Call For Student Volunteers: Researchers And Performers
As part of the national Being Human Festival taking place across the UK and Leeds in November 2016, the University is partnering with Leeds GATE (Gypsy and Traveller Exchange) to stage an event ‘Challenging Hate Crime: Voices of Gypsies and Travellers’.
This long-form performance piece will use verbatim theatre techniques in order to animate research on the issue of hate crime against the UK’s Gypsies and Travellers. The performance will explore the presence or absence of the Gypsy and Traveller voice in the research, examine the fear produced by experiences of hate crime, and reflect on the hope needed to overcome it. The event will invited participants to hear the stories, look at source material and join a discussion about the issues involved.
The event will take place on Wednesday 23 November between 11am and 4pm in the Treasures of the Brotherton gallery, Parkinson Building.
Student volunteers are being sought to conduct research and carry out the performance for ‘Challenging Hate Crime: Voices of Gypsies and Travellers’. All volunteers will get the chance to learn more about Gypsy and Traveller life in Leeds and beyond and contribute to an event that raises awareness about an important social justice issue.
VOLUNTEER RESEARCHERS will contribute to the success of the event by researching hate crimes against Gypsy and Traveller people, particularly in the Yorkshire area. Researchers will gain invaluable experience in research and communication skills and receive guidance from staff from the School of History, Leeds GATE, and the Brotherton Library. Volunteer researchers will be expected to spend approximately 2 hours a week during October and leading up to the event in November preparing the research for this event. Research will take place both on the University of Leeds campus and at the offices of Leeds GATE. This opportunity would be an excellent addition to anyone’s CV. Students with an interest in Gypsy and Traveller life and history; ethnicity and inequalities; and/or hate crimes will be especially interested in this opportunity.
VOLUNTEER PERFORMERS will work closely with the verbatim theatre practitioner to create and perform the main performance on the day of the event. A fantastic addition to CVs, performers will get the opportunity to learn more about verbatim theatre and put it into practice. Volunteer performers will be expected to attend all preparation and rehearsal sessions (six 2-hour sessions) which will take place on Wednesday afternoons in the weeks leading up the event. And of course, volunteer performers will also need to be available to perform for the duration of the event.
TO APPLY
Email Say Burgin (S.Burgin@leeds.ac.uk) with:
- Your name, student number, email address, programme of study, and which volunteer position you’re interested in
- A brief description (500 words max) of why you would like to volunteer for this project; what skills, knowledge and experience you could bring to the role; and what you hope to get out of your role in the project
- Visit Leeds GATE’s website and read about its mission and values (http://leedsgate.co.uk/home/history-leeds-gate/our-mission-and-values). All volunteers must support Leeds GATE’s values to participate in this project.
Applications are due Friday 16 September. Interviews will be held in the week commencing 26 September.
If you have any queries, please contact Laura Wilson at L.J.Wilson@leeds.ac.uk.
