quality content (listings,
blog, images) to support audience development and box office targets.
7. Collate and produce agreed marketing materials (leaflets, posters) for each season, as
appropriate.
8. Develop relationships with local, regional and national media to secure pre-event publicity,
post-event reviews and overall venue profiling.
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9. Create bespoke campaigns for particular segments of our potential audience, especially those
who currently rarely attend cultural activity in Ashford.
Ticketing management
10. Achieve an average of 200 tickets sold per event (350 capacity) across the year, slightly
increasing the current level despite a more frequent and varied programme.
11. With Trustee involvement, liaise with ticketing suppliers to ensure accurate event information is
detailed, and conditions of sale are agreed; ensure tickets, stock and financial records are kept
accurately and communicated appropriately.
Supporting the overall work of St Mary’s Arts Trust
1. Deliver and keep the ‘Growth phase’ business plan current and relevant, to drive our artistic,
audience and organizational developments for September 2013-December 2015.
2. Report to Board of Trustees.
3. Liaise with Chair of Trustees, setting up further sub-committees as necessary to support
business development (eg marketing sub-committee, sponsorship contacts)
4. Line-manage and work closely alongside part-time Administrator (15 hours/week), two Creative
Directors (as consultants; 4 hours/month) and a team of volunteer and paid event staff, as well
as an engaged and active Board of Trustees.
5. 6. Keep full job descriptions for each role being performed by volunteers and staff up to date and
relevant.
6. Work closely with the Chair of Finance Sub-Committee to ensure that delegated budgets are
adhered to, and produce annual budgets, cashflow and quarterly financial projections.
7. Review production costs to optimise resources and keep within budget.
8. Such other duties and responsibilities, appropriate to the post, as required by the Board for the
effective operation of St Mary’s Arts Trust.
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