HEAD OF NEW MUSICAL THEATRE
n t r o d u c t i o n
Birmingham Hippodrome is on a mission to enrich the cultural life of the region. Our vision is to create a distinctive, world-class Birmingham cultural scene with the Hippodrome at its heart. We reach over one million people a year through on and off stage programmes of work, digital presence, and performances in Birmingham and beyond; providing that “goosebumps” feeling through memorable and extraordinary experiences.
We are an independent charity, run by a board of voluntary trustees with no regular revenue funding from public sources. We frequently invest in projects alongside Arts Council England and with Birmingham City Council. Generous support is received from the business community through sponsorship and other partnerships; from individuals through donations and memberships; and from grant-making trusts for special programming and infrastructure projects. As a major employer in the region, we play a leading role in the Southside Business Improvement District.
We are looking for people to join us on this journey at a pivotal time in our evolution; recognising our people and network of talented freelancers and volunteers are core to the growth and success of the organisation.
The future of Birmingham Hippodrome is you!
This role reports to the Creative Director within the Creative department, and is responsible for Musical Theatre Dramaturg(s), New Musical Theatre Co-ordinator and Associate & Freelance Creatives. The salary for this role is £42 - £45k (full time rate) plus lots of staff perks! We offer different ways to work flexibly, so please feel free to contact us as we are open to part-time working and/or job sharing. As a Leadership role, the principal location of work will be on-site at Birmingham Hippodrome. As such, the appointed candidate must be able to travel to the centre of Birmingham easily and regularly. Depending on circumstances, relocation assistance may be available to the successful applicant.
Our vision and mission state our purpose and who we want to be in the future.
Vision
A distinctive, world-class Birmingham cultural scene with the Hippodrome at its heart.
Mission
Providing that “goosebumps” feeling through memorable and extraordinary experiences.
Inspiring
We bring individuals, groups and communities together to share those wonderful ‘goosebumps’ moments: emotive, world-class, cultural experiences that ignite imaginations and inspire future generations.
Progressive
We are ambitious for ourselves, our partners and our city region We aim to be the best at what we do, always looking for new ways to advance, improve and evolve whilst being mindful of our rich and vibrant history.
Inclusive
We provide a safe and inclusive space for expression and creativity, priding ourselves on being collaborative and reflective of our city region. Inclusion is integral to everything that we do and is central to our decision-making.
People Focused
We care deeply for our staff, audiences, volunteers, partners, participants and artists and are dedicated to ensuring that any Hippodrome experience is a positive one Our people are the beating heart of Birmingham Hippodrome.
Sustainable
We take care with our actions, safeguarding the long-term sustainability of Birmingham Hippodrome through our work, environmental responsibilities and business practices
Our values are all about who we are, what we believe in and what sits at the very heart of a Hippodrome experience.
The Role
The Head of New Musical Theatre is a brand-new role, created as part of a new organisational strategy for 20232028 through which Birmingham Hippodrome will become an industry leader in the development and production of new musical theatre. We are seeking a passionate, knowledgeable individual to lead the UK’s first in-house New Musical Theatre department.
What does success look like in this role?
By 2028,Birmingham Hippodrome will be recognised as the UK’s national theatre of new musicals. It will have an industry-leading New Musical Theatre department, commissioning, developing and producing new musicals for a range of scales and platforms. It will boast a year-round programme of new musicals and works in progress in the Patrick Studio. It will involve its audiences in the development of new work and provide game-changing artist development opportunities. The Hippodrome will produce its own work and work in partnership to create production opportunities and sustainable production models for new musical theatre in Birmingham and beyond. It will see reputational benefit and financial reward from this work.
The successful candidate will: Strategy & Leadership
Work with the Artistic Director/CEO and Creative Director to refine, develop and realise the strategy and vision for the development and production of new musicals at Birmingham Hippodrome.
Build an industry-leading, passionate, effective and inclusive New Musical Theatre department.
Develop a programme that balances artistic quality, audience experience, creative and commercial imperatives.
Actively seek to represent the demographics of Birmingham and the UK within the work and programmes we develop - both on- and off-stage.
Creative Producing
Oversee all Hippodrome-produced and co-produced musicals, assuming the role of Executive Producer or Lead Producer as appropriate.
Recruit and/or line manage Line Producers for specific productions and projects, as appropriate.
Producing responsibilities will include: securing rights; managing partnerships; appointing creative teams; budgeting; project management; contributing to audience development, marketing and communications strategies; attending and noting rehearsals and performances
Seek and secure opportunities for future life and exploitation of Hippodromeproduced and co-produced new musicals.
Finance & Fundraising
Hold overall responsibility for the Hippodrome New Musical Theatre budget in line with established organisational procedures, delivering maximum impact within agreed and available resources.
Create and monitor project and production budgets for all activity, delegating specific project budgets to team members as appropriate.
Work with the AD/CEO, Creative Director, Leadership and Fundraising colleagues to secure partnerships, investment and funding to enable specific productions and the work of the department to fulfil its aims and potential, reporting against agreed outcomes.
Commissioning & Development
Develop and deliver a new musical theatre commissioning model, managing approaches, callouts and processes with care and respect.
Negotiate underlying rights agreements and commissioning deals with authors’ estates and writers’ agents
Create bespoke development processes with realistic timelines to enable commissioned works to progress from page to stage.
Identify artists, writing teams, ideas, public domain content and existing source material to create innovative, viable new musical theatre projects.
Develop and oversee a reading and listening service for new musical theatre material, delivered by the Dramaturg(s), freelance readers and others as appropriate.
Respond to, and initiate, projects for potential development, collaboration, programming and co-production.
Artist & Talent Development
Work with Creative Director, Head of New Work & Artist Development and Specialist Associates to develop and deliver musical theatre talent development programmes, enabling artists in the region and across the UK to develop skills, craft and knowledge
Collaborate closely with the Creative Director and Head of New Work & Artist Development to ensure a coherent commissioning and artist development offer across the Hippodrome’s programmes.
Act as the senior contact for musical theatre artists, ensuring consistent support as they progress through talent development, project development and production pipelines.
Seek out opportunities for mentoring, assisting and shadowing in musical theatre at Birmingham Hippodrome and beyond.
Programming & Curation
Advise and work with Creative Director, AD/CEO and Programming team to identify new musical theatre works to form part of a year-round programme in the Patrick Studio and, where appropriate, other stages.
Devise, deliver and curate a programme of work-in-progress opportunities (such as open mic nights, scratch nights), enabling our audiences to be valued collaborators in the development of new musicals from the outset.
See new musicals, attend workshops, industry events and works in progress nationally and regionally to inform programmed work and potential collaborations.
Work closely with Creative Director and other Creative Heads of Department (HODs) to develop and deliver a coherent, relevant and representative programme, in our building and beyond.
Work closely with Executive Director, Creative Director and other colleagues to develop clear and effective audience development strategies that engage the priority audiences.
Actively engage in networks and conversations and remain connected to developments in new musical theatre nationally and internationally
General
Act as the senior contact for partners and colleagues across the organisation for all matters relating to the Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre work
Lead on internal communication for New Musical Theatre work, ensuring all departments are well-briefed on proposed and current projects; and that organisational platforms and promotional materials reflect these programmes clearly and accessibly
Work closely with colleagues to ensure the safe planning and delivery of activity, working within health and safety guidelines at all times.
Ensure that all activity complies with GDPR legislation and aims for best practice
Comply with all statutory and Hippodrome requirements in areas such as safeguarding, dignity at work, inclusion and anti-racism.
Perform any other reasonable duties as assigned by the Creative Director
Expectations for all Head of Department level roles Strategy
Can translate strategy into an operational plan; looks two+ years ahead.
Able to own their department’s strategy
Shares their specialist subject knowledge with their Director to feed into the overall strategy for that area.
Supports the Organisation’s stance to the Managers
Networking
Builds solid relationships with other HoDs internally and looks to make external contacts to grow own network to benefit the organisation.
The ability to represent at local and regional networks.
Reporting
Provides regular reports and meaningful insights into the data and shares this with own Director.
Finance
Responsible for setting departmental budget as agreed with Director.
Can sign off expenditure up to a value agreed by the Director.
People
Proven People Management Skills including effective recruitment, induction of new hires, positive coaching and conducts regular check ins with team, managing performance as required
Able to influence and negotiate as required and build relationships with people at all levels.
Can inspire and motivate team to achieve great results.
Comfortable having difficult conversations as required.
Coaches direct reports/Managers to be effective people leaders, leading by example.
Able to inspire people through times of change.
Below is a specification list, detailing some of the key attributes we’re looking for in an ideal candidate. We would still like to hear from you, even if you do not meet all of the criteria as long as you feel you can positively contribute to our team. We are fully committed to supporting, encouraging and training our staff members to ensure their personal growth and future development.
Requirements
ESSENTIAL: The successful candidate will meet the majority of these requirements
DESIRABLE: The successful candidate should meet some of these requirements
Relevant Experience
Experience of producing musical theatre at least to the mid-scale
Track record of developing new musicals at any scale
Experience of producing musical theatre at the large-scale
Experience of working in a producing theatre
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Proven leadership and management skills
Analytical skills to be able to make informed decisions
Existing relationships with artists, agents and producers of new musical theatre
Budget creation and management experience
Experience of securing resources through arts funding, Trusts & Foundations or commercial investment
Line management experience
Working knowledge of theatre production models, including but not limited to Theatre Tax Relief, commercial investment, ACE Project Grants and co-production/ consortium working
Working knowledge of existing musical theatre programmes in the UK and overseas
Working knowledge of theatre touring in the UK
T h e P e r k s
We are really proud to be able to offer some of the best perks around! We offer a variety of benefits and rewards to our staff - you just need to complete your probationary period first.
Physical
Discounted Gym membership at PureGym and Anytime Fitness.
Critical Health Insurance - a sum equal to your annual salary provided in the event of a diagnosis of a critical health condition which prevents you from working.
Cycle to Work Scheme - we buy the bike and/or accessories at full retail price. The balance is then recovered from a reduction in your gross wage. Through salary sacrifice, you can expect to save a minimum of 25%
Eye care vouchers though Specsavers which includes an eye test and either a select range single vision spectacles when used for VDU use or a voucher amount towards a more expensive pair.
Free flu jab offered onsite to employees or claimed through expenses.
Corporate health care cash plan through BHSF. The plan offers cash benefits towards everyday health costs such as dentist treatment and out patient care. Employees offered access to this scheme at discounted rates via regular deductions from payroll.
Discounted private medical cover though AXA who provide fast track appointment services.
Financial
Annual organisation wide pay reviews.
Enhanced maternity/paternity/sick pay.
Life assurance - a sum equal to twice the employee’s salary is paid to a beneficiary nominated by the member of staff or next of kin.
Enhanced pension offer if you meet the eligibility criteria, after two years ’ service we will match pension contributions up to 6%.
Personal Development Fund to pay towards the cost of a course/activity that is not job related.
Electric Car Scheme - get a brand new electric car through work as a benefit, paid for through your gross monthly pay, saving on income tax and National Insurance.
Emergency Hardship Loan access to an advance in your salary to support in emergency situations.
Bus and train travel - we purchase the discounted annual travel pass on behalf of the employee then the cost is recouped over normally 12 months via a deduction through payroll.
Discounted car parking - half price parking at the Arcadian car park.
T h e P e r k s
Emotional
Flexible and hybrid working where the role allows and in agreement with your line manager, your work can be carried out in a way that meets both the needs of you and the organisation.
Mental Health First Aiders points of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the person to get appropriate help.
Employee Representatives - these are colleagues who represent a specific department(s). They act on behalf of individuals and collectives of the workforce.
Employee Assistance Programme - an external confidential helpline that can be called for free 24/7 and can offer up to 6 sessions of structured telephone calls/face to face meetings.
Inclusion & Anti Racism and Wellbeing working groups made up of employees and volunteers from across the organisation, working on the day to day improvements that needs to take place, truly leading change at Birmingham Hippodrome by presenting new ideas, informing on training, policies and advocacy.
Social
5 weeks holiday plus 8 Bank Holidays, which increases by one day for each years ’ service, up to 6 weeks holiday plus 8 Bank Holidays.
Staff ticket offers and discounts - subsidised and/or free tickets to watch a show subject to availability and 50% discount on Hippodrome Programmes, alcohol, soft drinks, hot drinks, ice creams, confectionery and food items.
Green room - a communal space for you to enjoy breaks with your colleagues.
Hippodrome Headliners awards, recognition and celebration for the creative, inspiring, dedicated work of our people nominated by you.
Wellbeing events where you have the space to focus on your wellbeing and get involved in initiatives.
Organisation wide staff events where ideas and information is shared with a chance for a get together with the wider team.
Our people are the beating heart of Birmingham Hippodrome and we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for expression and creativity and are dedicated to ensuring that any Hippodrome experience is a positive one. Inclusion is integral to everything that we do and is central to our decision-making. We care deeply for our staff, audiences, volunteers and partners, priding ourselves on being collaborative and striving to better reflect our city region.
We are proud that we reside in one of the most diverse cities in the UK; we value the richness that has and will be brought to our organisation through engaging with and the employment of people of different backgrounds.
Birmingham Hippodrome is committed to ensuring that applicants and employees are treated equally irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, age, disability, gender reassignment, political or religious belief, or socio-economic class.
The principles of equal opportunity also apply to the way in which our employees treat visitors, clients, customers and suppliers.
Birmingham Hippodrome is committed to a programme of continuous review and action to ensure that our policies remain effective.
Recognising under-representation in our workforce of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people, and those with disabilities, we particularly welcome applicants from those backgrounds, identities and experiences.
a f e g u a r d i n g
At Birmingham Hippodrome we believe that everyone has the right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
We have a responsibility to do the very best we can to keep children and adults safe, including those at risk as well as our own teams. We will do everything in our power to ensure children and adults who come into contact with Birmingham Hippodrome, in any capacity, are safeguarded; this includes all trustees, staff, volunteers, public and contractors, as well as members of the public.
