WORK WITH US

Freelance leader for early years music and storytelling sessions (with paid training) – leading sessions on the 16th May

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Wednesday 27th April, 5pm

We are looking to recruit a freelance early years music practitioner/storyteller to lead Beanstalk Arts storytelling and music sessions for children aged 0-5 and their parents or carers. We are looking for a confident practitioner and instrumentalist, with experience working with early years children. This role includes training (paid) in learning our songs, ethos and story structure, and this is required before delivering sessions using our story structure, but there is plenty of opportunity for improvising and using your own musical ideas and practice and within our framework.

This opportunity is initially for:

• 10 hours training and shadowing (paid at £10 an hour – mixture of self-paced online and a morning of shadowing
• A morning of delivery on the 16^th May in Beckenham (BR3) (paid at £90 for the half day work)

We hope that this will be the beginning of an ongoing professional relationship and there will be further opportunities to work together beyond this session.

To apply for this role you will need to be a confident instrumentalist and singer, with experience and enthusiasm for working with the early years. You will need to provide your own instruments for you to play, (and have appropriate insurance for your own instruments), and we will provide all other resources needed for the session. You will need to arrive in advance of the session to set up the room, and will also be responsible for signing in and keeping a register of attendance.

Dates:
Recruitment process – please only apply this time if you can make all these dates.

Stage 1: CV and cover email (please make sure all answers to application questions are clearly presented in the body of the email) of application to becky@beanstalkarts.co.uk: Deadline Wednesday 27th April, 5pm

Stage 2: Successful candidates will be contacted on Thursday 28th ^th April and invited to a Zoom interview on Monday 2^nd May

The successful candidate will need to be available for the all the following dates:

• Four hours self paced training (following our online course) – 4 hours paid at £10 an hour
• Shadowing and joining sessions on either the morning of Friday 6^th May in Beckenham or Tuesday 10^th May in Catford – 3.5 hours paid at £10 an hour
• Prep of the story and songs for the session on the 16^th – 2.5 hours paid at £10 an hour (this includes some time to adapt songs to your instrument)
• Leading sessions in Beckenham on Monday 16^th May (sessions at 10 and 11, you’ll need to arrive by 9.30 and can expect to be finished by 12.30.

The total fee for this project is £190 including training and delivery

After this session, we very much hope to offer future work, and can offer a fee of £90 for up to 3 sessions or £160 for a full day including up to 6 sessions. There will be training fee of £20 in addition for every new story you prepare, using our story plans.

Essential Criteria:

• Play an acoustic musical instrument (NOT piano as this is not available in all our spaces) that you are confident performing and improvising on, and will bring and use in the sessions
• Have a confident singing voice
• Hold up to date DBS clearance
• Demonstrable experience of working with early years children
• Interest in storytelling
• Registered self-employed
• You must hold public liability insurance (if you don’t already I’m happy to point you in the direction of organisations through which this can be arranged) and insurance for your own musical instrument
• Commitment to inclusive practice
• Brilliant time keeping

Desirable Skills:

• As well as your primary instrument, you’ll play the ukulele/guitar to intermediate standard.
• Interest in teaching pre-schooler and after school ukulele lessons
• Knowledge of Makaton
• Interest in leading weekend party sessions.
• Have a driving license and access to a vehicle (as some of our venues will require you bringing mats)
• Experience/training in storytelling

How to apply:
Application is by CV and cover email, answering the questions below, sent to becky@beanstalkarts.co.uk

Deadline for applications is Monday 25^th April 2022 at 12pm, successful candidates will be contacted on Wednesday 27^th April and invited to a Zoom interview on Monday 2^nd May

Application questions:

1. What is your primary musical instrument?
2. Can you also play the guitar and/or ukulele?
3. Can you tell me in a little detail about your specific experience and/or training in early years music?
4. Please can you confirm that you are available for the dates below:
   • Shadowing and joining sessions on either the morning of Friday 6^th May in Beckenham or Tuesday 10^th May in Catford 
   • Leading sessions in Beckenham on the morning of Monday 16^th May
5. Can you confirm that you are registered self-employed with HMRC, and hold your own public liability and musical instrument insurance?
6. Can you confirm you have an up-to-date DBS
7. Please provide details of 2 referees