Marketing Development Brief March 2011 Purpose of Contract The Garage Trust is a Norwich-based youth arts and social inclusion charity. Our vision is combat social exclusion and raise aspirations through the provision of high quality creative and educational activities for children and young people from all backgrounds. We provide local delivery of skills workshops, courses, classes, creative projects, volunteering, community outreach, performance opportunities and accredited training. We also manage regional strategic development initiatives which support artists and organisations working creatively with young people. Following investment from Arts Council England s Lottery Funding programme Grants for the Arts, we are about to embark on an exciting year of development and delivery. In order to help us meet the ambitious step change that we have identified, we are investing in Marketing, Communications and Audience Development and require an experienced freelance professional to provide support for our busy team. Working under the direction of the Executive Director, the chosen freelancer will lead the development and implementation of an imaginative, high profile PR, communications and marketing strategy which will: 1. Further develop, position and communicate the core Garage brand 2. Raise awareness and increase the local, regional and national profile of the Garage to potential businesses, funders, decision-makers and donors 3. Engage new audiences, particularly young people and their families, the formal education sector and young people s service providers 4. Increase income through trading activities such as facilities hire, events and training 5. Support regional workforce development and training initiatives managed by The Garage (e.g. Musicleader East, Arts Award Regional Agency East, Artsplan Training Centre East and the National Association of Youth Theatres Associate Venue East)
We envisage that marketing, communications and audience development activities at The Garage will be: 1. Innovative and imaginative - reflecting the nature of our work with young people. We need you to come up with engaging campaigns/content/ideas 2. Exciting and energetic everyone tells us that it is the energy apparent in Garage activities and performances that is so compelling 3. Current and youth-led We pride ourselves on listening to young people and helping them to take the lead and own activities at the Garage. We would like our marketing to reflect this 4. Pro-active and realistic we need you to produce maximum impact with limited capacity and resources 5. Clear and concise we know that we struggle to get a clear message across. We need you to help us to develop a set of clear messages which will build on our USP and not confuse people 6. Outcome focussed a key challenge for the Garage is to develop new income streams over the next 12 months to secure our work. We need you to help maximise return on investment as quickly as possible 7. Value for money We are looking for an emphasis on below the line marketing activities which build on our strengths including lively events, performances and engaged young people Contract Terms We are offering an initial contract from April 2011 to 31 st March 2012, although it is possible that we may be able to offer an extension. We are able to offer 15,600 (to include any home office costs) and would anticipate the freelancer to provide support for a flexible two days per week. It is anticipated that the freelancer would spend some time at the Garage each week to work with staff team and access to a desk and workstation will be provided whenever needed.
Main Areas of Work 1. Take responsibility for strategic marketing and external communications including managing the brand, media relations, advertising, new media, digital innovations, websites, campaigns and below the line activities 2. Raise the organisational profile, identifying and communicating clear messages to reinforce the charities unique identity and supporting associated profile events and activities 3. Develop and implement marketing, communications and audience development activities and events in support of key strategic projects and priorities (e.g. theatre programming for teenage audiences) 4. Provide support to the Programme Team in the development of a young people s marketing and consultation group, providing introductory marketing and communications training for its members 5. Work with the Garage team to develop and implement business and commercial strategies including a corporate sponsorship or friends scheme to increase income and resources 6. Promote trading activity such as venue services, facilities hire, functions and events to a wide range of potential customers 7. Provide training, support and systems for non-marketing personnel to embed good practice in relation to marketing and communications into their work 8. Work with the Garage team to produce creative copy including brochures, fliers, press releases, website content, articles, social media (facebook and twitter) etc 9. Manage marketing agencies, designers, print suppliers etc to ensure all materials are produced on time and to specification 10. Create, manage and manipulate a marketing database in order to produce direct marketing campaigns 11. Support the Senior Management Team to integrate current relevant contacts into contact management systems 12. Lead the implementation of a digital strategy including the Garage website, facebook, twitter youtube, LinkedIn and google advertising campaigns 13. Provide support and guidance to junior staff such as interns and volunteers 14. Manage delegated budgets
Person Specification Essential: Extensive experience of development of short and long term marketing plans Experience of developing and implementing a marketing, PR and communications strategy and running to budget Experience of brand development and management Experience of writing high quality creative copy for a range of uses Experience of building strong links with media contacts and undertaking a creative approach to generating media coverage, in particular national media Clear understanding of media requirements with proven sense of what is newsworthy Strong advocacy and negotiation skills Experience of marketing for, and working with, young people to develop user-led marketing campaigns Excellent relationship management with the ability to orchestrate and motivate a wide spectrum of media partners, as well as building lasting relationships with sponsors, businesses and influencers Proven online marketing skills and experience of using website administration systems and software and making full use of social networks such as Twitter, YouTube & LinkedIn Excellent database skills, including the understanding of segmenting data in order to deliver targeted campaigns / communications Ability to manage a multiplicity of projects simultaneously and prioritise effectively Excellent communication and presentation skills Understanding of the structure of Charities, fundraising income streams and potential donors Desirable: Marketing Degree or Professional Marketing qualification Previous experience of successfully developing and promoting sponsorship opportunities Relevant experience in a non-profit organisation Knowledge of Eastern Region third sector organisations Relevant experience of working within creative and cultural settings
How to Tender Please send a short proposal including CV which would address the objectives and outcomes outlined above and provide details about what you could offer for the fee. Please also state your experience in: Development and management of the implementation of marketing and communication strategies Brand development Working with young people and understanding how to market to them Development of campaigns aimed at securing sponsorship and corporate engagement Working with creative and third sector clients Working within tight budgets to create maximum impact Advocacy to young people s service providers including local authorities, schools, training providers etc Working with non marketing staff to develop their skills in this area Production of print and other media Experience of web content management, social media, design and website optimising (including online marketing and google adwords campaigns) Please send completed applications to arrive by 5pm on Monday 21 st March to: Darren Grice Executive Director The Garage Trust Ltd 14 Chapelfield North Norwich Norfolk NR21NY Email: darren.grice@thegarage.org.uk If you have any questions or would like an informal discussion regarding this opportunity, please call Darren Grice on 01603 283382.
Background to the Garage Trust Ltd Our vision is to combat social exclusion and raise aspirations through creative and educational activities for children, young people and their families. The Garage venue was built following capital investment from the NELM (North Earlham, Larkman and Marlpit) Development Trust (a government funded New Deal for Communities initiative) and expertise and further support from Norwich Theatre Royal. The Garage Trust was created in 2002. It is an independent charity which manages the operation of venue and its charitable activities. Over the last 7 years, the trust has secured a varied portfolio of project work which has enabled it to develop a core programme supporting around 2500 young people per year aged 8-25. Because the organisation is venue-based, young people develop longer relationships and access activities throughout the year. In 2010, 51,000 activity places were offered and recruited, demonstrating that young people attend, on average, 20 activities each per year. The organisation works with young people from across the city, however we have developed particular expertise in the engagement of young people from disadvantaged or challenging circumstances. For every activity we offer a range of discounts, free places and outreach projects to support young people with low aspirations or who would not ordinarily be able to take part. We also manage the day to day operation of the Garage venue which provides access to specialist facilities for around 15,000 people of all ages. Some businesses use the venue as a location to deliver conferences, meetings and other activities, however over 90% of activity which takes place is either education or training for young people. We have three resident organisations which have offices within the venue. These are Norwich City College, Norwich Theatre Royal and Norfolk Dance. A number of community groups and organisations also use the facilities to deliver their community-focused activities and programmes. The Garage is also an important organisation which provides strategic development across the eastern region. We manage a number of region-wide contracts which compliment our core purpose and help to raise the quality of and access to creative provision and training for young people. Full details of our regional work can be found in appendix 1.
Our Development Plans For 2011-2013 We have developed our delivery plan to focus on three key programme areas which provide a flexible structure for people, particularly young people, to access, participate and progress through creative experiences at The Garage: 1. Artistic Programme and Developing Young Talent We plan to develop a World-class theatre and live events programme for, by and with young people. It will provide a catalyst to inspire and motivate young people from all backgrounds, particularly those experiencing disadvantage. We will strive for artistic excellence and work with national and international partners to provide opportunities for young people to take part as audience members, collaborators, programmers and performers. It will provide a platform for talented young and emerging artists who will be supported to develop work and gain profile regionally and nationally. 2. Outreach and Skills Development We will extend our reach through the creation of outreach hubs which will support young people and adult volunteers to develop their skills and access creative activities locally, at the Garage and with our partners. Hubs will be established in disadvantaged or isolated communities in Norwich and Norfolk. We also continue to build on our successful Creative skills programme which enables young people to develop their aspirations, creative and transferable skills and access pathways to education and training. 3. Training and Workforce Development We will develop volunteer placements and accredited training opportunities for young people. Working with our partners in the formal education and the employment sector we will provide more ways for young people to gain valuable work skills through our programmes and operation. We will also build on our partnerships with national organizations such as MusicLeader and the National Association of Youth Theatres to develop access for artists to regional professional and workforce development opportunities.
Appendix 1 Regional Work In addition to our direct delivery of projects for young people, we have successfully tendered for a number of regional roles, working across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Herts, Cambs, Beds, and the unitary authorities of Luton, Southend and Peterborough. These are all aligned with our general charitable purpose to improve opportunities for young people. Our current portfolio of strategic and developmental regional projects includes: Arts Award - Arts Award is a national qualification developed by Arts Council England and Trinity College. It operates at three levels: Bronze (level 1), Silver (level 2) and Gold (level 3) and can be delivered in formal education settings such as schools or informal settings such as youth clubs or arts centres. The Award launched in 2005, is supported by 9 regional agencies, including the Garage Trust. We have managed the contract ever since and provide strategic development and advocacy, training and networking to support the award across the region. Music Leader East - MLUK is the national charity that focuses on raising the standard, quality and value of music leadership. Funded by Youth Music, it is a unique national network that supports the development of the music leading workforce, equipping it with the knowledge and skills required by employers and aiming to raise quality of delivery and access for young people across the eastern region. MLUK also advocates for the importance of music leading and the need for investment in this area of work. ML East England launched in January 2010 following a successful tender by The Garage Trust to manage and deliver the initiative. National Association of Youth Theatres Regional Associate Venue- The National Association of Youth Theatres (NAYT) has established partner associate venues (NAV s) in each region. The Garage supports youth theatre companies across the east and promotes the excellence and inclusion self assessment framework for youth theatres, provides training and professional development and an annual youth theatre festival. Artsplan Training Centre - Artsplan provide a national menu of professional development and training for youth arts practitioners. The Garage is the eastern region base for this training activity.