Head of Learning

Deadline: Monday 6 June 2016, noon
Interviews: Friday 17 June 2016

Ikon, one of the UK’s leading international contemporary art galleries, seeks to appoint a new Head of Learning. This Senior Management post will initiate and deliver a high quality programme of audience development and learning activity, will lead a small team to encourage wider public engagement with contemporary art at Ikon, off-site and with a range of stakeholders and groups in the city. Candidates must be outgoing with considerable experience in arts education fundraising.

For further details and to download an application pack:  www.ikon-gallery.org

 

Key objectives:

• To develop learning strategy in accordance with Ikon’s artistic vision.
• To lead on fundraising from a range of sources in order to support the growth of Ikon’s learning programme.
• To devise and deliver programmes of activities for schools, colleges and other groups and interpretative material to accompany the gallery and offsite programmes to enable audiences to engage with the work of artists.
• To foster contact and understanding between artists and the communities of Birmingham and broaden people’s knowledge and expectations of the contemporary visual arts.
• To promote the understanding and enjoyment of contemporary art and its importance as a medium for understanding the world we live in.

Responsible to/for:

The postholder is responsible to the Director.

The postholder is responsible for the Learning Coordinators, Visitor Services Coordinator and Front of House Teams.

Key outputs:

1. Contribute to strategic planning, especially with respect to learning activity, working alongside other members of Ikon’s Senior Management Team.
2. Develop partnerships with external organisations to support the development of Ikon’s education and outreach work.
3. Manage the Gallery’s Learning team and Front of House teams ensuring that they are enabled to carry out their tasks efficiently and effectively.
4. Devise, plan and implement educational and outreach projects that bring together artists and community groups liaising  with Ikon staff to ensure their successful implementation.
5. Develop links between the various components of Ikon’s programme in collaboration with the other Senior Managers, Director and staff to broaden the gallery’s audience base.
6. Organise a learning programme for a range of groups visiting the gallery and offsite projects.
7. Work with the Communications team to ensure that the learning programmes reach a wide range of formal and informal groups and visitors and that opportunities for PR are fully exploited.
8. Oversee the production of learning resources and interpretative material for the Ikon programme, providing information and developing visitor resources as appropriate.
9. Ensure appropriate documentation, reporting and evaluation of all elements of the learning programme, and ensure funding bodies are kept informed.
10. Produce and submit funding applications to support the learning programme and maximise income from education/outreach programmes.
11. To deliver the work of the Learning team within budget and to agreed targets and timescales.
12. Operate in accordance with Ikon’s employment, health and safety, equal opportunities and other practices, policies and procedures.
13. Carry out any other duties commensurate with the job role.

Required competences:

Manage the work of teams and individuals

• Work effectively with other people
• Allocate work to teams and individuals
• Contribute to good practice in the team
• Agree objectives and work plans and set targets for teams and individuals
• Provide advice and support for delegated work
• Assess the performance of teams and individuals
• Provide feedback on performance to teams and individuals

Originate concepts for education projects

• Devise a concept for a cultural project
• Determine potential approaches to a cultural project
• Develop a brief to fulfil a project concept

Assess the viability of education projects

• Assess the artistic viability of a potential project
• Assess the financial viability of a potential project

Develop plans for a cultural project

• Specify the aims, objectives and structural requirements
• Develop a plan to implement project
• Specify a budget

Deliver a cultural/education project

• Deliver a project
• Maintain compliance with agreed schedules
• Ensure compliance with legal requirements
• Maintain financial control
• Evaluate the management and delivery of the project

Acquire contributions to a cultural project

• Evaluate and select artists through consultation
• Evaluate and select art work
• Negotiate contributions
• Formalise and agree contract terms

Learning policy and strategy

• Contribute to the development of internal learning strategies

Seek and secure external support for learning programmes

• Determine the requirement for external support (eg funding)
• Originate and maintain contact with possible providers of support

Contribute to the securing of external funding and support for your organisation and programme

• Contribute to the development of the fundraising strategy to obtain external support
• Contribute to the implementation of the fundraising strategy
• Satisfy needs of external supporters

Represent the organisation

• Represent the organisation externally
• Ensure that the vision for the organisation is understood and advocated effectively

Contribute to marketing of products and services

• Contribute to planning and implementation of marketing plan

Maintain Health and Safety of yourself and others in relation to the art form

• Identify hazards/potential hazards in the workplace
• Assess the level of risk and recommend action
• Review your workplace assessment of risks
• Contribute to the maintenance of a healthy, safe and productive environment for self, visitors, staff and customers

Provide information to support decision-making

• Obtain information for decision-making
• Record and store information
• Analyse information to support decision-making
• Advise and inform others

Maintain yourself in professional practice

• Maintain and develop own professional competence
• Establish and maintain working relationships with contacts across the profession

Contribute to advances in shared understanding of the arts

• Contribute to advances in knowledge and theory
• Assist individuals and groups to experience and interpret artform practice

Additional skills required:

• A driving licence is desirable
• A thorough understanding of the process of organising gallery/learning projects
• Extensive experience of arts education/ education experience
• A knowledge of contemporary art and interest in making it accessible
• Ability to speak confidently in public to a range of groups
• A high standard of written and spoken English and editing skills
• An ability to talk about contemporary art with enthusiasm and conviction

Terms and Conditions

Salary – £30-34k

Hours – 40 hours minimum per week, usually 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m

Five days a week, usually Monday to Friday.

Some evening and weekend working will be required.

Ikon staff are expected to attend Ikon events and be part of the artistic life of the organisation.

Holidays – 25 days (increasing to 27 after 3 years’ service) plus bank holidays

Probation – Six months

Notice period – Three months

Contract – Permanent

Staff Benefits – Workplace pension schemes, Childcare voucher scheme

Ikon requires all staff to obtain a Government Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, in accordance with Ikon’s Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy. You will be required to provide the necessary documentation for the DBS check to be carried out. Ikon will cover the cost of obtaining the DBS check and reserves the right to request additional checks at any time in the future.

Ikon Gallery is committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates. Registered charity no. 528892. Ikon is supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.