Workshop Facilitation Training – Riverbank Arts Centre and Super Paua
Thank you for your interest in Super Paua’s workshop facilitation programme. Unfortunately this training programme cannot go ahead as planned in March 2023. We intend to reschedule a training programme at future date. There has been a huge response to this call out from a broad range of artists and practitioners, so it is clear there is a strong interest in a training programme of this kind. Please contact alex@riverbank.ie if you wish to give us your contact details for future training opportunities, or follow our us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for further updates.
Riverbank Arts Centre and Super Paua invite applications for workshop facilitation training, led by Mark Ball.
Are you interested in learning about Super Paua’s innovative programme of theatre-based workshops with young people which explore science and art? We are now inviting applications for a paid facilitation training. Those who are successful in the application will be invited to a paid taster session. This session will explore improvisation, storytelling and theatre facilitation skills in a playful and welcoming environment. After this, a panel of the Riverbank and Super Paua team will select four participants to take part in the full training programme. This programme will consist of three days of facilitation training with the other participants and will finish with facilitating Super Paua science/art workshops with young people.
What will I get from the training programme?
● General facilitation skills e.g. how to give and get feedback, how to maintain focus and handle conflict, etc.
● An understanding of how to plan, structure and evaluate a creative workshop
● Approaches to working with young people
● Theatre, improvisation and storytelling facilitation skills
● An opportunity to develop your facilitation practice and approach by experimenting and receiving feedback from peers in a supportive environment
● An exploration of the connections between science and art
● An exploration of the creative process
● A chance to facilitate two Super Paua science/art workshop with young people, with feedback and support from the team
● To receive and act upon feedback on your facilitation practice
● Skills that are useful in youth arts and non-formal education, and in collaborative,
socially-engaged / participatory art making
We are looking for people…
● Who are passionate about working with young people
● Who have a playful, curious and open attitude
● Who are interested in art and science
● Who work well in groups
● Who are comfortable with leading groups of people
● Who are interested in developing their facilitation practice
● Who have experience in making art and/or have experience in facilitation, education, science communication etc.
● Who are freelance, or not currently in full-time work
How will we select the participants?
10 participants will be invited to take part in the paid taster workshop based on their application form. The group will be selected based on their relevant experience and/or interest in developing their facilitation practice with young people. We will strive for a balance of gender and age within those eligible. Priority will be given to those based in Kildare and the surrounding areas. Four participants will be invited to take part in the final training programme after the taster workshop. Participants will be selected based on their participation in the taster workshop, and how they meet the criteria in the person specification above.
Fees
Those who take part in the taster session will be paid €100 for their time and travel. Participants in the full training will be offered a stipend of €150 per day for taking part in the programme.
Key Dates
Applications Open – Thursday 12th January 2023
Applications Closed- Tuesday 7th February 2023
Applicants Informed about Decisions for Taster Workshop- Friday 10th February
Taster Workshop- Saturday 25th February 2023, 11-2pm, Riverbank Arts Centre
Offers Given for Full Training Programme- Monday 27th February 2023
Training Day 1- Mon 20th March 2023, 10-5pm, Riverbank Arts Centre
Training Day 2- Thursday 23rd March, 10-5pm, Riverbank Arts Centre
Training Day 3- Friday 24th March, Riverbank Arts Centre
Participant Facilitation with Young People- To be scheduled w/b 27th March according to your availability over one day
Final Reflection Session- To be scheduled in April 2023, approx. 2 hours
Training will take place at Riverbank Arts Centre, Main Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
What’s expected from me?
Those who are selected for the full training are expected to take part in all parts of the above schedule. Participants will be expected to do preparation for their facilitation day and to fill out feedback forms before, during and after the training programme.
Super Paua
Super Paua is an Irish artist-led collective that makes work for all ages in a variety of languages, places, and forms. Humour, social relevance, and respect define our work. Super Paua is a collaboration between core members Mark Ball, Artistic Director, and Heather Rose, Creative Producer. Super Paua has collaborated with Riverbank Arts Centre over the last few years. Together they have created The Lonsdale Project, a film for young people about the work and life of Irish-born scientist and activist Kathleen Lonsdale. They have designed and delivered science/art workshops to hundreds of young people in Kildare. Recent Super Paua Projects include: Super Paua Stories, a podcast of multilingual stories for young people, and Whodunnit? The Great Art Robbery!, a multilingual, online whodunnit game as a part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2022 and Melbourne Fringe Festival 2022.
Mark Ball – Programme Facilitator
Mark Ball is a theatre-maker (facilitation, director, devisor, dramaturg). Mark completed Artstrain in 2017, a Level 7 in Drama Facilitation and Youth Arts with Youth Theatre Ireland. Mark was an Education and Research Assistant in the Science Gallery Dublin (2020) and was the Co-Artistic Director of Cabinteely Youth Theatre (2017-2019). In 2019 Mark received a Young People, Children and Education bursary from the Arts Council to explore facilitation and theatre-making practice. Mark has facilitated science/art and multilingual creative workshops with hundreds of young people with Super Paua at Riverbank Arts Centre, Mermaid Arts Centre, Hawkswell Theatre, Roscommon Arts Centre and Draíocht Arts Centre. Mark has facilitated workshops with the Abbey Theatre, the Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, Mother Tongues and many Youth Theatres across the country. Mark has led facilitation training with Super Paua, Junior Cycle for Teachers in collaboration with the Abbey Theatre, Ready, Steady SHOW! at the Civic Theatre, and on arts-integrated learning for Belgian primary school teachers with OZCS. Mark’s facilitation asks participants to question what they know and how they’ve come to know it; surprises and delights them with their own natural curiosity, creativity and humour, and that of their peers; and creates space for them to harness this to lead their learning and creative ideas to connect in a new way.
Feedback from previous training programmes
“Excellent workshop would love to have done a week of it. Brilliant facilitators learned a lot.”
“Very refreshing and informative. Lots to work with and research or read about in relation to
it. In over 30 years teaching, this is undoubtedly the best inservice I have ever attended. For
once I was not just a cog in a grinding, institutional machine but I was respected and valued
as a creative and imaginative individual who happens to work in a classroom.”
“It really inspired me and helped to grow ideas I had / look at them differently. It really
energised me and I found I got lots of practical advice too (such as book recs)”
“Having the opportunity to talk through ideas one-on-one with Mark and then present
something we wanted to try out and get feedback was really valuable. It felt like a really safe
space, where the learning was supported and guided from start to finish. “
If you are interested in applying please CLICK HERE.
Featured image by Bríd O’Donovan
Riverbank Arts Centre
Riverbank Arts Centre is a multi-disciplinary venue in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
Riverbank Arts Centre works in partnership with international, national and local artists to
deliver an accessible and consistently high quality arts programme in an intimate
environment. We provide a multi-disciplinary programme which includes theatre, cinema,
comedy, music, dance, workshops and visual arts. With a dedicated children’s gallery and
programming of high quality theatre and workshops for younger audiences, Riverbank is also
committed to promoting early engagement with and access to the arts. Riverbank Arts
Centre is funded by Kildare County Council and The Arts Council.
For more information: https://www.riverbank.ie/
