Therapeutic Arts Programme Manager

Are you a highly organised leader with excellent facilitation skills who is passionate about the transformative power of the Arts, building community and helping people grow and develop in their therapeutic arts skills? 

As Talitha Arts’ Therapeutic Arts Programme Manager, you will be responsible for managing Talitha Arts’ programmes, partnerships and practitioners, working with a wide range of stakeholders. You will come from an arts, management or therapeutic arts background (in any field) and have experience developing programming, managing people/volunteers, and growing partnerships.You will be committed to growth and development and passionate about the power of the creative arts to bring healing, restoration and transformation. You will have experience and a heart for working with vulnerable people, devising and developing creative arts workshops and training sessions, and will be willing to work flexibly with therapeutic intent but outside a clinical framework.

This position is home-based with regular travel within London for workshop, training and meetings (travel costs will be reimbursed). Working hours are flexible throughout the week and can be either part time or full time depending on the candidate (maximum of 30hrs per week).Talitha Arts also provides learning and development opportunities, travel for work within London and 3 extra days at Christmas.

Who are We?

Talitha Arts is creative arts charity that delivers creative arts workshops that benefit the mental health and wellbeing of those who have experienced trauma (through trafficking, living with dementia, domestic and sexual abuse, homelessness) and/or are living with mental health problems, addiction or disability. We are a small team comprising our Artistic Director (Executive), Fundraiser and Therapeutic Consultant. You will be managing 15 self-employed practitioners who work on a freelance basis.

At Talitha Arts, creativity is at the heart of everything we do, and therefore we are seeking someone who shares our belief in the transformative power of the creative arts and can reflect our creative and relational ethos in their approach to managing our programmes, practitioners, and partners. As we are a small charity, you may be asked to perform duties to support fundraising and other initiatives. 

Equal Opportunities

At Talitha we are committed to creating and supporting an inclusive environment and

to celebrate diversity and the value of different backgrounds and experiences. We

encourage applications from all backgrounds - we are particularly interested in

welcoming global majority candidates, those with disabilities and LGBTQI+ candidates.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our organisation's core values and

the work we do.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Managing and developing all aspect of Talitha Art’s therapeutic arts workshop programming 

• Overseeing all programming, coordinating teams and managing Practitioner Coordinators

• Overseeing the planning and evaluation process of all programmes, including liaising with partners, monitoring and reporting

• Advising on creative and therapeutic processes

• Helping to create and develop new programme strategies in collaboration with the Artistic Director to ensure best practice

• Working closely with Talitha staff and practitioners to ensure programmes are well-managed and run to budget

• Overseeing and managing the content of sessions and monitoring therapeutic intent

• Working alongside Therapeutic Consultant to ensure that programmes are trauma-informed and therapeutic in intent 

• Act as Deputy Safeguarding Adult and Child Lead for Talitha Arts 

• Maintaining all databases and updates (in google workspace)

• Committed to ongoing learning and development, including exploring expressive arts therapies and researching beneficiary groups

• Delivering workshops alongside a team of practitioners as and when is necessary

2. Managing Talitha Art’s partnerships with organisations, care homes and community settings to develop ongoing collaborative programmes

• Building on existing partner relationships; and seeking and developing new partner relationships

• Partnering with various organisations to schedule and manage Talitha’s programmes

• Developing project proposals and pitch to new potential partners

• Collaborating with partners on project management of programmes including planning scheduling, coordinating publicity, and follow up with partners (liaising with AD)

3. Managing Talitha Arts Practitioners

• Developing, devising and delivering Talitha Art’s ongoing practitioner training and development and induction training for new practitioners (alongside AD)

• Helping to devise an effective approach to ensure practitioner retention and best practice (alongside AD)

• Coordinating programmes to fit availability of practitioners in accordance with their suitability for the client groups

• Working alongside AD to recruit practitioners (including DBS and references checks), liaise with them during the process, and assess suitability and progress of trainees 

• Delegating tasks to Programme Coordinators and working closely with them to have oversight of programmes they are responsible for

•  Organising and planning regular check ins and ongoing learning and development sessions and opportunities (alongside AD)

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