REDEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER OLYMPIA THEATRE PROJECT INFORMATION FOR ACTIVITY PLAN CO-ORDINATOR 1. Introduction Clyde Gateway seeks to appoint a part time arts & heritage Co-ordinator to deliver a programme of activity associated with the redevelopment of the former Olympia Theatre building at Bridgeton Cross in the East End of Glasgow. 2. Background Established as a partnership between Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government, the Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) was formally established in December 2007. The URC is aimed at restructuring the urban area and creating a new focus for further investment. To realise these aims it has the following strategic goals: Sustainable place transformation; Increase economic activity; and Development of community capacity. For further details on the URC and the Olympia Project please refer to the URC s website, www.clydegateway.com Clyde Gateway Developments Limited ( CGDL ) is a commercial subsidiary of the URC, established to deliver development. One early development being led by CGDL is the transformation of the landmark former Olympia Theatre located at Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow. 3. The Olympia Redevelopment Project The Olympia is a Category B listed building which is currently undergoing a 8m redevelopment from a derelict building into a four storey facility located at the heart of Bridgeton Cross. The ground floor of the building will be occupied by a new Library and Learning Centre, one of nine Central Libraries across the City of Glasgow. The first floor will be occupied by Amateur Boxing Scotland who will operate a high performance centre for elite athletes in the sport of boxing. The top two floors are being developed as commercial office space. The construction works went on site in May 2011and the building will be ready for occupation in November 2012. The redevelopment will retain the building s character and heritage for future generations and contribute to the wider regeneration objectives of Clyde Gateway and its partners for the east end of Glasgow.
Due to the historical significance of the building to the East End of Glasgow, Clyde Gateway has developed a programme of arts and heritage focussed activity to be delivered alongside the physical construction project and beyond. This programme seeks to engage local people, education establishments, local bodies and partner agencies in the redevelopment process and to help shape future activity within the completed building. The Activity Plan Co-ordinator Post has been created to oversee delivery of this programme of arts and heritage focussed work. 4. Project Aims The redevelopment of the Olympia Building aims to : Save an historic landmark building at the heart of Bridgeton, retaining its character and heritage for future generations. Encourage community awareness and education on the heritage of the Olympia building and on wider local history through participation in the redevelopment process for the property and involvement in a programme of arts and heritage focussed activity. Provide centrally located, highly accessible archives on local history, Olympia specific information and sports related history, developed in collaboration with local residents, community organisations and young people. Reinvigorate Bridgeton as a community hub and vibrant gateway on a main route to key Commonwealth Games 2014 facilities. Improve the health, wellbeing and education of local residents through the creation of sports, training, library and archive facilities in their area, in a highly accessible facility at the heart of their community. Create employment and training opportunities during the construction phase and on completion of the redeveloped building, to start to address the high level of unemployment in Bridgeton and to raise aspirations 5. Project Detail The Olympia Theatre of Varieties is a landmark Category B Listed building which sits at the heart of Bridgeton Cross, a traditional urban hub, 3 miles east of Glasgow City Centre. The property was built as a Theatre 1911, then remodelled as a cinema in the 1920 s. It ceased cinema operation in the 1970 s and took on various commercial uses thereafter. It has lain derelict for the past 18 years and suffered considerable internal fire damage in 2004 destroying the majority of the original interior features. The property is one of a very few listed properties in the east end of Glasgow, and sits on a main route to the key Commonwealth Games 2014 facilities. This project seeks to safeguard the future of this iconic building, and its unique heritage for future generations by protecting it from further dereliction and redeveloping it as a publicly accessible facility to serve the residents of Bridgeton and the wider east end of Glasgow. This process will see the heritage of Bridgeton preserved and enhanced through retention and restoration of the red sandstone facade and the creation of 3,500 sq m of floorspace for a mix of sports, library, cafe and office uses. These uses will incorporate archive space and art installations which reflect the heritage of the property as a music hall and cinema, key elements of local history, as well as focus on Scottish history associated with some of the sports to be housed within the redeveloped property. The creation of these archives and art installations will be developed as part of a programme of arts,
sports and heritage, which will be delivered with local people in parallel to the physical redevelopment project. The completed building will house a number of separate occupiers as follows: Library and Learning Centre -. The library and learning centre with integrated I.T. and café facility, located at the ground floor, will provide a modern and highly visible Bridgeton Library of circa 740 sq m. This facility will be accessed directly from the street and provide street frontage on both sides of the building. This facility will be operated by Glasgow Life, who operate all public libraries across the City. High Performance Boxing Centre - The sports facility on the first floor will be operated by the National Governing Body for boxing in Scotland, with support from sportscotland. Elite athletes will train in the facility, and there is provision for sports development with local clubs, sports related offices, coaching and meeting accommodation. This facility will be operated by Amateur Boxing Scotland. The Office Occupier Two floors of commercial office space will be created at the upper levels of the building providing approximately 1,000 sq m of lettable floor space. The office accommodation will operate as a separate entity from the leisure and sports uses. The construction works are being delivered on site by CCG (Scotland) Ltd. The project team is led by Gardiner & Theobald Project Managers and Cost Consultants. Page\Park Architects, Wolgar Hunter and Wallace Whittle are providing design services for architecture and engineering. 6. The Post The Olympia redevelopment project is being delivered using a cocktail of grant funding, alongside with Clyde Gateway investment. The Heritage Lottery Fund is a key grant funder for the project and is supporting the creation of the arts and heritage post. The project allows for a part time co-ordinator for a period of two years. This fixed term post will span the construction period and the first year of operation of the building. Community stakeholder groups are currently being developed and the co-ordinator will work closely with these groups and with external stakeholders to create a sustainable structure that will include the group engaging with and benefiting from the experience and skills of others. This will provide a legacy for the project and include consideration of future delivery activity Evaluation of the arts and heritage programme will be undertaken in Year 2 to assess the success of each activity whilst providing information other groups and projects could benefit from. In some cases these activities and projects will be replicable and repeatable in other areas and as such lessons learned will be important. Please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification for the Olympia Activity Plan Co-ordinator.
OLYMPIA THEATRE ACTIVITY PLAN COORDINATOR Job Description Job Title: Project Co-ordinator Salary: 25,000 per annum (pro rata based on 35 hour week) Hours: 17.5 hours per week flexible working hours to be agreed but will include some evening and weekends Duration: Fixed 2 year contract Location: Clyde Gateway Offices, Bridgeton and East Centre area of Glasgow Reporting to: Day to day Line Manager from Clyde Gateway Monthly - Steering group that includes representatives from Clyde Gateway, Glasgow Life, relevant local strategic organisations and the community Submission: CV with cover letter. CV should include the names of two employers as referees. Referees will not be contacted without the permission of the applicant. Email submissions to :gatewayenquiries@clydegateway.com or by post to Michele Barr, Clyde Gateway, 15 Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, G40 1BN Please indicate in your cover letter where you saw this post advertised. This post is part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund Background Clyde Gateway is currently delivering an ambitious and imaginative re-development project at the Olympia Theatre, Bridgeton. This project will deliver: new state of the art library on the ground floor, including café, IT training suite and project rooms, High Performance Centre for Amateur Boxing Scotland, the National Governing Body for elite athletes in Boxing on first floor commercial office accommodation on the second and third floors A programme of community heritage activities will be delivered in tandem with the physical redevelopment of the Olympia to maximise the benefits of the project for local people.
These activities have been identified in consultation with the community and a plan for delivery has been prepared in the form of an Activity Plan. This Activity Plan has been drawn up to support funding applications and sets out the types of activities proposed including a timescale and mechanism for delivery and outline budget. Activities proposed include: Recording the physical development of the Olympia Theatre Inter-generational projects that bring old and young together using heritage i.e. oral history projects and workshops Collecting items and memories that local people have of the Olympia and the local area Community curated display(s) Present displays on the history of the Olympia and the area within the building. Facilitate partner agency displays and exhibitions Co-ordinate a series of talks and presentations on core project themes within the completed building Create a timeline of the history of Bridgeton Present displays relevant to local sports and other topics of local interest, Link the theatre to historic or contemporary famous people with a link to Bridgeton Talks and presentations by people with collections, memories or relationships with the three core themes of the project. (i.e. the cinema and music hall heritage, local history and sports) There is the opportunity to involve community volunteers in the refinement of these activities as the project is delivered. This will give the local community a stronger sense of identity with the project. General Description The post holder will be the sole member of the staff for the delivery of these activities. Support will be provided by the Steering Group, Clyde Gateway and Glasgow Life staff. There may be opportunities for the appointment of specialist consultants to undertake particular, one-off tasks in support of the delivery of the activities. The successful applicant will: Play a key role in delivering all aspects of the Activity Plan and in identifying new opportunities for community involvement in the Olympia redevelopment process Liaise closely with the community and strategic and operational partners in the East End Work with a diverse range of individuals and groups, including children and young people, both informally and in a more structured learning environment. The post holder will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure. The post holder will facilitate and organise events/ activities, where required, to represent the project to wider audiences and interest groups and will be responsible for maintaining records and collating statistical information in relation to the project.
Main Duties and Responsibilities Enable delivery of a co-ordinated programme of arts and heritage related work in tandem with the redevelopment stage of the Olympia building. This will be undertaken in association with local residents, schools, higher and tertiary education establishments, local youth projects and partner organisations. The aim is to engage local people in the programme, increase local understanding of the history of the building, and the area, and to develop participation in arts and heritage. Work with identified stakeholders to develop a mutually agreed approach to the creative opportunities of this redevelopment project. Research and present examples of good practice that can be used with and by stakeholders to encourage buy-in and stimulate creative thinking among all partners, including citywide, national and international artists and agencies where appropriate to explore potential ideas and approaches Work closely with Glasgow Life s museum and archive teams to develop and raise the profile of heritage collections that are relevant to Bridgeton and the themes of the project Engage local communities with links to other theatres and cinemas Scotland wide Capture and tell stories of the site by gathering and recording the social history of the building and the local area and its people. It is envisaged that this will be done through photography, film and multi-media skills with the possibility of involving visual arts, story-telling and drama at a later stage Enable links and develop partnerships with a range of agencies and organisations such as HLF, Glasgow University Film and TV, Scottish Screen Archive and Britannia, as well as local arts organisations such as Cranhill Arts, Diversity Films, Glasgow Media Access Centre, Glasgow East Arts Company and many others Manage the programme delivery budget Monitor and evaluate work undertaken to ensure quality of delivery Other tasks Support local community heritage groups to engage in delivery of the programme Work between the identified stakeholders to identify gaps in the cultural infrastructure of the area and challenge current thinking around art and heritage programmes of work and present creative solutions and connections
Work closely with Glasgow Life s area team to identify and consult with the key community representatives in the area, and to tie in with the wider Glasgow Life area team and Community Planning Thematic Groups and Arts Networks Identify and engage with other key partners such as Glasgow East Regeneration Agency, community reference groups, local housing associations, voluntary organisations, schools, community and history groups Work with the stakeholders to identify their cultural aspirations, needs and expectations Within the context of Commonwealth Games 2014, identify ways for the Olympia Theatre Redevelopment project to potentially link in with the wider national and citywide strategies; such as Creative Scotland s cultural programmes and the Velocity project Work with the design team to identify spaces and opportunities for artworks and interpretation in the Olympia building and coordinate the production of such Explore ways of presenting the strategic nature of the whole programme of activity in a local hub, and examine digital means for hosting content across a diverse range of platforms (exhibition, digital screen and multi media formats et al) Work closely with community groups and with external stakeholders to create a sustainable structure that will include the group engaging with and benefiting from the experience and skills of others, to provide a legacy for the project and to consider future delivery activity Develop volunteering and skills development opportunities to assist in the delivery of the Activity Plan. This may be undertaken in association with partner agencies. Identify links to existing citywide and local events calendars ( including festivals and gala days) to showcase the arts and heritage programme Prepare reports to suit a variety of audiences (strategic, peer and community members) Ensure all relevant Health and Safety procedures are adhered to at all times. Undertake evaluation of programme delivery in Year 2 to assess the success of each activity to inform other groups and projects. Through programme evaluation, identify activities and projects which are replicable and repeatable in other areas beyond Provide quarterly project update reports for Clyde Gateway and Heritage Lottery Fund Prepare and deliver presentations to local community groups and partner organisations as required Identify appropriate sources of funding for current and future project activities and prepare and submit funding applications Capacity building and training of volunteers to enable them to continue a programme of activities in the longer term
Create a lasting legacy of activities and opportunities for further learning and participation within and around the Olympia building Carry out any other tasks appropriate to the post, as directed by management Person Specification ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS Diploma/ Degree, or EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE equivalent, in a relevant discipline and/or 3 years experience in a relevant field Experience in developing and delivering community arts and heritage based projects Experience in initiating, designing and delivering arts and heritage activity within a community setting Experience in dealing with relevant stakeholders Experience in dealing with the public SKILLS & ABILITIES Project planning and project management skills Excellent communication skills Good inter-personal skills and the ability to relate to all types of people Time management skills and the ability to work on own initiative DESIRABLE Willingness to undertake appropriate training Experience in facilitating events and workshops Experience of working with a range of partners e.g. community groups, stakeholder networks, schools and other agencies Experience of working with children and young people Flexible and innovative approach Ability to manage and deliver projects within a tight timescale Good IT skills Financial management Monitoring & evaluation skills PERSONAL QUALITIES Self-motivated and energetic Creative
Non-judgemental, tactful, empathetic and approachable Trustworthy and reliable Team player OTHER Post holder will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure Driving Licence