ESC Project Information

This project is a European Solidarity Corps project. It is a volunteering programme based in Newbridge, Ireland for young theatre-makers and cultural project managers aged between 23 and 30 for nine months (September to May). The volunteers work with our theatre company, providing free drama workshops to teenagers and community groups in our community, or supporting community drama projects. In return, the project will train the volunteers in the process of drama facilitation so that they can enhance their employability by gaining valuable new skills.

Please note:

● It is a nine month programme.
● It is for 5 trained or professional theatre-makers, experienced arts project managers, or arts administrators
● It is for those aged 23 to 30.
● There are also places available for eligible young people living in Ireland to be a volunteer on this project. They are known as ‘in country volunteers’.

The deadline to receive applications is:

● For volunteers who do not need a visa to travel to and live in Ireland: on 31st May at midnight (Dublin time) each year.
● For volunteers who need a visa to travel to and live in Ireland: 30th April at midnight (Dublin time) each year.

Applications will only be accepted through the Google Form linked here:
https://forms.gle/zzBk1GUvj64cjdGE7

Rules and Eligibility

Fill out the online application form in English. If you do not your application will be deleted.

You must be one or more of the following:

● a theatre-maker: A ‘theatre-maker’ is someone who makes theatre with other people (an actor, director, performer, producer or project manager). We do not have space for writers, technical crew or designers.

● an experienced arts project manager, or someone who has recently graduated from this field of study; or an arts administrator. This is someone who knows how to plan projects, keep schedules, create and use project records and documents. This person needs to be able to write well and use a computer proficiently.

● Theatre and education. Someone who works in or who has studied drama facilitation, performing plays in schools, giving workshops to school students etc.

● Community drama practitioner. Someone who has used drama as a way to support refugees, older people, special interest groups, rural youth, the elderly, and so on.

● Administrator. Someone who had experience in administration (record keeping, writing reports, recruiting participants, recording documents, emailing and communication, etc).

3. You must be legally resident in one of the European Solidarity Corps eligible countries in order for us to consider your application. See which countries are eligible here:
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/countries-covered_en

4. You must register with the European Solidarity Corps and receive a Participant Number.
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering_en

5. You must commit to the principles of the European Solidarity Corps programme:
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering_en

6. Only people who take their time and answer all questions as fully as possible will be considered.

7. All applications that use ChatGPT or another AI service to answer the questions will be automatically deleted. The AI answers are detected by our software and are automatically deleted (we do not get to see your response). Please write in your own words, no matter how bad you believe your English is.

To go directly to the application form on Google Forms click here:
https://forms.gle/zzBk1GUvj64cjdGE7

Volunteer Profile

What kind of people are we looking for?

We are especially interested in theatre-makers, those interested in drama-in-education, community theatre, or arts project managers who:

● You would ideally be a social, outgoing, friendly young person who can live independently;
● who are curious and ask questions;
● You should be able to speak English well and have at least a B1 level.
● Volunteers should have initiative – i.e. they are able to start their own work.
● Volunteers should be prepared for cold, dark and wet winters
● Volunteers should be able to work in flexible, changing environments.
● Volunteers from outside the EU must obtain a visa to work here, and they must guarantee that they will adhere to the conditions of that visa.
● Volunteers must be vetted by the Irish police force, An Garda Síochána, before they can volunteer with us.

We positively encourage young actors and cultural project managers who have one or more of the following criteria to apply:

● You are LGB or TQI+
● You are from a migrant background, or your family has migrated
● You may be experiencing difficulties in your home society related to your beliefs, cultural identity, gender, religious background (including being atheist), or ethnicity
● Your human rights are being denied or repressed
● You feel that you have fewer opportunities in life compared to those your age in your country or in other countries
● You understand and accept liberal, EU values.

Applications will only be accepted through the Google Form linked here:
https://forms.gle/zzBk1GUvj64cjdGE7

The Project

Project One: Supporting Carlow Youth Theatre

This position is for one volunteer only. One volunteer will support our project called Carlow Youth Theatre. The tasks involved are:

Workshop Assistant:
· Travelling to the drama workshop every Monday with the Facilitator and being a Workshop Assistant.
· Registering participants, keeping an attendance record, greeting new participants, helping anyone who has difficulty in the workshop, taking photos and records of the workshop.

Administration:
· Writing monthly 50 to 100 word reports about the youth theatre
· Writing 4 longer reports (300 words) about the project every 3 months
· Writing emails to the funders, parents, the young people, venues and others about logistics and regular activities
· Writing short project finding applications to local and national organisations to support the young theatre
· Managing the Carlow Youth Theatre social media
· Organising logistics for projects. Examples are:
· booking venues and workshop facilitators for the week-long summer project;
· Preparing young people to take part in international youth exchange projects run by Crooked House;
· Helping to send young people to national events like Youth Theatre Ireland’s summer festival.

Production Assistant:
· Attending once a week rehearsal for the Carlow Youth Theatre play and helping the Director.
· Acting as Stage Manager for this show.
· Helping with props, costumes, productions details.
· Gathering information for poster, fliers, and programme.

Additional Tasks:
· Other tasks may arise during the course of the nine months that are not mentioned here and that will require the volunteer’s help. These may include activities like directing a short 10 minute devised performance with the young people; or offering occasional specialist workshops; or attending training and networking events on behalf of Carlow Youth Theatre.

Common Activities:
The Volunteer will join with the other volunteers during thew week to:
· Devise and perform a short play about a social issue that will be staged in local schools;
· Attend a Volunteer Meeting with the Volunteer Supervisor once a week;
· Have a one-hour supervision session with the Volunteer Supervisor once every three weeks;
· Have a one-hour meeting with your Mentor every 6 weeks;
· Attend weekly training in Drama Facilitation.

The Volunteer will have free days on Saturday and Sunday. There will be an additional two free days offered per month. Th number of hours volunteered should be between 30 and 35 per week.

Project Two: Supporting Kildare Youth Theatre

This position is for two volunteers only. The volunteers will support our project called Carlow Youth Theatre. The tasks involved are:

Workshop Assistants:
· Attending the drama workshops every Saturday (11.30am to 7.00pm) and supporting the Facilitator and participants
· Registering participants, keeping an attendance record, greeting new participants, helping anyone who has difficulty in the workshop, taking photos and records of the workshop.
· Keep an up to date attendance register for each workshop.
· Be aware of policies and procedures in areas relevant to the youth theatre and maintain correct procedures according to current Child Protection legislation.
· Help to co-ordinate visits for youth theatre members to go see professional theatre and partake, where appropriate, in post-show talks / pre-show workshops.

Administration:
· Writing monthly 50 to 100 word reports about the youth theatre (numbers attending, any incidents or issues emerging, etc)
· Writing emails to the funders, parents, the young people, venues and others about logistics and regular activities
· Writing short project funding applications to local and national organisations to support the young theatre.
· Managing the Kildare Youth Theatre social media
· Organising logistics for projects. Examples are:
· booking venues for workshops and events
· Preparing young people to take part in international youth exchange projects run by Crooked House;
· Helping to send young people to national events like Youth Theatre Ireland’s summer festival.

Production Assistant:
· Attending once a week rehearsal for the Kildare Youth Theatre NT Connections play (Tuesdays 6pm to 8.00pm, October to April) and helping the Director.
· Acting as Stage Manager for this show.
· Helping with props, costumes, productions details.
· Gathering information for poster, fliers, and programme.

· Attending twice a week rehearsal for the Kildare Youth Theatre Shakespearean play (Wednesdays 6pm to 8.00pm and Sundays 2.00pm to 5.00pm from October to May) and helping the Director.
· Acting as Stage Manager for this show.
· Helping with props, costumes, productions details.
· Gathering information for poster, fliers, and programme.

Common Activities:
The Volunteer will join with the other volunteers during the week to:
· Devise and perform a short play about a social issue that will be staged in local schools;
· Attend a Volunteer Meeting with the Volunteer Supervisor once a week;
· Have a one-hour supervision session with the Volunteer Supervisor once every three weeks;
· Have a one-hour meeting with your Mentor every 6 weeks;
· Attend weekly training in Drama Facilitation.

Free days
The Volunteer will have free days on Monday and Tuesday. The number of hours volunteered should be between 30 and 35 per week.
There will be two week’s break at Christmas and at Easter.

Project Three: Supporting Crooked House Outreach and Community Response

This position is for one volunteer only. The volunteers will support our projects in the community. They are:

Houselights Group. Weekly drama workshops with local women in their 60s or over, from 10.00am to 12.00pm on Mondays from October to May. This includes a performance at the end of the year.
Sonas Senior project. This is a weekly drama workshop with adults who have additional needs or disabilities. The project runs in partnership with KARE to create short performances with members and to document and record their learning as part of a national certificate awarded to them at the end of the year. Workshops are usually on Mondays.
Sonas Junior project. This is a weekly drama workshop with two groups of children in St Mark’s School in Newbridge. The children have additional needs. The workshops are on Thursday mornings (although this can change depending on the school timetable).
Women’s Shed Project. This weekly, two-hour workshop happens with the members of Newbridge Women’s shed. They devise performances based on their interests, and stage these in Riverbank Arts Centre. The workshop is on Thursdays from 12.00pm to 2.00pm.
Day Care Drama. This on-hour workshop is with the members of Newbridge Day Care Centre for the Elderly. The workshop is a mix of singing, gentle movement and stories. It is usually on Tuesdays.
Elevate Project. This is a 12 week drama programme with young people in another town – in Enniscorthy, County Wexford. It supports their wellbeing and resilience and runs from January to April. It is usually on Thursday evenings.

The tasks involved are:

Workshop Assistant:
· Attending the drama workshops above and supporting the facilitator and participants.
· Registering participants, keeping an attendance record, greeting new participants, helping anyone who has difficulty in the workshop, taking photos and records of the workshop.
· Keep an up to date attendance register for each workshop.
· Be aware of policies and procedures in areas relevant to the youth theatre and maintain correct procedures according to current Child Protection legislation.
· Take over, after a time of observation and training, to lead a workshop.

Administration:
· Writing monthly 50 to 100 word updates about some of the projects for our newsletter.
· Writing emails to the funders, parents, the participants, venues and others about logistics and regular activities
· Writing short project funding applications to local and national organisations to support the projects.
· Managing the project social media
· Organising logistics for projects.
· Keeping receipts for project spending and updating the Accounts with these.

Production Assistant:
· Acting as Stage Manager for any show performed.
· Helping with props, costumes, productions details.
· Gathering information for poster, fliers, and programme.

Additional Tasks:
· Other tasks may arise during the course of the nine months that are not mentioned here and that will require the volunteer’s help.

Free days
The Volunteer will have free days on Saturday and Sunday. The number of hours volunteered should be between 30 and 35 per week.
There will be two week’s break at Christmas and at Easter.

Project Four: Crooked House Schools’ Drama

Programme

This position is for two volunteers. The volunteers will deliver our free drama workshops in schools. Every year the school requirements are different. Some years there are different schools. We will know for sure in September and October. Usually, the schools are:

St Conleth’s Community College. 2 one-hour workshops with approximately 20 teenagers in each group. They are aged 16 to 17. This happens from September to May (although there are some weeks during the year when there are no drama workshops). The project is for drama workshops only – they do not lead to a performance. There is always a teacher present during the class.
Patrician Secondary School. There are two (sometimes three) workshops in this school during the week. They are with classes of approximately 15 to 20 students, some of whom are studying Drama, Film and Theatre studies. September to May. The project is for drama workshops only – they do not lead to a performance. There is always a teacher present during the class.
Cross and Passion Secondary School. There are up for 5 one-hour drama workshops with different classes here. They are aged 16 to 17. This happens from September to May (although there are some weeks during the year when there are no drama workshops). The project is for drama workshops only – they do not lead to a performance. There is always a teacher present during the class.

The tasks involved are:

Workshop Facilitator:
· Preparing the weekly workshop plan.
· Co-facilitating the workshops (or in some cases facilitating it on your own).
· Always arriving on time and never missing scheduled workshops unless it’s an emergency
· Be aware of policies and procedures in areas relevant to the youth theatre and maintain correct procedures according to current Child Protection legislation.

Administration:
· Writing occasional 50 to 100 word updates about the programmes for our newsletter.
· Liaising with the school teacher and relevant people in the school
· Writing a project report in December for the funders.
· Managing travel to the school is needed.
· Keeping receipts for project spending and updating the Accounts Team with these.

Additional Tasks:
· Other tasks may arise during the course of the nine months that are not mentioned here and that will require the volunteer’s help.

Learning Opportunities

Volunteers will take part in a full training programme on drama facilitation.

Most volunteers will practice and develop such skills as:
· youth drama facilitation
· theatre-making with young people
· youth theatre administration
· performing in English
· creative collaboration.

Our participants

The participants of our projects are adults and young people from our community and regionally. They are usually:

· young people are aged from 11 to 25 in County Kildare in Ireland. Crooked House works with young people who come to our centre for drama workshops and to make theatre projects. We also work with young people in the community, where we go to give workshops (e.g. to schools and youth clubs). Most of the young people with whom we work are in the 14 to 17 age range.

· Adults who have intellectual disabilities in Newbridge. We work with KARE (https://www.kare.ie/) to provide drama workshops for young people and adults who have mobility difficulties and additional needs. The workshops help integrate them to our community and build social and personal skills that will assist them in life.

· The elderly in our community.

· Women’s groups and other community groups.

In our centre we offer drama workshops, we devise plays, and we rehearse work for performance. Participants come to separate workshops, each one tailored to their age and interests.

The drama work focuses on helping people develop resilience, acquire performance skills, and re-learn the skills needed for active citizenship. We have published material online about how we think drama does this (and it can be accessed here). You can also read about it, and the type of drama activities that we do, on the Drama for Youth Works website

You can see a lot of the performance work that we have done over the years on our Crooked House You Tube Channel

Accommodation

It is often not possible, financially, to rent houses for volunteers only, as the cost is well beyond the budget that we receive. Therefore, we usually find accommodation for our ESC volunteers in family homes. You will have a bedroom of your own. You will have the use of the kitchen to cook your own meals. It is important to take note that the family does not cook for you. In some cases, there will be two volunteers in each house (each with their own rooms).

We pay the owner directly for the rent (this includes all costs for heating and water etc). Most houses are within 1 kilometre of the town, but some are 2 kilometres from the town centre, and we give each volunteer a bicycle to come and go to these. Because these are family houses in which the owner lives it is usually not possible to have guests, or boyfriends or girlfriends stay over in your room. In those cases where someone is visiting you and wishes to stay it is best for you both to rent an Airbnb for the time needed.

Financial Support

We will give you a monthly budget of €500 to pay for food and other necessities (this amount includes the ‘pocket money’ allowance).

We will pay the cost of a return flight to and from your country so long as it is within the budget allowed. You can calculate the budget here.

We will reimburse the costs of applying for a visa provided that you keep the receipts and give them to us. Your sending or support organisation is responsible for this visa process.

We will pay for any travel and expenses associated with your volunteering while you are in Ireland.

You will registered on the Henner Insurance scheme which will cover your medical and health costs while in Ireland. EU residents should bring their European Health Insurance Card with them.

The staff team

Volunteers will be a core part of our organisation, working alongside other volunteers and staff. There will be 5 ESC volunteers, along with 2 – 4 Erasmus+ Student Trainees, and perhaps a student from Maynooth University on placement. During this time, they will be supported by the following staff members:

· Oğuzhan Şahin – Company Manager (volunteers on Project 4 report to Oguzhan)
· Pauline Sartori – Volunteer Supervisor
· Anna Galligan – Drama Facilitation Trainer
· Yakup Baş – Director of Kildare Youth Theatre and Carlow Youth Theatre (volunteers on Projects 1 and 2 report to Yakup)
· Yassine Barkaoui – Outreach Manager (volunteers on Project 3 report to Yassine).

Mentors and Support

Volunteers will also be introduced to a mentor who will advise and support them in their journey. The mentor is someone from outside the organisation. They will meet (online or in person) with the volunteer once a month and check with them about how they are settling in, integration, managing your time and experience, and suggesting ways to look after yourself.

Often the mentor will be a former volunteer who spent a year here and who will understand what you are going through.

We have also engaged the services of a professional counsellor. He is available for 6 sessions for anyone who needs it. You would consider receiving support from the counsellor if you have unresolved trauma (large or small) that prevents you from functioning well; or if you have other problems arising during your year that you are not able to deal with yourself. The counsellor is independent and treats your issues in complete confidence.

Performance Opportunities

These are limited. If you are applying in the hope to perform a lot in English because you are an actor, then this project may not suit you. The project is mainly about drama facilitation and administration.

Volunteers will also have the opportunity to rehearse and perform in English language performances or in physical theatre performances created during their time with us.

Some performances are devised by the group and staged in public. One of these always involves the group of volunteers working with a theatre-maker to dramatize their journey (from their place of origin to Ireland) and to introduce your culture and ideas to our local community. Examples of previous performances can be seen on our You Tube channel.

Training Opportunities

This project is financially supported by the European Union through its European Solidarity Corps programme. (Some students who apply to come here are supported under the Erasmus+ Student Trainee programme). This programme is managed in Ireland by Léargas. Léargas offers On Arrival Training and Mid Way Training which all ESC volunteers must attend as part of their programme here. These are opportunities to meet volunteers on other projects from around the country and reflect on your journey.

Crooked House offers Pre-Departure training online. This will be 4 online two-hour sessions after you have been selected and before you arrive here. This training brings the selected volunteers together, introduces you to the Crooked House team and to the project, and describes most of what you need to know about living in Ireland.

Crooked House offers weekly training in Drama Facilitation, delivered by Anna Galligan. This runs every second Friday and will cover all areas of working creatively with young people (and with community groups).

Volunteers will receive child protection training. This is a mandatory training delivered to those who will be working with vulnerable young people or vulnerable adults.

How to apply

Most volunteers will have applied through our website and filled out this application form:
https://forms.gle/zzBk1GUvj64cjdGE7

If you have not already done so, then these are the steps that you go through in order to be considered for this project:

· Register with the European Solidarity Corps here
· Return to www.crookedhouse.ie and complete the form: https://forms.gle/zzBk1GUvj64cjdGE7
· Wait to hear if you have been selected to move to Round 2.
· After this you will be informed if you have secured a place or not on this project.

The address for all correspondence to do with applications is crookedhouse.applications@gmail.com