Anna Pickton Email and Phone Number

Tucked next to the Birmingham Canal Old Line, the Roundhouse is a horseshoe shaped building in Ladywood, Birmingham, dating from 1874. Thanks to a partnership between the Canal & River Trust and the National Trust, and a £2.5m National Lottery grant, the Roundhouse has been revived. It is a pioneering partnership set up to safeguard the future of this beautiful, curvy building that has stood proudly overlooking Birmingham’s famous canals for almost 150 years. As Operations Manager, I am responsible for leading on all aspects of day-to-day management in a visitor heritage attraction. I lead a team of enthusiastic and passionate staff and volunteers who deliver the Roundhouse programme of activities and tours and an inspiring visitor experience. I hold strong relationships with tenants, partners and funders, and work collaboratively with staff and consultants to deliver excellent standards of welcome, presentation, administration and customer service, all to ensure the safe, sustainable, effective and cost efficient operation of Roundhouse Birmingham.

From this internal promotion, I now oversee the team responsible for the production and event delivery of each Festival. This includes all on-site infrastructure, participant/performer requirements, catering and staffing.

I work alongside two other members of the Production Team to implement all areas of production planning and management across Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals. Within my role, I coordinate the recruitment and management of volunteers, work with the programming team in ensuring riders are prepared, liaise with suppliers and contractors in bringing equipment to the Festivals, I monitor Health and Safety procedures and ensure that staff and volunteers are familiar with procedures and are trained, and help to manage the smooth running of the festival site and venues during the build and festival periods.

Between January and July 2016 I completed a secondment to the Music Festival department, responsible for the successful delivery of the 2016 Cheltenham Music Festival. I worked with the Festival Director to ensure that all concerts, workshops and educational/school events were planned and delivered to the highest possible standard. My role involved making arrangements with performers and musicians for their concerts/events, and liaising with marketing, sponsorship and finance departments. I worked closely with venues in and around Cheltenham, and supported local performers and artists in their projects with the Music Festival.

Since completing an initial six month contract with Cambridge Music Festival in 2009 (see below), I was asked to return in 2012, 2013, and 2015-2018 to manage various of the more complex, high-profile events during the festival periods. I coordinated and liaised with performers, which included setting up the stage for rehearsals and performances, monitoring timings, providing refreshments, page turning for pianists when required and supporting the soloists in their preparations and stage requirements. I also managed front of house, including briefing and supporting stewards, monitoring box office and programme sales, setting up interval receptions, liaising with venue staff and welcoming audiences.

Alongside the rest the Production team, we implemented all areas of production planning and management across all four of the Cheltenham Festivals (Jazz, Science, Music and Literature). I supported the team in ensuring that everything was ordered for the site and delivered on time. I worked with other departments in recruiting volunteers, and provided volunteer support during festivals.

My role within the International Festival included liaising with and contracting artists, venues and staff, coordinating travel and accommodation logistics, securing work permits for international artists and organising rehearsal schedules. I was also responsible for recruiting, training and managing Front of House teams and other staff and volunteers, arranging team training in first aid and use of evacuation chairs, and liaising with event support staff, including caterers, designers, stationers, printers, and other equipment providers. Other responsibilities included updating Risk Assessments, Health & Safety and Child Protection Policies, hiring and coordinating vehicles, and managing petty cash and floats.My role on the International Summer Music Academy and Young String Venture courses involved receiving and accepting course applications, contracting tutors, and organising accommodation, travel and other course logisticsI was also involved in project management and one-off events, including Music from a Foreign Land (world music education project), 4x4 Composers Residency, and Festival Launch events.

During this short fixed term contract with Leicester Comedy Festival, I was able to use my interpersonal skills to quickly develop relationships with a variety of contacts, including promoters, external box office providers, venues, artists and agents. Coordinating and liaising between each of these enabled me to build my confidence and utilise my communication skills.

Whilst in the office, I communicated with a wide range of stakeholders, and maintained the various office systems. I raised a record amount of sponsorship for the festival programme, created posters and other publicity materials to a high standard of production and maintained the festival website. I also initiated a festival presence on Facebook and Twitter. In advance of the Festival, I was also responsible for communicating with artists and agents, liaising with external box offices, coordinating rehearsals, and recruiting a large and diverse team of volunteers.Once the festival was underway, I worked very long hours to support the festival events. I was present at concerts to meet and greet artists, agents and sponsors, supervise rehearsals, brief and manage stewards, manage the setting up of front of house and backstage, coordinate programme and ticket sales, welcome the audience, and solve any problems that might arise.