Now we’re getting ready to start announcing our 2012 festival our team is getting bigger again, with new members joining us to produce, promote and deliver four weeks of action-packed dance. The recruitment for IDFB 2012 is nearly over (though any future opportunities will be posted here), so we thought we’d introduce a couple of the people who will be working behind the scenes until the middle of next year.
Charlie Rachwal and Mike Hyde will be part of the marketing team, and we grabbed a few minutes with them to find out what excited them about the chance to work on the festival, and a bit about their backgrounds.
Charlie has joined us from Warwick Arts Centre, a new host venue for IDFB 2012, as Marketing Officer.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the team at IDFB. It’s a great festival full of varied and exciting performances from large scale outdoor spectacles to intimate studio duets, and as well as looking forward to working on them, I can’t wait to go and see them!
I was previously working at Warwick Arts Centre which I think is a great addition to the venue line-up that will attract new audiences for experimental and progressive contemporary dance. I’m also looking forward to working with other venues, partners and promoters to bring an exciting programme of dance to everyone in and around Birmingham.”
Mike’s been working as Digital Marketing Officer on DanceXchange’s Outdoor Dance Programme since July, and will now also be working on IDFB 2012 in the same role.
“I’m a self-confessed dance novice, having only seen the occasional piece here and there during my previous roles in arts centres. However, I have really enjoyed the shows I’ve seen so far at DanceXchange, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in dance for a whole month next year!
I think being a newcomer to dance gives me a different perspective on marketing campaigns, as it’s easy to make assumptions about audiences and their expectations. As someone who would never have gone to see dance before, I’m working hard to make sure we remember that, for many people, dance is an unfamiliar artform. Luckily, we have some really great outdoor and participatory projects that will make dance accessible to people who wouldn’t normally come across it, so I’m particularly looking forward to working on those.
I’m also relatively new to the West Midlands, having worked in South Wales and London, so the festival will also be an ideal way to visit interesting venues and meet new people!”
We’ll be introducing other new members of the IDFB team in the coming weeks, but for now, you can find a full staff list here.
