Hustings for the New Theatre committee will be on Thursday the 10th May at 1pm. Be sure to send your nominations to secretary@newtheatre.org.uk with your name, your email address, phone number and the position you want to run for before 6pm on Monday the 7th of May.

I would highly recommend getting in touch with the person occupying the current position you want to run for in order to find out what’s involved, and make sure the position is right for you. It’s important to make sure that you’re suited your potential role on committee! Head over to our contacts page for how to contact this year’s committee…

Presidential Candidates will be required to give a five minute speech, plus an additional one minute speech from an introductory speaker. This speaker cannot be a member of the current committee, or a member of a previous year’s committee. Presidential Candidates will have to answer three questions on the day. Non-presidential Candidates will be required to give a one minute speech and answer two questions on the day.

Being on committee is a lot of fun and often very exciting! You’ll gain a lot of experience, and it’s a very valuable thing to have the opportunity to contribute to and shape the NT. Be aware that a position on committee is a very rewarding but big commitment!

Here is a list of of the positions to run for on the NT committee 11/12. As well as the responsibilities listed here, you have to attend weekly committee meetings.

Positions Available…

President

The President has overall responsibility for the promotion and development of the New Theatre and for the welfare of its members. He/She shall have overall responsibility for the management of the theatre and is responsible, in coordination with the Theatre Manager, for ensuring that the Theatre is kept in a safe and usable condition.  The President, along with the Treasurer, shall oversee any contractual affairs involving the theatre. The President shall write monthly reports for, and attend Students’ Union Council as the representative of the Company. The President shall undertake the necessary weekly admin regarding the running of the theatre, organise and chair weekly committee meetings and oversee the work of fellow committee members, promoting coordination between the roles.

Theatre Manager

The Theatre Manager is responsible for the running and maintenance of the Theatre as a venue. He/She shall be the designated health and safety officer for the New Theatre, which will include organising first aid training for all committee at the start of the academic year. He/She will be in charge of the Theatre’s insurance, making sure a current list of all equipment is kept and updated, and forwarded on to the Students Union. He/She is responsible for having a list of everything in the building that needs to be PAT tested and keeping an up to date list on what has and has not been PAT tested in the building (excluding lighting and sound items that come under the technical mangers remit) and will provide the Technical Manager with this list. He/She will be in charge of collecting safety deposit cheques at both AGMs from Directors/Producers of each show. He/She must be at each get-in to ensure that the building itself is in adequate order for the next show to proceed. He/She must carry out health and safety talks with the new cast and crew at the get-in. He/She must then walk through the building with the next show’s Director ensuring they are happy with the building before they hand them their keys for the week.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial management of the Theatre and shall set and oversee the production budgets. The Treasurer shall organise budget meetings the week after casting to meet with the director and producer of each production in order to assign a budget and discuss this in detail with the production team. He/She shall attend the weekly production meetings. The Treasurer is responsible, along with the President, for contractual matters in the theatre. The Treasurer shall establish a budget for the academic year and submit a financial report at the end of that year to the Committee. He/She shall publish the budgets for each production on the New Theatre website at the end of the season and make financial information public. The Treasurer shall not be a final year student.

Productions Coordinator

The Productions Coordinator is responsible for the productions performed by the Theatre. He/She is the direct link between Directors/Producers and the Committee and shall guide Directors/Producers to the relevant committee member. He/She shall liaise with Directors/Producers over all aspects of production and provide support and advice wherever necessary. He/She shall take a proactive approach in finding and encouraging directors and producers and helping to match director-producer teams, especially using the proposals meeting as a forum for this. Before Proposals meeting he/she is responsible for speaking to every proposing production to ensure they fill in a proposals form, are provided with full information of how the Season runs, and given direct, practical advice on making their proposal as good as possible. He/She shall update the Productions Handbook and Yellow Pages before the start of each Season and ensure that it is distributed amongst and read by all Directors and Producers. He/She shall be responsible for chairing the proposals and casting meetings, ensuring democracy to a reasonable, but not overly obtrusive degree. He/She is responsible for the smooth running of auditions; organising audition locations and AGM paperwork. He/She shall run the obligatory weekly production meeting for directors and producers, ensuring full, two-way communication between productions and committee and when necessary he/she shall encourage other members of committee to join to pass on information about their areas. He/She is to make sure producers fill out risk assessment forms in plenty of time and help them to do so correctly. He/She is responsible for the Theatre’s atmosphere of kind, constructive criticism and creative growth.

Company Technical Director

The Company Technical Director shall be responsible for the safe training of all users of equipment. All training must be recorded. He/She must hold regular training sessions, with an absolute minimum of one per term.  He/She shall ensure that there is an appropriate technical crew to work with each production and that this is arranged in advance. (A technical crew requires a technical director, a lighting designer, a sound designer if required by the production and several operators).  He/She is the first point of contact regarding technical needs or matters within The New Theatre and should attend weekly production meetings to facilitate this.  He/She will oversee and encourage the involvement of new people within the technical side of the theatre.  He/She shall have overall responsibility for the Technical Department of the Theatre.

Technical Manager

The Technical Manager shall be responsible for the safe maintenance of all lighting/sound equipment. He/She is responsible for keeping record of all lighting/sound equipment that needs PAT testing. He/She is responsible for the PAT testing of all aforementioned technical equipment, as well as general theatre electrical equipment  (list maintained by Theatre Manager) when it is required, whether undertaken themselves with certified training, or organising the hire of a certified PAT tester. He/She is responsible for keeping the Tech box and Tech store in a tidy state.  He/She shall oversee the hire or loan of equipment to and from the theatre.  He/She shall be responsible for the safe training of all users of this equipment alongside the Technical Director.  He/she shall be responsible for restocking the basic necessary technical goods.

Workshop Manager

The Workshop Manager must ensure that the workshop is a safe and tidy area to work in and that all members are fully trained before using any equipment within it. He/She must ensure the upkeep and maintenance of all equipment in the workshop and certify that all equipment is safe to use. He/She must supervise the disposal of all staging and items of set and must verify that it complies with council requirements. He/She must provide comprehensive advice to the following week’s production on how to erect the set in a quick and safe manner. The Workshop Manager is responsible for organising at least one training day per term to teach members and Committee to be safe in the workshop and He/She must keep record of the appropriate paperwork. The Workshop Manager must enforce the rule that the production team of each week’s show must clean and tidy the workshop on Thursdays so that next week’s show can begin construction.

Secretary

The Secretary shall be in charge of coordinating and emailing around the agenda as well as taking the minutes of all committee meetings. He/She shall maintain the membership records and issue membership cards along with the Treasurer. He/She shall be responsible for the receipt of and response to any external mail sent to the Company both by post and email. He/She shall be responsible for weekly communications to the membership through a weekly email. The Secretary shall update the homepage of the New Theatre Website weekly as well as bring up to date any new information required on any of the other pages (i.e. current productions, committee contacts, list of fellows/awards). He/She is additionally in charge of posting recall lists after auditions, running any committee hustings and the running of the Boat Party Awards.

Social Secretary

The Social secretary shall be responsible for the organisation of social events, such as promotion of weekly Afterparties and production fundraisers, and the organisation of Media Ball and the end of year Boat Party.  He/She must work to ensure cohesion in a social context and the accessibility of the theatre to all students using methods such as the ‘Theatre Parents’ system. The Social Secretary shall also be responsible for coordinating a varied programme of theatre related events, such as technical workshops, new writing scratch nights and the weekly Drama Club. The Social Secretary shall also be responsible for coordinating external events at the theatre, such as bringing in external theatre companies and arranging to see external performances, as well as organising University theatre swaps.

Costumes and Props Manager

The Costume and Props Manager shall organise costume and props helpers for each production if required.  He/She shall organise the provision of props and costume for each production with the Director/Producer.  He/She shall be responsible for the issue and return of props and costume.  He/She shall maintain the costume room in a tidy and proper condition.

Fundraising Coordinator

The Fundraising Coordinator shall be dedicated to the improvement of the Theatre by seeking sponsorship for the theatre as a whole. He/She shall also provide assistance to all those seeking additional finance for individual shows, including Main Season, Uncut and Edinburgh productions, and take a proactive stance in ensuring that these objectives are met. They must maintain contact with all show producers regularly, and attend the first productions meeting of the Main, Uncut and Edinburgh shows each season. He/She shall ensure continuity of relations and be the main point of contact with all external sponsors and financial stakeholders. He/She shall agree with the President and Treasurer on long term funding goals according to theatre need and work towards achieving them. He/She shall also apply to grant making bodies including the Arts Council to obtain funding for various theatre goals.

Festivals and Uncut Coordinator

The Festivals and Uncut Coordinator is responsible for managing all Theatre involvement in festivals external to Nottingham, this will primarily involve the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the National Student Drama Festival. He/She shall encourage all productions to enter NSDF where appropriate, and be the company’s main point of contact with the Festival. In the event of individuals or shows being selected to take part in the festival it shall be the Coordinators role to organise this.

The Festivals and Uncut Coordinator is the first point of contact between the Company and the Fringe Office. He/She shall request and receive the relevant information and make this available to prospective Directors. He/She shall be responsible for chairing the proposals and casting meetings, for organising audition locations, and contacting venues. He/She shall maintain records of all projects past and present and shall be devoted to raising funds for Edinburgh and any other projects deemed to be appropriate.

Additionally, He/She will be responsible for organising the Uncut seasons. The Coordinator is the direct link between Uncut Directors and the Committee. He/She shall liaise with Directors and Producers over all aspects of production and provide support wherever necessary (in conjunction with the Uncut Production Pack). He/She shall take a proactive approach in finding and encouraging Directors and Producers, and helping to match Director-Producer teams, especially using the proposals meeting as a forum for this. Before Proposals meeting He/She is responsible for speaking to every proposing production to ensure they are provided with full information of how the Uncut Season runs, and given direct, practical advice on making their proposal as good as possible. He/She shall be responsible for chairing the proposals and casting meetings, for organising audition locations and facilitating communication between Uncut and season shows.  He/She shall also be responsible for providing all those involved in Uncut with a Productions Pack, and is responsible for updating this document before the start of every Uncut Season.

Front of House Manager

The Front of House Manager shall be responsible for ticketing and refreshments sales with the aim of raising funds for the theatre. He/She shall be responsible for updating the New Theatre events page on the Students Union website and compiling reservations lists for both Season and Uncut shows, and ensure that reservation lists are available at least 15 minutes prior to each performance. He/She shall compile records of sales and present them to the Committee on a regular basis. He/She shall be responsible for the overall smooth running of performances and shall assign Front of House duties to all Committee members weekly. He/She shall be responsible for professionalism on show nights in all areas, including announcements. He/She shall ensure that necessary safety equipment (such as torches) are available on all show nights. He/She shall ensure that the theatre is stocked with necessary refreshments. He/She shall work with the Publicity Managers to ensure that the foyer is maintained and decorated in such a way as to reflect the strong and positive physical presence the New Theatre has on campus.

Staging Coordinator

The Staging Coordinator shall coordinate and run the get-outs and get-ins for theatre season productions. If they are unable to attend a get-in, it is his/her responsibility to appoint a substitute. He/She shall be the main point of information on set building, set design and staging requirements for the New Theatre. He/She will organise a terminal workshop to teach others about the basic principles of set design. He/She will need to keep in regular contact with the Workshop Manager and be aware of what materials are available in the workshop, and shall work with the Workshop Manager in advising set designers.

He/She shall also coordinate with the workshop manager in providing directors with personnel for set construction. He/She will ensure that set designs for each production are made in advance and that a succinct plan for get-ins is made. It is the responsibility of the Staging Coordinator to guarantee that all designs comply with health and safety regulations. In order to do this, he/she will need to work with the Theatre Manager and have an introductory meeting with Jules Lediard (Health and Safety Manager for the SU).

He/She shall work with Directors/Producers to organise stage managers and stage hands for every show. He/She is also responsible for ensuring that each stage manager is provided with adequate guidance and support for them to fulfil their role. He/She will ensure that the communication system is in working order for every show and report any problems to the Theatre Manager as soon as possible.

He/She will act as a point of information between all backstage areas. He/She will attend every production meeting and relay any relevant information to the other departments (Workshop, Tech, Costume and Props).

Publicity and Internal Marketing Manager

Both Publicity Managers must work together to ensure that Season and Uncut productions are well attended, and that The New Theatre is a well-publicised and popular theatre on campus and in Nottingham. Efforts to increase marketing of the theatre as a whole should be made throughout the year and it is strongly recommended that Publicity Managers alternate production publicity weekly.

Weekly duties include: Being in direct contact with Directors, Producers and the Coordinators of the main Season and Uncut Season, to aid publicising productions. He/She shall use the Rep team to carry out publicity efforts weekly on and off University campuses. He/She must update the student portal with information about the current week’s productions. He/She shall be responsible for creating all Facebook events for Season and Uncut shows. He/She shall be responsible for the weekly publicising of all productions via social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter etc), as well as publicising to the university, and other appropriate organisations and businesses. He/She must send weekly emails to University school departments, advertising what shows are on that week and promoting the message that all staff and students are welcome. He/She must arrange photographers to take production shots of each Season and Uncut play. He/She must arrange for a trailer to be filmed for each Season production prior to the performance (and if possible, for each Uncut show, but this is dependant on availability and the location of the Uncut performance).  He/She must arrange for each Season and Uncut show to be reviewed (by Impact Magazine as well as external reviewers such as LeftLion etc). He/She shall be responsible for maintaining a physical archive (to be regularly handed over to Manuscripts and Archives on King’s Meadow Campus), and the Productions Archive section of the New Theatre website to include photographs, poster images and programmes of Season and Uncut shows.

The long term goals of the Publicity and Internal Marketing Manager include: Working closely with each production (Season and Uncut) to market the theatre as a whole in the best way possible across all campuses. He/She is responsible for assembling and organising a Rep team to carry out publicity efforts on and off University campuses and work to maintain the team by organising socials and encouraging involvement in publicity stunts. He/She must create Season Overview publicity, AGM flyers and any other extra events that the New Theatre is responsible for, or otherwise coordinate the creation of such publicity. He/She must ensure publicity material is distributed across all campuses and that reps are carrying out their duties to cover halls, departments and other public spaces.  He/She must work to make the New Theatre a constant presence on all campuses, and promote the message that all students and staff are welcome to all shows. He/She must create relationships with appropriate departments and societies through which to publicise the New Theatre, such as the school of English, the school of Business (for producers), Photography Society, Film Making Society, Creative Writing Society etc.

Publicity and External Marketing Manager

Both Publicity Managers must work together to ensure that Season and Uncut productions are well attended, and that The New Theatre is a well-publicised and popular theatre on campus and in Nottingham. Efforts to increase marketing of the theatre as a whole should be made throughout the year and it is strongly recommended that publicity officer’s alternate production publicity weekly.

Weekly duties include: Being in direct contact with directors, producers and the Coordinators of the main Season and Uncut Season, to aid publicising productions. He/She shall use the Rep team to carry out publicity efforts weekly on and off University campuses. He/She must update the student portal with information about the current week’s productions. He/She shall be responsible for creating all Facebook events for Season and Uncut shows. He/She shall be responsible for the weekly publicising of all productions via social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter etc), as well as publicising to the university, and other appropriate organisations and businesses. He/She must send weekly emails to University school departments, advertising what shows are on that week and promoting the message that all staff and students are welcome. He/She must arrange photographers to take production shots of each Season and Uncut play. He/She must arrange for a trailer to be filmed for each Season production prior to the performance (and if possible, for each Uncut show, but this is dependant of availability and the location of the Uncut performance).  He/She must arrange for each Season and Uncut show to be reviewed (by Impact Magazine as well as external reviewers such as LeftLion etc). He/She shall be responsible for maintaining a physical archive (to be regularly handed over to Manuscripts and Archives on King’s Meadow Campus), and the Productions Archive section of the New Theatre website to include photographs, poster images and programmes of Season and Uncut shows.

The long term goals of the Publicity and External Marketing Manager include: Working closely with each production (Season and Uncut) to market the theatre as a whole in the best way possible across the city. He/She must work to make the New Theatre a recognised Arts Centre in Nottingham, and making seeing a show at The New Theatre an alluring and viable option for all theatre-goers across the city.  He/She must nurture already formed relationships with outside theatres including the Nottingham Playhouse, Lacemarket Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre and the Theatre Royal. He/She must work on new ways to further these relationships and create marketing opportunities through them. He/She must look to form new relationships with remaining theatres across Nottingham. He/She must look to form new relationships with external reviewers. He/She must ensure publicity material is distributed throughout businesses and public venues across the city, e.g, season flyers and posters in cafes, pubs, restaurants and shops etc. He/She must work with the Social Secretary to promote the name of the New Theatre throughout other Universities, by promoting and publicising theatre swaps.