Community Radio Facilitator

We are currently seeking a Community Radio Facilitator to join Chapel FM Arts Centre in the autumn of 2023.

The core duties of this position are to:

• Facilitate courses and workshops for youth and adults on how to use broadcasting, radio, podcasts and other media to help people from our community and beyond develop their voices and confidence, share visions for their community and connect with the wider city and world beyond East Leeds.
• Work with other members of Chapel FM staff, community participants and other third sector organisations to oversee the creation of radio programmes and podcasts for East Leeds Community Radio and help guide the larger mission of the radio station as a community resource, creating spaces for citizen journalism and discussions about the past and future of our community as well as making links with the wider world.

Experience in radio, podcasting or other forms of broadcasting is highly useful, however the core requirements are to be a confident facilitator (or teacher) of arts participation classes and workshops, especially with young people ages 11-25, and have a strong interest in the social challenges and aspirations of communities such as ours in Seacroft and wider East Leeds.

ABOUT CHAPEL FM ARTS CENTRE

Chapel FM Arts Centre (http://www.chapelfm.co.uk) is a community arts organisation, part of the larger organisation Heads Together Productions, located in Seacroft, East Leeds. Our work combines participation programmes in the arts and media for young people and adults, a community radio station – East Leeds Community Radio, live arts events and collaborative projects done in partnership with a wide variety of other arts and third sector organisations in our local community and beyond.

JOB SCOPE AND SALARY

This post is full-time (35 hours/week) and is offered on a salary scale between £22,943 and £24,642 with starting salary depending on previous experience.

We are also open to arranging a job share, so candidates with other freelance work or an existing part-time job are welcome to apply. Please note in your application if you are open to or have a preference for a job share.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE

If you are interested in applying for the post, please complete the application form (which can be downloaded here) and email it to info@headstogether.org along with a full CV, by 5pm on Friday, 8th September.

We will be arranging remote interviews with long-listed candidates during the first week of September and in-person interviews with short-listed candidates during the week of 11-15 September. Short-list interviewees will also be expected to run a sample session with youth participants.

Short-listed candidates will be asked to provide a short sample of audio editing and to prepare and deliver a short radio broadcasting session to a group of participants as part of a final interview.

JOB PURPOSE

To plan, deliver and evaluate a creative programme of work at the Chapel FM Arts Centre with a particular focus on facilitating courses and workshops, especially with young people from East Leeds and overseeing the community radio station East Leeds Community Radio.

The Community Radio Facilitator will work closely with other staff and freelance workers at Chapel FM. This post reports to the Participation Manager.

KEY TASKS

• To develop and deliver a range of creative, skills-based and socially relevant courses and workshops using radio, podcasts and other media with a particular focus on working with young people.
• To work with other Chapel FM staff to shape and oversee the schedule and presence of East Leeds Community Radio (ELCR) and podcasts. In particular, to help enact a phased reshaping of the ELCR programme schedule to put greater focus on having a smaller number of collectively produced thematic community radio programmes.
• To help oversee the technical equipment and processes at Chapel FM and ELCR.
• To join collaborative projects with other arts and third sector organisations in East Leeds and beyond that use radio or other media to tell unique stories.
• To work with the Chapel FM / Heads Together Productions leadership (including Board of Trustees) to ensure that the work being done aligns with our community’s needs and desires, our funding requirements, our mission, and our Theory of Change which can be viewed here: https://www.chapelfm.co.uk/about/our-organisation/

OUTCOMES

• Plan and deliver weekly sessions of our Next Generation youth courses with youth participants and help develop long-term pathways for these participants and monitor their progress.
• Serve as a key liaison to youth and vulnerable adult participants’ families and carers, working with Chapel FM Director and other staff to ensure that safeguarding and wellbeing is attended to.
• Aid in developing and implementing participant recruitment strategies.
• Oversee the weekly broadcast schedule for East Leeds Community Radio.
• Help plan and produce our regular youth radio show and podcast Red Kite and work with other staff to promote the show and develop a long-term strategy for the show.
• Plan and deliver various group training sessions on broadcasting and related arts with adult participants.
• Work with other staff to help plan and deliver our Easter half-term, Summer and other holiday youth courses and projects.
• Work with the Participation Manager and other staff to build relationships and promote our offers to local schools and other organisations.
• Work with the Live Events Coordinator to help plan and deliver occasional outside broadcasts elsewhere in Leeds and assist with live broadcasts for Chapel FM’s annual arts festivals such as Musicathon and Writing on Air.
• Contribute to the digital presence for Chapel FM including both web and social media and the evolution of podcasts.
• Work with Director to gather evaluation and monitoring information about programmes to share with funders and other stakeholders.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

All Chapel FM staff are expected to:

• Meet with the Chapel FM team on a regular basis to discuss progress and plan future tasks, workload and training needs.
• Take part in all reflective processes including completing reflective journals for all aspects of their work.
• Operate safely in the workplace, observing health and safety regulations and safeguarding.
• Observe organisational practices regarding equal opportunities, codes of conduct, staff development.
• Attend relevant training as required and develop an individual learning plan as part of the Chapel FM appraisal process.
• Report to the Board of Trustees as requested.
• Undertake such other duties as appropriate to the post as may be required from time to time.

JOB DETAILS

• The salary for this post will be on a scale of £22,943 and £24,642. The starting salary will depend on the successful candidate’s skills and previous experience.
• This post is offered as a full-time permanent contract at 35 hours per week on a flexible basis. However, part-time hours will be considered and applicants are invited to suggest ways in which the role could be delivered in these circumstances including job share options.
• There will be a six month probationary period for this position, after which we will conduct a two-way appraisal, offering an opportunity to revise the job description and duties.
• The job will include some evening and weekend work and work that needs to be delivered in school holiday time. There is no provision for overtime payments if extra hours are worked, time off will be given to balance total hours worked in any given pay period.
• Employees are entitled to 25 days annual leave plus statutory days, and an additional day off for their birthday.
• Chapel FM operates a Workplace pension scheme through NEST and guarantees the minimum legal employer contributions.
• As this post involves leading sessions with young people and vulnerable adults, the appointment will be subject to obtaining full references and a DBS check.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Desired experience for this position includes experience:

• Facilitating and teaching arts and media courses, especially with young people in informal participatory arts context or in more formal classroom settings.
• Creating radio programmes, podcasts or other types of media with a focus on storytelling, journalism, or oral history.
• Interacting with communities, especially economically deprived ones, through the arts or other participatory projects.
• Collaborating with other arts and third sector organisations on projects, festivals and other events.

Desired skills and abilities for the position include the ability to:

• Create and deliver a lesson plans, taking into account the interests, experience, ages and backgrounds of participants.
• Edit audio (although we do not require knowledge of specific editing tools – that can be learned).
• Write well, to help develop language about the programmes being offered, contribute to marketing including social media and to communicate with partner organisations.
• Talk confidently in public, either in-person or on-air.
• Implement risk assessments for participants, attend to safe-guarding issues and to communicate with parents and carers of youth participants and vulnerable adults.
• Be curious and stay informed about events happening in our community and beyond, especially within the arts and third sector.

Specific formal educational training such as a university degree is not required for this position, although they may be helpful.

HOW TO APPLY

1)   Complete the application form that can be downloaded here and answer the three questions.

2)    Include a current CV and cover letter.

Please send both to info@chapelfm.co.uk by 5pm on Friday, 8th September.