Opportunity: 2 x Professional Beatboxers Needed for Vocal Beats Cover
rb&hArts, the arts team for Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, is looking to recruit 2 x professional beatboxers to provide occasional freelance cover for our pioneering music-making project for children and young people, Vocal Beats. This is a fantastic and unique opportunity to get involved with this exciting hospital programme, recently shortlisted for the Royal Society of Public Health's Arts in Health Award, working alongside champion beatboxers Bellatrix and MC Zani.
Please download a full job specification below.
BACKGROUND:
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is the UK’s largest specialist centre for the treatment of heart and lung disease. Working from two sites, Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, London, and Harefield Hospital, near Uxbridge, the Trust has an international reputation for the expertise of its staff, high standard of care and research success. Experts at the Trust treat patients from all age groups who have heart and lung conditions, providing some of the most complex surgery and sophisticated treatments available anywhere in the world
The paediatric department, Rose Ward, is a national referral centre for children, offering a full range of diagnostic and surgical interventions from prenatal stage to 16-year olds. Hospitalised children face a myriad of complex challenges which can be further affected by prolonged and/or recurrent stays in a hospital.
rb&hArts
rb&hArts is delivered through Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity with 3.6 (FTE) staff members. It is charitably funded to bring the benefits of the arts to support in and outpatients and the local communities surrounding each hospital. The arts programme aims to increase levels of wellbeing, enhance the patient experience and improve the healthcare estate through the arts. It first began in 2002 and now, in a typical year, runs over 500 interventions across arts, music, and participatory arts working with 30 artists recording over 6,500 participants. The core creative programme includes 3 weekly Singing for Breathing workshops for older people living with COPD; 2 musicians in residence playing for adults providing 6 hours of live music per week, temporary exhibitions and participatory arts and crafts workshops.
Vocal Beats
Vocal Beats is a successful three-year singing, music-making and beatboxing project delivered by Heather McClelland, Bellatrix, MC Zani and Grace Savage, thanks to generous funding from Youth Music. With a flexible design, it responds to individual patient-need, offering personalised creative music engagement for any/all young musicians during their stay. Since starting the project in 2015 we have worked with over 600 children aged 0-16 years. Providing singing and music workshops to children and young people with complex heart and lung conditions, this project aims to increase personal resilience, confidence and self-expression.
During 2018-19, we expanded the project to include young people aged 17-25 years, with facilitators Heather McClelland and Stac Dowdeswell offering 1-2-1 vocal coaching sessions for cystic fibrosis and transplant patients respectively for six hours a week.
Now for the first time, two major NHS Foundation trusts will be working together to co-deliver the project, with Vocal Beats being delivered additionally at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust for cancer patients aged 0-25 years old.
THE BEATBOXING ROLE
We wish to recruit 2 x professional beatboxers onto our rosta to provide cover/extra provision on wards on a casual basis. This will be arranged in advance with clear handover given in advance.
The role will be a varied and adaptable one in order to meet the needs of hospital environments. Beatboxing is used as a way of reaching a wider patient group, whilst offering an alternative to singing that can still support the development of diaphragmatic breathing.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Developing and delivering new beatboxing/music-making projects/activities in Paediatric and Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) wards at Royal Brompton Hospital (Chelsea) and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (Sutton).
- Working in consultation with clinical staff, patients and guardians
- Working alongside other professionals in order to create a set of activities which explore the breathing benefits of beatboxing
- Working as a vocal percussive accompanist with singers for a range of repertoire in both group and one to one settings
- Delivering 121 sessions as well as group work, where appropriate with young patients and their families
- Providing rb&hArts with feedback for use in reports, social media and fundraisingParticipating in ad hoc ward performances/showcases where possible/feasible
PRACTICAL ISSUES AND FEES
This role is based at Royal Brompton hospital in Chelsea and the Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton. The hours and fee available will be:
Wednesday from 2-5pm at Royal Brompton - £120
Thursday from 2-5pm at Royal Brompton - £120
Wednesday 1-4pm / 6-8pm at Royal Marsden - £250
Friday 1-4pm at Royal Marsden - £130
Each fee includes an hour’s prep time. Payment is made upon receipt of invoice.
Recruited artists will be fully inducted prior to leading sessions.
If you have any questions or require further clarification about this role, please get in touch on 020 7352 8121 x84087
HOW TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter and CV to Conni Rosewarne, Project Co-ordinator at rb&hArts, outlining your experience with a video link to your music: c.rosewarne@rbht.nhs.uk
Application deadline: 23rd October 2019
