Freelance Director – Contact Young Company (Creatively Minded Men)

Contract: Fixed Term, Freelance.

Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd June, Midnight

ABOUT CONTACT: Contact is a charity, arts venue and theatre based in the centre of Manchester that puts young people at the heart of everything they do. Contact is Manchester’s leading centre for inclusive and innovative creativity, offering a dynamic space where the next generation of artists and audiences come together. Since 1972, Contact has championed local talent and produced pioneering work that inspires and entertains both national and international audiences. The organisation is committed to bringing diverse, high-quality creative experiences to the city, while empowering young people through free and accessible arts and leadership programmes.

ABOUT CYC: Contact Young Company (CYC) is Contact’s renowned, Manchester Theatre Award-winning young ensemble. CYC is made up of young performers, actors, dancers, musicians, stand-up comedians, poets and MCs. Each Year, Contact Young Company works with major national and international artists to create brand new theatre shows. These shows are premiered here at Contact, and have toured to venues and festivals across the country.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

Contact has been awarded funding from The Baring Foundation to run a 2-year CYC (Contact Young Company) project called 'Creatively Minded Men'. This project is aimed at young people who identify as men, aged 18-30, who have not previously engaged with theatre, who have experienced mental health problems.

Statistically, we have found that more young men engage with music programmes at Contact, than theatre. As a result, we've designed this project to begin with 6 months of music workshops, led by our Music Therapist in residence. From May 2026 the group will begin workshops to develop skills in spoken word, movement and devising.

Working with a director, the group will create their own live performance, incorporating the music they have created throughout the workshops.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are seeking a Director for the production, who identifies as a man, has a strong background in devising and collaborating with young people, and enjoys working closely with other artists.

You will have a proven track record of working sensitively with young people and/or artists, and feel confident leading CYC through their rehearsal process, directing and shaping the production alongside them.

You should be a skilled theatre-maker with experience creating cross-artform performances, including gig theatre, and have a strong track record in script development and the creation of dynamic, original work at a professional level. As part of this work, you should be able to produce a script from the devising period that can be used for the show’s BSL interpreter and captioner.

A commitment to Contact’s ethos is essential, along with a passion for environmental sustainability and a dedication to fostering a supportive, caring environment for our young company.

Contact is proud of its long-standing commitment to diversity across our programming, production, staffing, and community engagement. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and communities.

The fee is inclusive of travel, accommodation, and preparation, so the role is best suited to someone based in, connected to, or within commuting distance of Manchester.

Contact is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. For all successful roles we require an enhanced disclosure and barring certificate as part of our recruitment checks.

About the Show ( Common Ground working title ):

We are living in a moment that tells young men who to distrust, who to blame, that division is strength and compassion is weakness, and that you should only look out for your own.

We want this show to ask what actually happens when you show up for someone whose life doesn't look like yours.

The themes are allyship, visibility, community and defiance. What does it mean to feel unseen? What does it take to see someone anyway? What do you have to risk to show up for someone the world has told you is not your problem? How can we build community and collective resilience?

This project is forming part of a wider research into men’s engagement in the arts and men’s mental health and has specific funding, which is why we’re seeking a creative team who identify as men. This is inclusive of trans men.