Dear Applicant

LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL – MEDIATOR 2018

Thank you for expressing an interest in the Mediator 2018 vacancy at Liverpool Biennial. We are looking for someone to start on or around 15 June, and the contract will last until 5 November 2018.

Biennial Mediators must have a passion for visual arts in Liverpool and be committed team players with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. We will be very interested in you if you can help us to:

be a proud and passionate ambassador for Liverpool and the Biennial! deliver vibrant and engaging education workshops provide dynamic and informative guided tours communicate effectively via all social media platforms write with flair, to help us tell the story of Liverpool Biennial 2018 devise and deliver happenings meetings and gatherings

Please find attached a job information pack, which includes a job description and person specification, together with some background information about the Biennial. It also includes an application form and an equality and diversity monitoring form. Please note that you must apply using the application form, and standalone CVs will not be considered.

If you would like to apply you should include:

A completed application form, in which you demonstrate how you meet the knowledge, skills and experience requirements of the role.

A completed equality and diversity monitoring form. Please return the equal opportunities form as a separate document to your application form.

Application forms should be returned by email to jane@biennial.com no later than 12pm on Monday 21 May 2018. It is expected that interviews will be held in Liverpool on 29 to 31 May.

If you have any queries about the application process, please do not hesitate to email me. If you have any queries about Liverpool Biennial, please visit our website at www.biennial.com

Yours sincerely

Jane HowardHR Consultant to Liverpool Biennial

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Mediator 2018

Salary Band: National Minimum/Living Wage

Location: Liverpool Biennial 2018 - venues throughout the cityAnd at:Liverpool Biennial55 Jordan Street Liverpool L1 0BW

Primary Purpose of the job: Mediators provide the vital resource for a meaningful and enjoyable experience for all visitors by being knowledgeable, motivated and proactive. Through the City is a School, the Biennial’s research and development programme, Mediators become experts in Liverpool Biennial 2018 exhibitions and our interpretation pedagogy. Liverpool Biennial’s Mediation Programme supports the world-class contemporary art on offer, thereby furthering the Biennial’s position as the UK Biennial.

Directly Responsible to: Mediation Coordinator, Front of House Coordinator

Terms: A temporary appointment from approximately 15 June to 5 November, on a full-time basis (37.5 hours per week). Shifts will involve weekends and evenings. Although annual leave of approximately 8.5 days will be accrued during the contract, during the period 1 July – 28 October any leave taken must not exceed two days at any one time.

Main Responsibility

Liverpool Biennial’s Mediation Programme has been designed to invest in the skills and talent of people who have a commitment to the Liverpool Visual Arts scene.

The Mediators are responsible for ensuring the day-to-day provision of a high-quality mediation and interpretation service for Liverpool Biennial 2018. The mediation team interacts with audiences across the Biennial platforms, face to face and through other media. Alongside the Mediation Coordinator, the Front of House Coordinator, the Education Curator and Liverpool Biennial Programme Team, Mediators will ensure that all

visitors to Liverpool Biennial 2018 are warmly welcomed and group or education visits are well prepared for.

The Mediation Team will devise and deliver part of The City is a School Public Programme, part of Liverpool Biennial’s experimental learning programme. Mediators will also be responsible for helping artists, assisting in the installing and de-installing, maintaining, staffing and invigilating the venues, reporting issues and checking all equipment and facilities are adequate.

Overall the 2018 Mediation Programme develops new structures of mediation and interpretation for contemporary art audiences and is integral to the success of the festival.

Main Duties:

Delivery of an Outstanding Visitor Experience: Fully take part in The City Is a School, Liverpool Biennial’s research and

experimental learning programme for the 2018 festival. Inspire and support a research team as part of the Mediation Programme. Lead by

example by proactively engaging and supporting visitor and team members alike. Support the Mediation Coordinator and the Front of House Coordinator to ensure

that all invigilation positions are covered, and tours prepared for, through forward planning and flexibility.

Liaise with colleagues and partners to ensure effective communication of Mediator and visitor information.

Support induction, continuous training and development of the Mediation Team. Ensure open communication and co-ordination with Biennial and partner

organisations’ staff, artists and volunteers. Support the Mediation Team by engaging with all available development

opportunities and relevant social aspects of Mediation Team life. Support the documentation and evaluation of Mediation Team activities and assist

team members with the monitoring of their activities. Attend training and professional development opportunities as required. Be the first point of contact to warmly welcome all visitors and arts professionals.

Ensure that key sponsors, patrons and affiliates receive support in developing hospitality for their VIP guests, supported by the Front of House Coordinator/Mediation Coordinator and the Education Curator.

Ensure the accessibility and provision of information and advice to visitors and guests to enable them to make the most of their visit, which will encourage repeat visits and visits to other Biennial venues.

Day-to-day running of the exhibitions and the public programme, including supporting tours and group visits as well as maintenance of space and resources.

Delivery of tours of the exhibition for all groups as required. Support the development of resources and activities for visitors, such as

worksheets and itineraries with programme and communications staff. Support celebrations, launch events and exhibition activities with relevant

stakeholders both internally and with partners, e.g. weekend programmes. To ensure that all enquiries made in person, by telephone, e-mail, or in writing are

handled professionally, courteously, promptly and effectively. Assist visitors or guests with specialist enquiries, either transferring them to someone who can help or taking their details and contacting them when the information is found.

Operational Ensure that Liverpool Biennial 2018 venues are health and safety compliant: clean,

free of clutter, all equipment in working order. Report any issues to the Front of House Coordinator/Mediation Coordinator.

Liaise with our partner organisations’ front of house teams to ensure excellent and consistent services are offered throughout all exhibition venues.

To fully understand and implement health and safety guidelines for exhibition and information sites.

To be knowledgeable on all operating procedures and report any issues to the Front of House Coordinator/Mediation Coordinator.

Promote and provide information on opening hours, exhibitions, events, facilities and services relevant to information points.

Provide verbal and written visitor/customer feedback and ideas for improvement to the Visitor Services Team and the Production Team.

Be knowledgeable of Liverpool Biennial 2018 exhibits and activities, local geography, transport services, shops and other relevant public information.

Administrative Support the Front of House Coordinator/Mediation Coordinator to ensure that the

information kept in directories and information files is accurate, available, up to date and easy to navigate.

Support the Front of House Coordinator/Mediation Coordinator to ensure that the briefing sheets are completed and accurately circulated to all relevant parties.

Respond to feedback and correspondence as and when required. Work within the context of Liverpool Biennial's Equal Opportunities, Health and

Safety and Safeguarding Policies in delivery of internal and external service and treatment of employees alongside all other Company policies as detailed in the Staff Handbook.

Other duties which are commensurate with the nature and responsibility level of the post

Internal and External Lines of Communication

The Mediator works in close collaboration to support the Mediation Coordinator, Front of House Coordinator, Education Curator and the wider Programme team, to provide high quality Mediator and visitor experiences of Liverpool Biennial 2018.

The role of Mediator will be a link between each Biennial Exhibition Venue and the Liverpool Biennial main office at 55, New Bird Street.

The Mediator has regular line management meetings with the Front of House Manager/Mediation Coordinator and will be expected to attend all key meetings.

Expectations – It is expected that the post holder will fully participate in: (i) Staff development(ii) Training opportunities which are made available as part of the Learning

Network, The City is a School, for Liverpool Biennial 2018 The Mediator will work irregular hours and may be assigned other duties commensurate with the nature of the post.

Health and SafetyTo take all reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment conforms to current Health and Safety at Work regulations e.g. by undertaking risk assessments and reporting hazards according to Biennial Health & Safety Policy and procedures. The core full time role will be 37.5 hours, but additional hours may be required, for which TOIL will be offered, however all scheduling will be in accordance with the prevailing working time regulations.

Basic SystemsTo report as appropriate any deficiencies in the basic systems, which they either use, or for which they have some responsibility.

ReviewThis job description will be regularly reviewed as part of the Biennial Performance Management Programme. Other duties may be assigned that are consistent with the nature and responsibility level of the post.

MEDIATOR 2018PERSON SPECIFICATION*essential criteriaCRITERIA

KNOWLEDGE ANDS SKILLSMETHOD OF ASSESSMENT

Experience Experience of working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds

Demonstrable experience of team working*

Excellent verbal and written communication skills*

A Knowledge of the Liverpool arts community*

Experience of working in the arts/heritage/visitor attraction/tourism sectors

Delivery of visitor/customer care programmes or Education, Learning & Access training

Event planning and delivery

Application and Interview

Skills / Abilities Demonstrable ability to engage individuals with contemporary art & culture

Proficiency across social media platforms

Ability to inspire and motivate others* Excellent communication skills* Presentation skills and the ability to write

engaging copy Knowledge of Health and Safety, Child

Protection legislation etc Good organising and planning skills* Knowledge of customer care issues* Knowledge of contemporary art

Application and Interview

Attitudinal Factors

A positive and cheerful attitude* Energy / motivation* Flexibility / adaptability* A good team player* Confidentiality / integrity Dedication / loyalty Able to demonstrate reliability and

punctuality Able to work to multiple deadlines Able to demonstrate initiative

Interview and references

Other Commitment to Equality and diversity Interview

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

Title of post applied for: MEDIATOR

Confidential1. PERSONAL DETAILS

Surname: Initials: Former surnames if different:

Preferred Name or Title (Optional):

Address:

Tel No (home):

Tel No (work):

Tel No (mobile): E-Mail address:

Nationality: If you are not a British passport holder or a European Citizen, or you do not have the permanent right to remain in the UK, you will require a work permit.

Do you need a work permit to be employed in the UK?

Yes No

If you already have a work permit, when does it expire? (Please note that your current work permit may not be valid for this post.)

Where did you learn of the post?

Preferred work arrangements: Full-time Part-time

2. EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (Original documents as proof of qualification will be required upon appointment.)

Secondary School / College / University

Dates Examinations taken Date ResultFrom To

Professional Qualifications currently held: how obtained, grade and date

Other relevant Educational or in-work Training Courses, with dates

3. CURRENT OR MOST RECENT EMPLOYMENT

Title of Post: Salary/Grade: Name of Employer:

Address:

Date Commenced: Date Ended (if applicable):

Please outline your responsibilities, to whom you are responsible and staff responsible to you (if applicable):

Reason for leaving or wishing to leave:

Period of notice required to terminate present employment:

Please notify us of any dates when you are unavailable for interview:

4. PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT (Please use continuation sheet if necessary.)

Name and Name and Address of Employ Employer Position Held Dates of Employment, and reason for

leaving. Final grade/salary

Description of duties:

Description of duties:

Description of duties:

Description of duties:

5. Bearing in mind the detailed job description and person specification, please tell us in your own words why you believe you are a suitable candidate: the particular qualities, experience and vision you would bring to the post if appointed. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary. (You can insert a new sheet by pressing ctrl and enter)

6. Disabilities

Do you consider yourself to have a disability? Yes No

If “yes”, please give us any relevant information that you feel would help us to accommodate your needs during your interview and fulfil our obligations under the Equality Act 2010:

7. Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975Have you any convictions that are not spent under Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? Yes No

If Yes, please provide further details: [Spent convictions do not have to be declared]

8. REFERENCES

Referee 1 Referee 2Title: Title:

Full Name: Full Name:

Job Title: Job Title:

Organisation: Organisation: Address: Address:

Tel No: Tel No:

E-mail address: E-mail address:      

Mobile No: Mobile No: Please state if we may obtain this reference prior to interview.

Yes

No

Please state if we may obtain this reference prior to interview.

Yes

No

9. DECLARATION

I declare that the information given in this application form is true and complete. I understand that if I have given any misleading information on this form or made any omissions, this will be sufficient grounds for terminating my employment.

Signature:: Date:

Name: The information provided by you on this form as an applicant will be stored either on paper records or a computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the GDPR 2018, and will be processed solely in connection with recruitment, in accordance with Liverpool Biennial’s Recruitment and Selection and Data Protection Policies.

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO JANE HOWARD: Jane@biennial.com

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Liverpool Biennial is the UK Biennial of Contemporary Art and presents a free festival of contemporary art from around the world every two years. It takes place across the city in public places, galleries and online. Liverpool Biennial is underpinned by a programme of research, education, residencies and commissions.

The Biennial Exhibition brings an international focus to our work. It is the moment when the world comes to Liverpool to engage with our thinking, and when we present art to the world.

Founded in 1998, Liverpool Biennial has commissioned over 305 new artworks and presented work by over 444 artists from around the world. During the last 10 years Liverpool Biennial has had an economic impact of £119.6 million.

Both Bloomberg New Contemporaries and the John Moores Painting Prize at the Walker Art Gallery are key strands of the Biennial and draw new audiences to the city. New Contemporaries presents the best of recent graduate works and John Moores shows the results of an open competition for contemporary painters.

Sally Tallant is the Artistic Director and CEO. Liverpool Biennial was conceived and founded in 1998 by James Moores (with Jane Rankin Read, Lewis Biggs and Bryan Biggs) and presented the first Liverpool Biennial in 1999.

The next edition takes place in 2018.

Equality and diversity monitoring

Liverpool Biennial is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to everyone regardless of race, gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation or age. The information you give on this form will help us comply with our policy of ensuring that we meet our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

We recognise that some people may regard some of this information as personal and we have, therefore, included an option in most questions for ‘prefer not to say’. You do not have to complete all of this form, but it will help us improve our services if you can complete as much as possible and return the form.

All information Liverpool Biennial collects around equality and diversity will be treated and stored confidentially in accordance with the Data Protection Act, and our own Data Protection Policy. Access to this information will be restricted to staff involved in the processing and monitoring of this data. It will be used to provide statistical information only.

Please give your consent below for your information to be stored and used in this way.

Signed:

Date:

A. Your age

What is your date of birth?

Prefer not to sayB. Disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) defines a person as disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term effect (i.e. has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months) on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Do you consider yourself to have a disability according to the terms given in the DDA?

Yes No Prefer not to say

If you have answered yes, please indicate the type of impairment which applies to you. If your experience more than one type of impairment, please tick all the types that apply. If your disability does not fit any of these types, please mark Other and specify.

Physical/mobility impairment, such as a difficulty using your arms or mobility issues which require you to use a wheelchair or crutches

DD/MM/YYYY

Visual impairment, such as being blind or having a serious visual impairmentHearing impairment, such as being deaf or having a serious hearing impairmentMental health condition, such as depression or schizophreniaLearning disability/difficulty, such as Down’s syndrome or dyslexia or a cognitive impairment such as autistic spectrum disorderLong-standing illness or health condition, such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease or epilepsyOther (Please specify below)

C. Your ethnic group

(These are based on the Census 2001 categories, and are listed alphabetically)

Asian, Asian British, Asian English, Asian Scottish, Asian Welsh or Asian Irish

Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Asian Background

Black, Black British, Black English, Black Scottish, Black, Welsh or Black Irish

Caribbean African Other Black Background

Chinese, Chinese British, Chinese English, Chinese Scottish, Chinese Welsh or Chinese Irish

Chinese Other Chinese Background

Mixed

White & Black African

White & Black Caribbean

White & Asian Other Mixed Background

Other

Other Please state:

Prefer not to say

White

White-English White-Welsh White-British White Non-European

White-Scottish White-Irish White-European

Other White background

D. Your gender

Male Female Prefer not to say

Do you identify as transgender?For this question ‘transgender’ is defined as an individual who lives, or wants to live, in the gender opposite to that they were assigned at birth.

Yes No Prefer not to say

E. Your religion or belief

Buddhism Christianity Hinduism

Islam Judaism Sikhism

No Religion Other Prefer not to say

F. Your sexual orientation

Bi-sexual Gay Man Gay WomanHeterosexual Other (specify if you wish) Prefer not to say