Nine Worlds 2017 will consist of around 250 programme items. Three people are in overall charge of the content, and there'll be around a hundred people leading individual programme items over the three days. However, we also need a team of twelve producers to nurture and shepherd the many panels, talks, screenings, performances, quizzes, gaming sessions, social meetups, and DJ sets into the spotlight. Many of these roles will be carrying on from last year, but there's room for three more producers this year.
As a producer, you will 'own' around twenty programme items. This year, we'll ask you to focus on a particular type of session: either panels, talks, or workshops. This is different to the equivalent role in previous years (CGOs), which were split by subject area. Fandom & fanworks and ents will also be headed by producers, though they fall outside of the recruitment.
To help you with putting the sessions together, you'll be supported by our three Heads of Content, Nemo, Russell, and Helen, and will work alongside the rest of the producer team and the other convention organisers. You'll help to select and build interesting, inclusive programme items; support and manage the session runners who put on each session; keep the session and guest information up to date; and stay in touch with everyone to make sure they turn up and carry out their agreed roles on the day.
Producers can also directly run some of their sessions, but are subject to the same maximum number of roughly three sessions as other session runners are.
Necessary
- Availability and commitment - A reasonable expectation would be a few hours each week, more than that around any content deadlines, and substantially more during the event. You will need the capacity and commitment to spend this time on Nine Worlds organising if Nine Worlds is to be successful.
Desirable
- Creating or picking programme items - Previous experience in putting together panels, talks, or workshops, or helping other people to do so.
- People management - You'll need to guide the efforts of maybe a few dozen volunteer session runners and participants.
- Understanding of barriers to inclusion faced by marginalised groups - Membership of a marginalised or disadvantaged group counts as lived experience.
- Openness and resilience to criticism - Given our focus on inclusion, the live nature of the event, the sheer quantity of content, and our limited budget and capacity to vet participants, some content will be critiqued and called out. You need to be ready and willing to accept criticism in a constructive fashion, without retreating into denial or losing motivation. Your Heads of Content and the rest of the organisers will be there for you.
- Information handling - Experience in working with records on a computer. We use a web application to manage programme items and guests.
- Experience with Slack, Trello and Google Apps - Introductory training can be provided if necessary.
- Regular access to an internet-connected computer - All of our organising is carried out on-line, partly from necessity as it's difficult to get everyone in one place. We may be able to loan laptops or Chromebooks to volunteers for the duration of their role in organising the 2017 event.
Reimbursement and justification
We expect this voluntary role to be taken up by people who are not professional event organisers or curators in their day jobs, who would find volunteering for this interesting, personally rewarding and valuable for the Nine Worlds community.
Producers will need to adhere to the no-reward criterion for volunteers. Reasonably covered items may include entry to the event, accommodation for the duration of Nine Worlds, and potentially transport costs. Not all programme participants are required to be volunteers; professional performers and e.g. swordplay instructors are frequently paid for their involvement as their role in the convention is what they do for a living.
If you'd like to ask about or apply for this role, get in touch at jobs@nineworlds.co.uk. There's more information on applying on the main vacancies page.