The Stage

Arts advice scheme for East Midlands minority applicants

Published Tuesday 4 May 2004 at 12:12 by Sally Bramley

Black and Asian people aiming to break into the arts industry in the East Midlands are being offered professional advice through a series of seminars to help them win jobs.

The Pathway Scheme, which is being run by recruitment firm Mericonsultancy with backing from Arts Council England East Midlands, will give advice on how to prepare an appropriate CV and how and where to look for a preferred job in the arts, as well as letting candidates go through a mock interview.

Coordinator Bharat Pandya said: “Around the time of the seminars we will have a set of vacancies that people might be interested in. Then we will look at their CVs and help the candidates make them more generic if they haven’t had arts experience before - look at what skills they already have and could apply to their chosen post.

“At the end of the seminar sessions we will have prepared an application form and the people on the course will then be able to go through an interview with it. It will be a dummy run for the actual job and even if they don’t go for that particular post, people will be able to take what they have learnt and apply it again.”

Pandya said that the number of candidates coming from black, minority and ethnic backgrounds was disproportionately low - and not just in administrative posts but right up to board level.

He added: “I live in Leicester and the Haymarket theatre hadn’t had a candidate coming through for some of the higher level posts but I don’t think it was from the lack of trying. At board level, they struggled to find someone from an ethnic minority background. We really want to tackle the reasons and perceptions of why people shy away for going for those jobs.”

Ten candidates will be able to take part in the first sessions, which begin on May 10. Closing date for applications is May 7 (Friday). To apply, send your CV by post to Mericonsultancy, 6 Belper Close, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5WB.