mac is seeking to recruit an exceptional individuals to play a key role in developing its

partnership programme with Birmingham City Council and Youth Music.

Sound Futures Projects Manager (Ref: PM/SF08)

Salary c. £20,000
Hours 37.5 per week (some evening and weekend work is required)

Sound Futures is Birmingham’s Youth Music Action Zone. Action Zones nationally are
delivering a wide range of music-making covering all music styles and genres. Activities include
workshops, rehearsals, performances, one-to-one teaching and mentoring. Working with
established music-making organisations Sound Futures is reaching those communities which
have few opportunities and little access to music-making.

If you are passionate about music-making, about giving children and young people
opportunities to explore their musical talents and supporting music leaders then we want to
hear from you.

Closing Date: 5pm Monday 22nd September 2008

mac strives for equality of opportunity and is a registered charity no. 528979
September 2008

Projects Manager, Sound Futures (Ref: PM/SF08)

Dear Applicant

Thank you for your interest in the post of Projects Manager, Sound Futures. Please find
enclosed:

• Job Description and Person Specification

• Sound Futures - information about our activities
• Application Form
• Equal Opportunities Policy

Please complete the enclosed application form and return it by e-mail to:
personnel@macarts.co.uk

Your application should arrive no later than 5pm on the closing date for applications
which is Monday 22nd September 2008.

Should you have any queries about your application, please e-mail
barry.dsouza@soundfutures.org or call Barry D’Souza on 0121 236 8140 /1.

Shortlisted candidates will be notified no later than 5pm on Thursday 25th September. If you do
not hear from us by that time, you have not been shortlisted by the Panel. The interview date
is Tuesday 30th September 2008 and interviews will take place in Birmingham.

Yours sincerely

Dorothy Wilson
Chief Executive, mac
sound futures – Birmingham Youth Music Action Zone

Since 2001, sound futures has worked strategically within Birmingham, developing an
infrastructure that enables children (aged 0-18) with least opportunity to make music, and to
inform and help shape future provision. Core funded by Youth Music, and run in partnership by
mac with Birmingham City Council, we champion the value and importance of high-quality
music-making as a means by which children develop confidence, self-esteem and team working
skills, as well as a sense of social responsibility and the building of positive relationships with
others.

So far, by working in partnership with statutory and non-statutory bodies, we have created
opportunities for 12,000 of the city's children to engage in cutting-edge music programmes that
are delivered by many of Birmingham's leading musicians and music organisations in
accordance with objectives agreed between sound futures' and its partners. Our success is such
that we:
• have been awarded grants to the value of £1.7m;

• have provided training opportunities for 180 aspiring music leaders;

• are influencing music education policy at local and national levels;

• are at the forefront of developing action research projects which aim to achieve
collaborative working between the music, sport and health sectors.
In line with Youth Music's strategic priorities, and working across all musical styles and genres,
our focus to date has been to prioritise 0-5 year olds and their families, children in transition
from primary to secondary school and those at risk of crime and/or social exclusion.
Additionally, we work closely with Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Music Service and a
number of local and regional training providers to ensure that music provision is joined up with
the city's arts strategy, and that a suitably skilled workforce is evolving to meet the needs of the
changing musical landscape.

Building on these successes to further benefit children in Birmingham is at the heart of the
Zone's aims for the future.

Youth Music

Youth Music is a UK-wide charity that funds and facilitates music-making for young people up to
the age of 18, particularly those living in areas of social and economic need. By 2010, Youth
Music aims to have reached 3 million children and young people in a UK-wide strategy to
support youth music-making.

Since December 2000, Youth Music has helped set up 24 Action Zones in areas of social and
economic need across England and Wales. The aim is to provide music-making activities to
young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Each Zone is made up of
established organisations from the public, voluntary and private sector. Youth Music Action
Zones cover all genres of music and deliver a wide range of activities including workshops,
rehearsals, performances, one-to-one teaching and mentoring.

Current Overview
The current funding agreement with Youth Music started in April 2008 and covers a period of 3
years (until March 2011), broken down into 3 separate financial years/reporting periods.
sound futures is managed in partnership between mac and Birmingham City Council. mac is
the lead organisation and managing partner. sound futures management group is chaired by
Dorothy Wilson, Chief Executive of mac and has representation from the City Council’s music
service, and arts development team. The sound futures team, consisting of a Director (f/t) and
project manager (f/t), are employed as core staff of mac.

Core objectives for the current funding round:

1. To initiate experimental and progressive models of partnership working

2. To disseminate models on a citywide basis, and wider as appropriate
3. To recruit and retain youth music leaders in the city and develop their practice
4. To support organisations in the non-arts sector and their staff by developing their
capacity to plan, initiate, deliver and evaluate youth music work
5. To develop work which delivers measurable outcomes against partners’ objectives
6. To link opportunities in the formal and informal sectors
7. To provide clear routes to vocational training

Current working practices:

1. Through its music provision and processes of consultation, sound futures places
children at the centre of its work.
2. sound futures advocates the need for joined up thinking and multi agency
approaches to working.
3. sound futures works in partnership with statutory and non-statutory bodies to
develop briefs that respond to both musical and social agendas.
4. sound futures provides training and shadowing opportunities for Birmingham City
Council, MusicLeader West Midlands and UCE Birmingham Conservatoire.
5. sound futures retains close working relationships with its artists, partners and
stakeholders.
6. By keeping overheads at or below 15% of turnover, sound futures offer
exceptionally good value for money.
7. sound futures strives towards developing models of best practice
SOUND FUTURES PROJECT MANAGER (Ref: PM/SF08)

SALARY: c. £20,000
HOURS 37.5 per week (some evening and weekend work is required)

JOB DESCRIPTION
Post Title: Projects Manager, Sound Futures
Employed by: mac (Midlands Arts Centre)
Post based at: The Big Peg, Jewellery Quarter Birmingham (office shared with MusicLeader
West Midlands)
Responsible to: Director, Sound Futures
Responsible for: any administrative or support staff and contractors working in the Sound
Futures office
SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Appointment subject to satisfactory CRB disclosure

Aim of Sound Futures

To help children make music.

Objective
To support the development and management of Sound Futures, working with a range of
partners and initiatives to ensure the service meets its aims and objectives and is delivered in
an appropriate, strategic, timely and accountable way.

Job Purpose
The co-ordination, monitoring and reporting of the Sound Futures portfolio of projects and
organisational and administrative support of the zone's other activities.
This role will function as the lead representative of Sound Futures in the office and on the
telephone. The post also entails regular lone working in the office.

Key tasks
• To manage Sound Futures programme of activities
• To provide strategic and operational support for the Director
• Financial management, control and administration of Sound Futures Projects
• To promote Sound Futures and liaise with artists, arts organisations and external agencies

Key Responsibilities
1. To manage Sound Futures (SF) programme of activities.
• Organise and manage the Sound Futures commissioning process and to co-ordinate and
manage SF Futures programme of participatory music-making projects for young people
across Birmingham
• Liaise effectively with project stakeholders and deliverers to ensure projects achieve their
intended objectives
• Act as a co-ordinating point between SF and external partners
• Keep comprehensive logs of all activities resulting from SF’s work
• Develop and maintain effective monitoring and evaluation systems and produce project
progress and evaluation reports
• Prepare and monitor contracts with artists, arts organisations and community partners and
to assist the SF Director in ensuring the smooth and effective delivery of the Sound Futures
programme
• In liaison with mac’s HR staff, to implement the organisation’s policy and procedures for
ensuring the safety of staff and participants, including responsibility for ensuring the timely
and effective undertaking of Criminal Records Bureau disclosures and for keeping
appropriate records
• Carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by SF Director and mac senior
colleagues.

2. To provide operational and strategic support for SF Director.

• Contribute to the development of future SF activities
• Implementation and review of mac and SF policies
• Maintenance of an efficient SF office, including the preparation and mailing of
correspondence, management of office supplies, filing, record keeping, managing mailing
lists
• Minute-taking and report writing as required
• Attendance at SF Management Group meetings and at other Meetings as required
• Assisting in preparation of applications for funding

3. Financial management, control and administration of SF Projects.

• Provide administration and financial support to the Director of SF
• Management of projects budgets and liaison with mac Accounts Department
• Ensure timely and effective processing of the zone's financial requirements in conjunction
with mac's Finance Department
• Working within mac’s policies and procedures
• Liaison with mac HR, Operations and other departments as required
• To work with the senior management of mac and SF Director to develop and refine
operational processes
• To prepare and present such reports on project activity as are required by mac, SF Director,
the SF Management Group and funders
• Production of information for quarterly and annual financial reporting to Youth Music
• Administration of financial systems, including petty cash, monitoring of purchase order
invoices and generation of sales invoices

4. To promote Sound Futures

• In liaison with SF Director and mac’ s Communications Department, responsible for
marketing, promotion and public relations for SF
• The first point of contact for SF
• Dealing with and responding to all enquiries via telephone, email and correspondence
• Effective liaison with SF’s and Youth Music’s website hosts providing project information and
updates ready for uploading
• Maintain and update the SF database.
• Represent SF, as appropriate, in the absence of Director.

Any other duties and responsibilities in connection with the project, as reasonably required .

Equal Opportunities
The Projects Manager is expected to promote the equal opportunities policies of mac through
their management methods, policies and programmes.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
• excellent organisational skills
• excellent oral and written communication skills
• ability to deal positively with a wide range of people in person, by telephone and through
written communications
• excellent numeracy and data collection skills
• computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets and database management, and an
understanding of website content management
• experience of project evaluation
• experience of marketing / pr
• experience of practical organisation and of working to deadlines
• self-motivated with the ability to work without direct supervision
• ability to establish and adhere to routines
• ability to handle a range of different arrangements and situations
• experience of managing community/educational music or arts projects
• experience of keeping financial records
• commitment to and experience of working in a socially inclusive manner
• commitment to Equality of Opportunity

Desirable
• experience of budget preparation and monitoring
• experience in the arts would be an advantage.
• interest in a variety of musical styles
• clean driving licence and own vehicle

Additional Requirements
• commitment to own personal and professional development
• willing to travel within and beyond the region as required and to work occasional unsociable
hours
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY AT mac

mac (Midlands Arts Centre) is an organisation committed to working towards Equal Opportunities for all
and is determined that both in its provision of services and as an employer it will seek to ensure equality
of opportunity.

As regards provision of services, policies and procedures will be designed not to discriminate either
intentionally or unintentionally against any group or individual. mac will also seek to respond to any
special needs experienced by particular groups.

As regards employment this principle will apply to the recruitment, training, pay, conditions of
employment, work allocation, and promotion of all mac's staff. mac will also make use of relevant
legislation which allows for initiatives to encourage under represented groups to apply for posts. mac
will seek to spread these principles to all its users.

To ensure the successful implementation of his policy, mac will regularly monitor its staff and
management, and consult with the Board and other groups as appropriate.

Employment and Management

All advertisements, job descriptions and person specifications make it clear that mac expects its
employees to be committed to an equal opportunities policy. This is reinforced in the standard Terms
and Conditions of Employment, where it is also made clear that sexual or racial abuse or harassment are
considered gross misconduct. Details of all posts are sent to the Disability Liaison Officer at local job
centres, and the Company is committed to interview any suitably qualified candidates.

Interviews are not conducted by individuals, and wherever practicable mac ensures that both genders
are represented on interviewing panels.

Monitoring forms are sent out with application packs for all posts. Periodic reports are reviewed by
management and the Board. Monitoring of existing staff and voluntary management is carried out
regularly. Parental leave is available to both male and female staff as necessary, and paternity leave is
available to male employees. mac complies fully with recent legislative changes in respect of Working
Time Directive and Family Leave entitlements.

mac recognises that it needs to be proactive in its stance in encouraging applications from people with
disabilities and ethnic minorities, both of which groups continue to be under represented on the staff. A
revised recruitment and selection policy has recently been adopted.

Consideration of the balance and representation of all sectors of the community are factors in the
selection of Board members. Currently seven of the ten elected Board members are women and two are
from ethnic minority communities. Two members of the Board have personal experience of disability.

mac’s Services and Programmes

mac's Policy Statement states that in its policies, programme and management mac seeks to:

• reflect the wide diversity of cultures represented by people in the region

• reflect the aspirations, needs and concerns of disadvantaged and minority groups
• demonstrate awareness of the social, political and economic context for cultural activities
• strive for excellence in arts practice, education, presentation, management and service provision.

In creating opportunities for all levels of ability and experience, mac makes deliberate efforts to attract
those people who traditionally might have felt excluded from arts activity. Programming decisions
include positive consideration of multi-cultural opportunities, the development of facilities and activities
for people with disabilities, representation of the lesbian and gay community and women's programmes.

mac's partners

It is an important plank of mac's policy to work in partnership with others. Equal Opportunity
considerations are applied to the consideration of such partnerships and the projects initiated.

Date Prepared
September 2006

Policy Review Date

September 2009