Intercultural Workshop Facilitator

Discovery Gospel Choir is seeking an experienced facilitator to conduct at least two participatory online workshops with the choir, examining the topics of ‘Diversity & Interculturalism’ and ‘Faith’ as part of an organisational ethos review.

About Discovery:

Founded in 2004, Discovery Gospel Choir is Ireland’s leading intercultural choir. It was formally established as an unincorporated voluntary organisation in 2009. Our current membership includes people from over 30 nationalities.  The choir’s main objective is to, among its members and in a wider community context, promote social inclusion of migrant communities and build integrated communities in Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland by engaging in the following key activities:

• Sourcing and performing culturally diverse gospel music in concerts, festivals, celebrations, public and corporate events, church services and community initiatives;
• Facilitating cross-community dialogue and challenging prejudice, racism and lack of knowledge through performances and community and school workshops;
• Supporting the growth of ethnic and emerging artists by offering guidance and advice, as well as linking artists to, and creating, artistic opportunities; and
• Developing and supporting community initiatives that bring together diverse ethnic groups and may highlight their particular needs.

About the Workshops:

In 2021 the choir decided to carry out an organisational review with a view to examining its ethos and objectives. This process includes a series of consultations with both current and former membership. As part of the review the choir hopes to facilitate at least two in-depth workshops that focus on themes of significant importance for the choir, with the aim of developing an identity statement for the choir. 

Firstly, as an intercultural choir: promoting cross-community engagement, migrant inclusion and addressing racism have been key objectives for the choir.  Secondly, as a gospel choir, faith (and within that Christian faith in particular) has been another critical aspect of Discovery Gospel Choir’s identity. 

About the Role:

Discovery Gospel Choir is seeking an experienced facilitator to assist in conducting two workshops dedicated to these topics - Interculturalism and Faith. 

It is expected that the workshops will consist of the following key elements:

• Reflecting on what these respective themes mean for the choir; 
• Engaging with how the choir has engaged with these topics in the past (to be gathered separately from the workshops); to what extent the choir was successful in generating a shared understanding and a clear objective in relation to these topics and where there might have been difficulties in achieving the same;
• Developing an identity statement for the choir that represents the collective view of members and which can later be utilised to review the current mission and vision statements; and 
• Examining how the aforementioned statement might influence the nature and type of activities that the choir engages in, including responding to initiatives, campaigns and movements such as Black Lives Matter, End Direct Provision and Christian Services and activities, etc. as well as the practical and personal implications these topics have for members.

About the Candidate:

The potential facilitator should:

• Have relevant experience engaging with voluntary community groups (preferably with diverse membership) through similar activities;
• Demonstrate strong understanding of the relevant topics - Diversity, Interculturalism, Racism, Faith - in order to facilitate constructive engagement;
• Possess the skills to guide members through participatory discussions with a focus on generating consensus and without showing bias towards a particular viewpoint;
• Be capable of leading and stimulating discussion and engaging participants in a positive manner, particularly in conversations on difficult topics, using online tools; and
• Be goal-oriented and ensure that the sessions are directed towards generating pre-agreed concrete outcomes.

How to Apply:

Please send a proposal with the words “Facilitator Application” and your name in the subject line to info@discoverygospelchoir.com. 

The proposal should cover the following:

• Approach and methods you will use, bearing in mind that the sessions will be delivered virtually; 
• An outline of your relevant experience;
• Details of two referees with whom you have done similar work; and
• Cost structure.

Closing date for applications is 26 April 2021 at 5pm.