Blue Elephant Theatre, Camberwell

While most people are at home, we wanted to spread the word about activities and opportunities available to you. Every few days, we're going to publish a selection aiming, like most Blue Elephant seasons, to have something for everyone, whether young or old, working in the arts or not...

We're continuing to try to support the artists we work with so these opportunities will be by artists who have worked with Blue Elephant or who are at the very early stages of their careers.

Dark Unicorn Monologue Challenge

Dark Unicorn are doing a monologue challenge! Actors record a monologue, 100 are chosen and each receives £20. The deadline is tonight (31st March) so get started now! More information and how to enter here.

Pub Quiz at The Quarantine

Do you know your Newton’s from your Neutrons? Wanna share your knowledge about Cher? Oliver Yellop, who has performed with us most recently as Cow in Cow's Rainy Day, is hosting an online pub quiz tonight at 8pm (31st March). Click here and register before it starts.

The Literal Challenge Covid's Metamorphosis

A free writing challenge starting tomorrow and taking place throughout April - more information here.

A Truefitt Collective's Online Dance Class for Children

A Truefitt Collective’s first online dance class for children, with more coming in the future. Free to watch, although donations welcome. Click this link to see more.

National eTheatr

An online theatre space for UK artists and audiences during the Covid19 crisis. New performances several evenings a week, sometimes live streaming, and well worth a watch! Click here to see more.

In these strange and difficult times, we wanted to collate some resources that we hope will be a practical help for local families and visitors to our theatre. Please feel free to share this list widely, and look after yourselves. We hope to be welcoming back our brilliant audiences and participants to our theatre as soon as we possibly can.

Food and Practical Support

Southwark Foodbanks - locations include Camberwell, Peckham, Bermondsey and Walworth.
- Details of locations
- Details of referrals
- Details of opening times

Covid Mutual Aid UK is a group of volunteers supporting local community groups organising mutual aid throughout the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK. They focus on providing resources and connecting people to their nearest local groups, willing volunteers and those in need. They recognise that some people are more vulnerable than others and are working to support that.

Click here for a Central Mutual Aid Group where you can access your local group either to help out or to receive help.

Southwark Mutual Aid
- Information on how to find your local WhatsApp support group
- Local queries and questions
- Requests for support if self-isolating

Southwark Council Coronavirus Information Page - Local-focused information from Southwark Council that advises how you can help or receive help.

General Advice

NHS Guidance on Coronavirus
- Stay at home advice
- How to avoid catching and spreading Covid-19 (social distancing)
- See more here.

111 Online
Check your symptoms online, no need to call unless urgent

Mind - Information on how to look after your mental health and well-being during this time.
- General advice on coronavirus anxiety
- Advice if you are self-isolating

MindSet

A new free programme set up by charity Body & Soul in response to the current situation, Mindset is a regular livestream for young people aged 16 - 30 who are looking for help managing emotional distress. Email enquiries@bodyandsoulcharity.org to register.

Official Government guidance
- What to do you if you have symptoms
- Number of cases
- Risk level
- Recent Government action
- Further information

For activities and resources for young people, please see our spreadsheet here

We're excited to be putting a call out for work to be programmed in 2020 and beyond at Blue Elephant Theatre.

Blue Elephant Theatre is located in South East London, off Camberwell Road. It is an intimate, friendly venue and our programming seeks to support emerging artists creating new work.
We work on a 50/50 box office split basis. We give fundraising, press, marketing and general support to our companies and artists, and rehearsal space where feasible

Edit: We are now unlikely to programme shows in April. There is obviously a lot of uncertainty about planning events in the next few months but we are looking to begin conversations anyway. We may also look to relax our programming guidelines for later in the year if shows start being cancelled now and cannot be rescheduled at their original theatre when the threat around Covid-19 has lessened.

Things to Note:

• We are particularly interested in work that reflects the London we live in – the communities here, issues we face, all the juxtapositions this large multicultural city throws at us.
• We are also particularly interested in working with artists who will really benefit from working with us – we want to help artists get to the next step, whatever that is for them at that time.
• We want everyone to feel welcome at the Blue Elephant – we work with artists from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and want to continue to support emerging artists who may not feel altogether ‘welcomed’ into the arts industry for whatever reasons.
• If you consider yourself to still be an ‘emerging’ artist in some way, you are welcome to apply to us – it’s a tricky term to qualify! We do try to mostly support people at the start of their careers or the start of a new development in their careers but recognise that it is tough being an independent artist/company and you may feel that you are ‘emerging’ for a long time.
• We generally do not programme new productions of established scripts which have had runs in London previously or work which has been presented in London before and has not changed or developed significantly. We do, however, often programme work that we have seen as rehearsed readings, scratch pieces or works-in-progress as they go on to a further stage of their development.
• We usually programme theatre, dance (generally contemporary) and some comedy. Our stage is reasonable largely for a 50 seat venue (5.5m x 7.5m) and we have dance flooring although it has seen better days. There’s more information about our venue on our website under Info for Companies.
• We are looking to programme work at all stages of development, from scratch pieces looking for one night showings to three-week runs. We are happy to look ahead and work with a company as they develop a show and support them to secure funding.
• We cannot produce any scripts submitted to us as an in house show – our monthly Writers Group is the best way to work on a script with us. If you are submitting a script to us, please indicate that you intend to arrange for it to be produced if programmed (we will support with this!); otherwise we will be unable to read it.
• Our theatre space downstairs is wheelchair-accessible and there is an accessible bathroom but our bar/café area upstairs is not wheelchair accessible. We have one small dressing-room and it is unlikely that a wheelchair could fit through its doors easily but there may be workarounds.
• We currently have some space for performances in April, early May and June and from September into 2021.

To apply to put on a show at the Blue Elephant, please email Niamh and Jimmy at submissions@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk with:
• An outline of the proposed show and some background information on those involved
• Proposed dates
• A script if it exists yet
• Footage of past work
• We are based in Southwark and supported by Southwark Council so it is always useful to hear if you live or work in Southwark!

For more information about what we are looking for, please read our Blue Elephant Theatre 2020 Call.

If you have any questions, including about applying in a different or more accessible way, please email submissions@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk or call 020 7701 0100.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from artists and companies based outside of the UK.

Blue Elephant Theatre is excited to be mounting an in house family Christmas show The Christmas Quest.

The Christmas Quest is about a quest to fix Santa’s Letter-Machine and ensure a happy Christmas. It is also about celebrating difference and inclusivity, while being full of slapstick humour and playfulness. It is aimed at ages 4+

Dates:
Rehearsals: November 14th & 15th (exploratory/workshop days from 10am – 6pm – some flexibility may be possible around these days but if you can’t do the morning of the 15th, you will need to come in on a Tuesday instead for a costume fitting)
Sunday December 1st – Tuesday December 3rd, Thursday 5th & Friday 6th (all approx. 10am – 6pm – potentially a late evening on Friday 6th
Get-in day: Friday 6th December

Performance Days: December 7th to 17th (excluding the 11th) with two shows a day. On weekdays, the performances will be at 10.45 and 1.30 (except for Friday 13th when they will be at 1.30pm & 4.30pm) and on weekends they will be at 2pm and 4.30pm. There is a possibility of a third show being added on some days.

Total Payment: £1655 including holiday pay for the above schedule.

Casting Breakdown:

Elf – A perfectionist, comes across as very efficient but gets anxious about doing everything right. Can be a little blunt.

Reindeer – Friendly and a little clumsy. Brings a lot of slapstick comedy to the play but can also be very earnest.

Good comic timing and movement skills are helpful for both parts and actors should be comfortable leading Christmas carols. Puppetry skills/experience may also be helpful for both parts. Ideal applicants will have considerable experience of children’s theatre and the ability to react quickly and ad-lib in response to audience interaction.

We have no gender, age or ethnicity in mind for these characters. However, we would encourage actors of BAME backgrounds to apply as we aim for our casting to reflect our multi-ethnic local community.

***Applications for this opportunity have now closed***

Please apply via our audition notice on Mandy or by emailing submissions@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk by end of day on October 25th with a CV/spotlight link and short cover note outlining your suitability for the project. If emailing, please entitle the email ‘Christmas Quest Application’ and address it to Niamh de Valera and indicate which character you are more interested in. It would be helpful if you could indicate if you have had a DBS check within the last three years and could fill out and send the monitoring form below.

We aim to hold auditions at Blue Elephant Theatre on the evening of November 1st.

For more information about Blue Elephant Theatre, please visit our website www.blueelephanttheatre.co.uk. Please email Niamh at niamh@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk if you have any further questions.

Blue Elephant Theatre welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs.

Click here to download The Christmas Quest Casting Call and Monitoring Form

The Blue Elephant is delighted to be able to offer week-long residencies to two emerging artists/companies. These residencies are for the live performing arts, particularly theatre and dance, to provide research and development time. The offer is:

• 5 days space in Blue Elephant’s Theatre (Monday to Friday, 10am – 5.30pm) for research and development of a new piece. The piece can already be a work in progress or be completely new. These weeks will be in January 2020, ideally Monday 20th – Friday 24th and Monday 27th – Friday 31st.
• £300 bursary towards the expenses of those taking part
• Artistic, marketing, press and fundraising mentoring
• Some technical support and the opportunity to present a showcase in our professional theatre

We are always excited to meet new emerging artists and hear about new work. We also love when artists who have worked at Blue Elephant previously look to come back to develop new ideas because they find the space nurturing and supportive. For these residencies, we have decided that one will go to an artist/company who is completely new to us and one to an artist/company who has done work at BET before.

Please see here for more information and for the application form. Please apply by October 25th.

This is a new part-time role within the organisation, made possible by funding from the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund: Save London Lives. Part Fundraiser/Community Liaison Officer, this role will work to support Blue Elephant Theatre to have a positive impact on discouraging young people locally from becoming involved in crime, particularly knife crime and gang related violence. The post-holder will do so by raising funds for projects, brokering and maintaining partnerships and relationships locally and working with Blue Elephant to evaluate our work in this area and identify room for development.

Further information can be downloaded here.

We have a goal of raising £50,000 over the year. This will feed directly into projects run in schools for disadvantaged young people and also to create opportunities for 18-25 year olds. We also expect this employee to create longer-term relationships and opportunities which can continue to be developed in the future to add stability to the organisation.

Blue Elephant Theatre currently receives core funding from Arts Council England and Southwark Council and has a successful track record of securing funding from trusts and grants and maintaining positive relationships with funders and other stakeholders so there is a strong basis on which to begin fundraising.

This is a flexible post and may suit an experienced fundraiser looking for a more varied project than usual or a youth worker or drama facilitator with some fundraising experience looking to develop these skills. A small amount of working from home will be possible although the post-holder will be expected to spend time in the office and to visit the various projects that we run locally and work alongside a variety of project leaders and volunteers, sharing knowledge and resources.

Salary £130 per day
Hours 55-60 days over one year
Holiday Entitlement Statutory
Probation Period 3 months
Pension Option to join our NEST pension scheme (auto-enrolment will also apply if earnings threshold is reached)

Reporting to Executive & Co-Artistic Director & Participation & Co-Artistic Director

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work alongside our committed and ambitious team, to support their work with the local community and have a positive impact on reducing crime.

Specific Responsibilities:

Fundraising

*Fundraising will form the largest part of this role*

• Investigating BET’s suitability for potential funding opportunities
• Writing funding applications
• Ensuring reports are submitted by the deadlines given
• Seeking out new/creative ways to raise funds
• Raise £50,000 project funding (or alternatively agreed targets appropriate to the final agreement)
• Working alongside project staff to ensure that information for applications is accurate.

Project Support

• Visits to projects to become familiar with BET’s work
• Supporting evaluating the impact of projects
• Being a ‘critical friend’ to help identify areas we could develop to meet our aims

Relationship Building

• Seeking out partners and other contacts specific to developing this work
• Brokering meetings between BET project staff and contacts developed
• Developing and maintaining relationships with partners, stakeholders and other contacts

Other

• Act as Key holder, including responsibility for opening up and locking when required/agreed
• To actively promote equal opportunities
• Adhere to the theatre’s Health and safety policies
• To represent BET at networking events if necessary
• To undertake any other duties reasonably requested
• To support the implementation of BET’s Business plan, including its aim to be a safe space which supports the expression of creativity.

The above list is not exhaustive and reasonable duties may be added to it especially as this is a new role.

Person Specification:

Essential
• Proven record of strong fundraising skills, especially with written applications. Please be prepared to discuss specific examples.
• A self-motivator, able to work independently
• Interest in the work of our charity, in particular work around keeping young people safe
• Excellent communication skills, including good grammar and spelling
• Interest in seeking out new/ creative ways to raise funds
• A quick learner

Desirable
• Knowledge of trusts and foundations relevant to our funding needs
• Experience of working with disadvantaged young people
• Experience of working to reduce crime amongst young people

As part of the application procedure, applicants should create a proposal/work plan considering their own commitments (eg a parent may want to work only during term-times) over the coming year alongside the needs of a successful fundraising plan.

We wish to see a brief work plan spanning one year from the start of the employment. The plan should include how you would use the hours for this post to make the most of the opportunity so that our income target is met. This could range from spreading out the days at regular intervals across the year, or working for shorter intense periods. Please indicate why you feel that this work plan will be successful and enable you to meet targets.

To apply: Please send us your CV, a covering letter detailing why you would like the role, your suitability for it and brief work plan to recruitment@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk. Please also download and complete a monitoring form and attach this to your email. Please note the final agreement on targets will be made with the successful applicant – we feel that the above is indicative of what is realistic and appropriate but that it is best to set targets etc with the post-holder.

Deadline for applications: 10am Friday 27th September
Interviews will be held on either Friday 4th or Monday 7th October

For more details or if you require a different format please call 020 7701 0100 or email jo@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk.

Blue Elephant Theatre welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs.