creating adventures with young people in Newbridge, Ireland since 1996
creating adventures with young people in Newbridge, Ireland since 1996.
The Project
1
Introduction
Erasmus+ supports traineeships (work placements, internships, etc.) abroad for students currently enrolled in higher education institutions at Bachelor and Master Level as well as for doctoral candidates. These opportunities are also open to recent graduates.
Crooked House Theatre Company welcomes students who wish to carry out either short term or long term traineeship, supported by Erasmus+, in the fields of Theatre, Drama or Youth Studies.
As a trainee in Crooked House you will have the opportunity to be involved in drama facilitation, directing, stage management and play productions. You will also have a chance to get experience in communication, administration and project management.
2
Period of Traineeship
Our work is busiest from September to June each year, so this is when we prefer traineeships to occur. We accept trainees for at least three months and we will favour those who can stay for 6 months or a year.
3
Accommodation
We cannot provide accommodation for you, unfortunately, as there is a housing crisis in Ireland and we cannot afford to pay the high cost of rents locally. However, we can recommend some hosts we know and you can contact them to see if their room is available.
You will need your grant to allow for €550 to €650 per month for renting a single room in a shared home.
4
Living Expenses
Food is actually quite reasonably priced in supermarkets (Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, Dunnes Stores etc). There are many second-hand clothes shops here too where you can buy warm clothes and rain-gear very cheaply. Eating out, getting a take-away coffee, or buying a sandwich at lunchtime is quite expensive. We advise everyone to use our kitchen in Crooked House and make your coffee and lunches there. Travel on public transport varies in costs. With a student card it is cheap but without it you will pay a lot of money. Going for a night out with friends to the pub and have beers or water is very expensive. There are deals to be found on gyms and yoga classes, and there are many walks and parks in the area to use for free.
During the traineeship the students will take part in some or all of the following categories of activities:
1
Making a Performance with Young People and/or Community Groups
Knowledge, skills and competencies to be gained:
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assist directors in rehearsing and staging applied theatre productions;
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learn about using drama with young people and/or community groups;
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practice administration and organisation skills such as keeping attendance records, composing information letters for parents, participants, updating the social media and website;
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develop marketing skills by assisting in promoting the performances; using social media to promote the show;
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practice stage management abilities;
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become aware of and gain knowledge in health and safety issues associated with rehearsal, workshop and performance.
2
Facilitating Drama Workshops with Young People, Adult Groups, and Special Needs Groups
Knowledge, skills and competencies to be gained:
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understand the theory and practice of facilitating drama;
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learn appropriate drama games and activities for use with young people, adults, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers;
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deepen knowledge about group dynamics and group development;
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understand how to structure and manage a workshop;
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find and support key learning moments in workshops for participants;
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understand and practice how to give enriched feedback to participants in a workshop;
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encourage participants with mixed abilities to work together;
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plan and deliver your own short workshop programme;
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be supervised and receive feedback and support from experienced professional facilitators;
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facilitate participants in their developmental work (i.e. help them arrange their own projects and events). Here volunteers will develop their organisational and logistical skills (such as planning, record keeping and accounting). They will also develop an understanding of peer-learning. They will learn about theories of youth and community work that focus on creating learning environments for participants that facilitate independent learning;
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share their own skills with participants – for example, if a volunteer practices yoga he/she could do a yoga workshop for the young people.
3
Youth Theatre Administration and Logistical Support
Knowledge, skills and competencies to be gained:
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Writing and uploading blogs about their experience in Newbridge and in Ireland;
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updating the social media sites for Kildare Youth Theatre and for Crooked House; making short films and uploading them to YouTube and to social media – these films promote the plays and the workshops;
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helping to write reports in English about the projects we do, especially about the Erasmus+ projects;
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archiving the material we have gathered over the years about Crooked House (this means ‘digitizing’ the old posters, files, documents and records of the company and keeping them safe);
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understanding Erasmus+ and helping to design and apply for a project;
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organise access to the building for groups when necessary. This task gives volunteers responsibility and helps them become aware of security, access, timetabling and administrative tasks associated with running a youth theatre. Part of this work is to clean the space once a week and to keep it tidy;
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network and liaise with other agencies and youth projects in the community along with Crooked House staff and volunteers. This will broaden the cultural knowledge
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of volunteers and also give them an insight into Irish models of youth work and of youth theatre.
4
Training
Knowledge, skills and competencies to be gained:
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Attend theatre training and youthwork development courses provided by Crooked House. They will develop their knowledge here and learn how to apply theory to practice. All volunteers must also attend weekly Drama Facilitation Training in Crooked House (we train in child protection issues, safety issues, and in Drama Facilitation);
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opportunities will be provided to apply for and attend training courses run by County Kildare Leader Partnership (in Youth Studies), Maynooth University, and others.
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Courses offered by Youth Theatre Ireland and others. They will all be free to volunteers who are selected for these courses.
5
Performing
Knowledge, skills and competencies to be gained:
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Perform with other volunteers and students in one or two short plays during the year (one in the first half of the year and the other in the second half). Perform along-side their Irish peers in devised and other performances for the public. This develops a range of skills and aptitudes including confidence, presence, problem-solving and collaboration abilities.
Project Activities
How To Apply
The steps you need to make in order to do your traineeship with us are the following:
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Contact the International Programmes or Erasmus+ office of your University in order to get informed about the dates you can submit your application or other arrangements that might apply to your institution.
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Go to the online Google form and complete it here: https://forms.gle/MCe8TRecua84ot979
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Contact Crooked House at info[at]crookedhouse.ie to let us know that you have filled in the form. We will reply, and if you are a suitable candidate, we will arrange an online interview with you.
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If you are successful in your interview we will write a letter of invitation which you can present, along with other documents, to your university.
If you are accepted and you come to Ireland, the first two weeks will be spent attending and observing workshops, receiving welcome orientation, and meeting with the Volunteer Supervisor (Pauline Sartori).
Then Pauline and the Company Manager (Oğuzhan Şahin) will work with you to develop a programme that suits your goals and learning needs. If you are a Masters student we can also help with your area of study and research.
Your programme is flexible and can change according to your needs.