Deadline for applications: 9am, Friday 30th June
Reports to: Traineeship Programme Leader
Location: Sage Gateshead
Working hours: 91 contracted hours, 150 additional hours available to claim for observation of activity and reflective conversations
Salary: SCP 20, £21,293 pro rata, per annum
Contract: Fixed term, September 2023 – March 2024 (20 weeks during term time)

About Sage Gateshead
We are an international music centre based on the banks of the River Tyne. We are a unique venue where artists from across the world perform and audiences from a wide range of backgrounds come to hear, make, and enjoy all types of music.

We support local people to be creative, to develop a passion for music and put music at the heart of communities. Our artist development programme provides local artists with the opportunities they need to develop a career in music. We support young people to make music in our building and in the wider community through programmes such as In Harmony Newcastle Gateshead.

We believe our work makes life better for people in the North East. We’re building a creative, diverse, and passionate team and that’s where you come in…

About you

Are you self-motivated, happy working in a team environment and flexible enough to adapt to a changing environment? If this sounds like you, here are some specific types of experience that will help you hit the ground running.

You must have proven experience of:

• Competent musical skills and knowledge;
• A flexible approach;
• A motivation to develop your creative practice;
• A passion for inclusive music making.

Knowledge and skills of:

• An interest in working with children and young people across a range of contexts;
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team of Music Leaders;
• Safeguarding in education contexts;
• Good communication skills with people from a diverse range of backgrounds;
• The ability to work with groups of differing abilities in a variety of settings;
• Enthusiasm for learning.

It also helps if you have:

• Experience of working with children and young people across a range of contexts, including:

• Children and young people ages 0–5 and their families
• Care experienced children, foster and adoptive families;
• Children and young people with additional needs/ special educational/and/ or disability (SEN/D);
• Formal and informal music-making contexts.

• Some knowledge of musical inclusion

If you’re not a perfect match for the job description and criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are more interested in your determination, positivity, and willingness to get stuck in.

About Make Music

Make Music is the name for all Sage Gateshead’s music classes, groups, ensembles, training programmes, and activities for schools and music leaders. Anyone of any age can get involved to make music in lots of different styles, from music production to classical, with support, that’s right for them.

Make Music: Young People supports young people from age 4 – 25 develop as musicians, producers, and music leaders. Visiting artists contribute to inspiring and training the musicians of the future.

From absolute beginners to our Centre for Advanced Training, inspirational teaching, and chances to perform on our stages, develop skills and spark a lifelong love for music.

We create pathways into the music and creative industries and knock down barriers to young people getting involved.

About the role of Trainee Music Leader at Sage Gateshead

We are recruiting 6 musicians who are passionate about nurturing children and young people’s musical, social and personal progression. We welcome applications from musicians with limited or no experience of facilitating musical learning.

Trainees will be supported to develop their music leadership skills and inclusive practice through paid, on the job training and shadowing opportunities across Sage Gateshead’s Make Music Programme.

The Traineeship will take place over 20 weeks between September 2023 and March 2024. Successful applicants will be required to attend introductory training on Friday 15th September 2023.

This is a non-accredited opportunity and places are subsidised by funding from Youth Music.

Trainees will:

• Attend an introductory training day on Friday 15th September 2023.
• Participate in weekly group meetings on Friday’s 10am – 12pm during term time.
• Be allocated a mentor to meet fortnightly.
• Observe and reflect on up to6 hours of musical activity per week led by an experienced Sage Gateshead Music Leader;
  • Please note - most of the activity available to observe takes place Thursday to Sunday.
• Attend 3 training sessions – to be negotiated on induction.

Trainees will be contracted for 91 hours over 7 months (September 23 – March 24) to include:

• 25 hours training time (introductory training plus 3 further training days)
• 42 hours attendance at Friday group meetings (21 sessions)
• 10 hours mentor meeting time (1 hour per fortnight over 20 weeks)
• 10 hours self-directed time to research and develop resources and repertoire
• 4 hours 1:1 line management time

In addition to contracted hours, Trainees will be able to claim up to 150 hours for observing sessions (up to 6 hours per week) and having reflective conversations with Music Leaders (up to 1.5 hours per week).

Your responsibilities:

Programme Logistics

• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation as required.
• Submit weekly time sheets for observation hours.

General

• Shadow up to 6 hours of musical activity each week.
• Attend
  • weekly group meetings.
  • fortnightly mentor meetings.
  • half termly line management meetings.
  • 3 full day training sessions.
• Potential to work evenings and weekends.
• Work independently to research and develop resources and repertoire.
• Accept appropriate individual responsibility for the observance, promotion and implementation of Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Customer Care, Equality and Diversity, Dignity at Work and other policies with the Trust;

Our commitment to your development

At Sage Gateshead, we’re always learning. Through training and support, we’ll help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to thrive in your role. This may be through gaining a qualification, on-the-job training or learning within your team.

We provide you with training in areas such as health and safety and safeguarding when you start work, and you’ll receive annual refreshers.

Every staff member is on their own training and development journey. You’ll work closely with your manager to identify what your journey will look like at Sage Gateshead. If you have a specific interest or you would like to develop your skills in a certain area, we want to hear about it.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

At Sage Gateshead, we encourage a working environment that’s welcoming, inclusive, and diverse. Different backgrounds, views and experiences are valued so everyone can be themselves.

Our venue and programmes are for everyone, so we want to make sure this opportunity is available to everyone, no matter your background or the challenges you’ve faced.

For example, we would love to hear from you if you:

• Are D/deaf. Have a disability, learning difficulty or significant long -term health condition which affects your daily life
• Describe yourself as neurodiverse (this might include dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autistic spectrum, and others)
• Grew up in a family receiving Universal Credit or state benefits
• Have ever lived in council or social housing or been on the housing register
• Have ever lived in sheltered accommodation or experienced homelessness
• Experienced being in care at any point in your life
• Have been a refugee or asylum seeker
• Are from the African, South, East and South–East Asian, Middle East, Latinx or North African diaspora, or have experienced racism
• These are some common examples of challenging circumstances but there may be others. Everyone is welcome to apply.
• We do not discriminate because of race, colour, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or expression, age, disability or any other protected characteristic as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expect all of those that work with us to share this commitment. We operate a robust safeguarding framework and continuous assessment and development to support safer working practice across out workforce. Our roles are subject to a safer recruitment process which includes relevant background checks and the disclosure of criminal records, sanctions, and investigations where appropriate. This position is eligible for an Enhanced DBS with a check of the Children’s and Adult’s Barred List.

Our application process

Closing date for applications: 9am, Friday 30th June

Interview date: Thursday 20th July

We understand that interviews can be a nerve-racking experience. We want you to feel comfortable so you can be yourself and shine!

If you have any questions about the role or the application process, please contact Lois, People Coordinator at recruitment@sagegateshead.com