Download Assembly Rooms Slot Allocation Procedure

Assembly Rooms Slot Allocation Procedure
Introductory information:

Each academic term is split into weekly ‘slots’, beginning each Monday 11am and
ending Saturday 11pm. One full slot is the maximum amount of time one theatre
company may have each academic term.

These times are kept free from external companies booking in advance. During termtime, the Assembly Rooms Theatre is reserved solely for student productions (although
exceptional circumstances may arise).

These slots are available for booking by representatives of any of DST’s ratified theatre
companies. Individuals without association to a ratified company may not book a slot in
the Assembly Rooms.
Schedule:

Applications will close two weeks (minimum) before the end of the previous term.

The assessment of applications will occur within 48 hours of this deadline, at a time
called by the DST President.

To allow time for the early slots to rehearse in term-time, theatre companies will be
notified as soon as the decision is made.
The decision process:

The committee which considers the application will be chaired by an impartial
individual, who has no association with DST or any of its affiliates.

The chair will be considered to have a relevant knowledge of the cultural advancement
of the university and its students, and of the current operations of The Assembly Rooms
theatre.

The present chair has been confirmed as Karen Frost, the Cultural Marketing Officer for
Durham University.

The rest of the committee will be made up by the DST executive.

The role of the chair will be:
o To lead the decision meeting and direct proceedings in a sensible, fair way.
1.
o To ensure a balanced and unbiased discussion throughout the meeting.
o To keep the criteria for assessment at the forefront of all considerations.
o To ensure other members of the committee keep within the rules set upon them
(see below).

The role of the DST exec will be:
o To fairly summarise and discuss each application upon direction by the chair.
o To judge the applications firmly against the assessment criteria only.
o To declare interest at the beginning of the meeting for any application which
they might have an involvement as production team, or theatre company
executive.

In the circumstances that a member of the committee declares interest, and is actively
involved as a member of the production (in any role) or as an executive of a theatre
company making an application, the following rules apply:
o
They shall be asked to leave the room at the point of main discussion of said
application; to prevent hearing of and contribution to the discussion.
o Outside of this time, especially in consideration of the overall programme, they
may not enhance their own application in any form of oral input during the
meeting. Each application will be solely considered on what has been submitted
in paper. Any form of reasoning, explanation or suggestion towards any aspect of
their application will not be permitted from the member, as this provides an
unfair advantage over other applications.

The committee will decide, through discussion, the theatrical programme for the
following term, based on applications which exceptionally fulfil the assessment criteria.

If, after a detailed discussion of the various considerations, a decision can not been
reached, the chair will lead a majority vote amongst the other nine committee members
to decide on that specific discrepancy.

In the case that members are absent from the meeting, or unable to vote due to
declared interest and any vote is evenly matched, the chair will be eligible to cast the
deciding vote.

The committee will consider each application completely on its own merit, no prejudices
or other factors may affect its success (applying twice with the same show would not be
a hindrance at all.)
2.

The successful companies will be notified immediately, so any problems that arise can
be rethought with the whole committee present.

A ‘reserve’ application will be chosen in the event of a successful company pulling out
further down the line. They will still be dealt with as unsuccessful, and are welcome to
the feedback session, as all the others are. (See below)

The DST secretary will take minutes of the meeting, for referral in case of future
enquiries.

For procedural issues, the decision of the chair is final.
3.
Criteria for assessment:
The following criteria will be used as the only grounds for consideration for all applications
received by the committee. The criteria are split into three tiers, each in order of importance:
Tier 1: The enhancement of all DST members’ overall theatrical experience:
By providing:

A programme containing a variety of genres for members to watch and get involved in.

A high-quality and appropriate programme which will attract and inspire more
members to watch and get involved in all areas of production.

An integrated season which is scheduled sensitively to outside theatre productions,
University events and external factors.
Tier 2: The passion and professionalism shown in the application:
The ideal application form will be deemed to have:

A clear, well thought out and professional oversight of the production as a whole.

A true passion for the show selected.

A genuine explanation as to why they should like it to be performed to a university
audience, in the Assembly Rooms.

A sound choice of production team with relevant but not necessarily previous
experience.
For a director’s application:

A thorough knowledge of the text/piece.

A well thought out vision of how they see their show performed.

Creativity in production ideas.
For an executive application:

A thorough knowledge of the production.

A clear insight as to why the company has chosen the show, and why they would like to
produce it.

Explanation as to how they would ensure a high-quality and professional production.
4.
Tier 3: Suitability and practicalities
The committee will:

Consider whether the production is suitable and within current university guidelines.

Assess the practicality of the show’s demands within the Assembly Rooms theatre.

Consider any exceptional circumstances expressed in each application.

Consider the 3-year history of plays already performed in Durham, so as not to repeat
productions.
5.
Successful Applications
Successful applicants will be notified of their dates, and asked to confirm by coming to the
Assembly Rooms office and signing the Estates and Buildings reservation form. They must
then, as before, pay a £50 deposit and will be given the guide to the theatre; outlining rules,
regulations and procedures.
Feedback for unsuccessful applications
Those applications which are unsuccessful will be entitled to a feedback session with certain
members of the DST Exec.
The applicant will be given constructive feedback as to why their application was not so strong
or suitable for that term, and then given advice on improving their application for the next
term. The DST representatives will always try and encourage resubmission.
General Rules and Assumptions

A theatre company may only apply for one week slot, once a term.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to bear in mind that choosing a production that
has been performed within 3 years may count against their application. If they wish to
make a case for why a show should be performed again, they should attach such an
explanation with their application.

Theatre companies must be already ratified to DST in order to apply.

DST reserves the right to reserve two weekly slots a year (one in Michaelmas and
Epiphany) for the Durham Drama Festival and the Freshers’ Play.

The assessment committee may not judge the applications on their own artistic taste.

Any complaints or issues about the procedure and application process should be
directed to the DST President.

For this trial period only, if a successful company cannot secure the rights for the show
which they pitched in the form, they will be given the opportunity to propose a
different show in the same slot they were offered. This will be reviewed in the New Year.

If more than one successful company drops out of their slot, or the ‘reserve’ application
do not want or require the empty slot, the committee will meet again to decide upon
the most suitable application that was received in the last application window.
6.

If no company takes up this offer, or there are insufficient applications to cover an
empty slot, an extraordinary application opportunity will be opened to the society. This
will be judged, as usual, by the full committee.
DST 19/01/10
7.
Example Application Form
8.
In addition to the form, please provide the following appendices:
psis or description of the production.
ideas. (Directors only)
quality and professionalism (Executive’s only)
(New writing only)
deas, if relevant.
9.