Story Lab Workshop Leaders (freelance)
ABOUT THE TRICYCLE THEATRE
The Tricycle views the world through a variety of lenses, bringing unheard voices into the
mainstream. It presents high-quality and innovative work, which provokes debate and emotionally
engages. Located in Brent, the most diverse borough in London, the Tricycle is a local venue with an
international vision.
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The Tricycle is located on the busy and vibrant Kilburn High Road. It currently comprises a 235 seat
theatre, a 300 seat cinema and three further workshop spaces. We aim to produce and present an
ambitious range of new work that explores new territories, that develops and nurtures emerging
creative talent, that speaks to and challenges a young diverse audience, and that enhances our
intercultural understanding and collaboration.
Indhu’s inaugural season included Paper Dolls by Philip Himberg, in association with Sundance
Institute, a new play with music about an extraordinary collision of cultures in Tel Aviv. This
followed the multi-award-winning Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti which played to 98% audiences,
48% of whom had never been to the Tricycle before and these successes were replicated when Red
Velvet transferred to St Ann’s Warehouse, New York in March. Also in March, the Tricycle Theatre
received an Olivier Award in the category of Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for its
production of Moira Buffini’s Handbagged.
ABOUT STORY LAB
The Story Lab project is part of the Tricycle’s Creative Learning programme, which works to develop the
imaginations, aspirations and potential of children and young people in the diverse community of Brent
and beyond. Collaborating with schools and young people, we use theatre, drama and film, to bring
unheard young voices into the mainstream; creating work that engages the emotions and provokes
debate. Whether as audiences, writers, performers or producers of new work at the theatre, young
people are at the Tricycle’s heart.
New for 2014-15, Story Lab is a collaboration between the Tricycle and 5 Brent primary schools to
develop teacher and pupil subject knowledge and confidence and drive up literacy at KS2. Seminar- and
classroom-based CPD is integrated with lessons in story-telling and writing led by professional writers
and drama practitioners, leading to pupils’ writing being adapted for the Tricycle stage.
Over 300 children from 5 schools local to the Tricycle in the London Borough of Brent will visit a
specially-created ‘Story Lab’ in a hidden room at the Tricycle to start experimenting with different ideas,
worlds, characters, locations and begin their story-writing journeys. A series of workshops in school
follows, led by Tricycle practitioners and class teachers together, where pupils use drama techniques to
create their own new stories. Each participating class works collaboratively, writing one story, with
every child contributing. Once written, these stories are handed over to the Tricycle and pupils return
to the theatre three weeks later to see their stories adapted for the stage by professional actors and
theatre makers.
The first year of the Story Lab project has been funded by the Mayor of London and the Department of
Education, through the London Schools Excellence Fund.
STORY LAB WORKSHOP LEADERS
RESPONSIBILITIES
 In-school workshops
- Each Workshop Leader will lead a series of 10 weekly workshops with at least one class of up to
25 children. There are 12 participating classes in all and the potential for Workshop Leaders to
work with more than one class.
- Workshops are 1.5hrs-2hrs long
- Workshops will be led by two practitioners, ideally one with a writing/ story-telling background
and one with a drama background. The class teacher is always present.
- Programme of work and individual workshop outlines will be provided, to ensure consistency
across the five participating schools. Individual artists’ creative flare and inventiveness are
essential to making the sessions come alive.
- The programme of work will contain a mixture of drama and writing exercises, to be led by the
Workshop Leaders
 Teacher observation and feedback
- All participating teachers will have attended an out-of-school training in delivering drama-based
group work. As the series of Workshops progresses, class teachers are expected to take a lead
on more of the exercises and activities, consolidating what they have learnt.
- Workshop Leaders will support teachers’ developing confidence through observation and
structured feedback at the end of each session.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Workshop Leaders should have:
- Experience of facilitating drama-based group work and/ or creative writing with groups of up to
25 pupils in a primary school, or of primary school age. Practitioners with primary teaching
qualifications are especially welcome.
- A supportive, collaborative style of working with children and professional colleagues as well as
excitement and enthusiasm for the potential of drama in education
- Experience in establishing and maintaining relationships with school contacts, including teachers
- Experience of one or more forms of creative writing practice and/ or the theatre-making process
at a professional level
- A basic knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum in English at Key Stage 2
- Enhanced DBS (formerly CRB) clearance. The Tricycle will conduct its own checks for all
freelance practitioners.
A teaching qualification and/or experience of delivering CPD for teachers or other professionals are
desirable, but not essential.
SCHEDULE
Training/ Project Induction
Story Lab Visits
In-school Workshops
Performances of students’ work
September 2014, exact TBC
w/c 13 October 2014
w/c 20 October – w/c 08 December 2014
w/c 05 January – w/c 19 January 2015
w/c 23 February 2015
FEES
The Tricycle shall pay the following fees:
Training and induction
2 days @ £75 per day
Workshop delivery
Performance visits
£75 per workshop (10x weekly workshops per class)
£30 per visit