Z-arts, Manchester’s venue for children and families, is offering a Digital Writer Fellowship, subject to Z-arts being successful in their application to the BBC Performing Arts Fellowship.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/performingartsfund/posts/The-2014-BBC-Performing-Arts-Fellowship-Scheme
This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in an innovative interactive digital theatre piece.
Z-arts have built a reputation for creating contemporary theatre for families which all generations can enjoy, using modern technology and reflecting the delightful diversity of twenty-first century life.
Our CEO Liz O’Neill has recently been awarded funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Breakthrough Fund to research and develop a new kind of theatre that reflects, stimulates and challenges families in contemporary society. http://www.phf.org.uk/lizoneill
This fellowship is connected with that journey.
Following on from Pinocchio, created in partnership with Breaking Cycles, and Duck!, their Christmas show for 2013, they are now developing a new version of the Snow Queen for 2015. Taking the best elements of both previous productions we are working with writer Philip Osment and digital artists Albino Mosquito to bring a fresh new take on this classic tale.
Merging live performance with digital augmented reality they bring the two worlds of everyday city living and the magical land of the Snow Queen together, using distinct landscapes. The digital landscape of the Snow Queen will also be used to create an interactive online world where potential audience members can engage with the characters and influence their journeys in the months leading up to the performance.
This is where you, our prospective Digital Writer Fellow, come in!
They are looking for a writer to help bring the characters to life on digital platforms. Your role will be to respond to online audience interactions, as the characters in the play. You will use a variety of social media tools. You will proactively build the characters profiles across platforms and share links, comment on current topics and post about your characters’ lives. You will help develop overarching plots that you follow throughout the campaign.
Details of Fellowship:
- The fellowship will be offered to an emerging playwright with an aptitude for digital technology and social media.
- You will gain mentoring from award-winning playwright Philip Osment and innovative digital artist, Richard Ramchurn as well as from Paul Hamlyn Foundation Breakthrough Fund grantee, Liz O’Neill. You will help with the conception of the campaign and take part in the creation of a new production of The Snow Queen which will take place simultaneously on stage and online.
- This is an unpaid fellowship but all project costs, expenses, per diems, accommodation, travel, training and developmental support will be covered.
- The fellowship will run from March 2015 to December 2015. This is a part-time offer, which will be scoped to suit the successful candidate’s availability, but a more intense period towards the latter part of the year is anticipated.
To succeed you must be able to demonstrate:
- A commitment to and some experience in writing for the stage
- An aptitude for character development
- An interest in and understanding of transmedia storytelling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmedia_storytelling
- Excellent communication skills
- A contemporary knowledge and use of social media tools
- A desire to work with a forward thinking venue creating live and digital performance for the newest generation of theatre goers.
- An understanding of the creative vision of Z-arts
- You are legally allowed to work in the UK
- You have not previously undertaken paid work for Z-arts
How to apply: Please send a statement to liz@z-arts.org stating:
- How you fit the criteria as outlined above
- What difference the fellowship would make to your career
- Why and how you share the Z-arts vision.
Please also include:
- A short biography (300 words) relating your experience in this field.
- An example of your writing (no more than four pages A4)
- Any links to websites or other online sites that demonstrate your work
NB: This fellowship is subject to BBC Performing Arts Fund support. We will know if we have been successful by November 2014.
Deadline: Monday 28th July at 12pm
Source: Bruntwood Opportunities