(CLOSED – FOR INFO ONLY)

We’re casting for two dynamic and energetic performers to join our SPARK! team in 2020.

(Photo by Pedro Mendes)

Spark! is a high-tech extravaganza of amazing drumming, stunning costumes, dynamic choreography and – LIGHT! Lots of light!

You will:

• have excellent rhythmic skills. You will probably be a drummer or percussionist. But you may be a dancer with great rhythm, a beat-boxer or a precision juggler. We’re open minded but some rhythmic skills are essential.
• be a comfortable mover! There is a lot of choreography in the show and you need to move well.
• be energetic and hard-working. This is a very physically intensive show with lots of movement and big drums.
• be based in the north east. Within one hour travelling distance to North Shields for rehearsals.
• be up for adventure and flexible in your availability. We’ve lots of shows booked for 2020 and beyond in some pretty cool places, with more coming in daily. And we’ve got BIG plans for a new show too…
• enjoy travel and meeting people. We travel A LOT! (16 countries in 2019; and every part of the UK too). You’ll see some amazing places, eat wild and wonderful food (and hang out in lots of airports at 4am)
• be professional and reliable. Your word is your bond!
• be a team player. We will spend a lot of time together at shows and on the road so a good attitude is a must

The qualities above are as important to us as experience. Whatever your experience, think about applying. We all got started doing this when someone gave us our first break. This could be yours!

You’ll get to do some amazing shows in some amazing places and we always try to cram in some sights and fun too as this random gallery of our experiences from the last couple of years shows.

So how much will you make? We are growing the Spark! team because right now we are turning down more work than we can take on. By growing the team, we will grow the pool of work available. Whilst we can’t guarantee what you might make, we expect it to be comparable with what performers are making now. Your fees will depend upon a number of factors such as:

• How much work you are available for – those who are most available and flexible obviously do the most shows
• How many performers we need for a particular show. We need between 5 and 8 per show depending on the booking.
• Your skills and how hard you work – if you put the effort in and learn more than one part in the show, you will get offered more shows.

The performers who were available for the most shows in Spark! earned around £17,000 in the last year. This is part time. Some of this was very intense work (like six days in Russia – so more than full time) whilst in other periods there were not any shows for 2-3 weeks.  In addition performers received the majority of their meals (some belters!) or per diems (additional food allowances) for most time away. If you blend Spark! with some other flexible work or other projects (as all our other performers do) then it can be very rewarding in every sense!

How to apply?

1) Find out about Spark! and whether it’s for you:

Check out our website at www.worldbeatersmusic.com to see images and video from the show

Instagram is full of great images of us around the world – https://www.instagram.com/worldbeatersmusic – Can you imagine yourself being there?

We’re also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/worldbeaters where we post from some shows.

Fran, one of our performers, keeps a beautifully-written occasional blog on some of the more wild and wonderful places we go. Find out what it’s like outside of the shows: https://longhaullumiere.wordpress.com

2) Check you can make the audition day.

We will be holding auditions in North Shields on:

• Thursday 26th March 2020 – 9.00am – 4.30pm

You must be available for this day. If you can’t, then I’m afraid we can’t consider you this time.

If invited, you will work for one full day with some of the existing Spark! team. You will learn two pieces of music and some choreography that goes with them. We’ll have a go performing in the dark with the drums illuminated. We’ll get to know you a little; we’ll tell you more about the show (including the financial side); and you won’t have to perform any of your songs from “Annie”. Heck, We’d go as far as to say it will be fun!

3) Make a one-minute video of yourself stepping and clapping this simple pattern

In the video below, Fran and Adam (looking a little younger as we made this video a few years ago now!) will train you up in a little eight-bar clapping and stepping pattern. It’s taken from a Spark! piece and will give you a basic feel for the choreographed parts of the show. Copy and learn!

Once you’ve learned it, prop up your phone or get a mate to film you stepping and clapping the complete pattern four times. It’s what Fran and Adam do in the final part of the video from 6 mins 10 seconds. Your finished video will be round about one minute long.

Give it everything in the video – first impressions count! Pay attention to how sharp Adam and Fran make their turns in the video; how their chin is up and face is “engaged”; how their head is controlled and not rolling about. Note also the tempo they go at. So many videos we are sent have people looking down at their shoes, not giving an energetic “performance”, looking around bored half way through or not even clapping the right pattern! Needless to say, they don’t get an audition, so don’t be that person.

It is meant to be quick and rough, but we need to be able to see you from head to feet clapping the rhythm & stepping in time. And feel free to say “hi” at the beginning of it too 🙂

Upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox or whatever and include the link to it in your application. (If using YouTube mark it as “unlisted” [not public or private] so we can see it but the rest of the world can’t – instructions here if you’re not sure – https://goo.gl/rJC66T)

4) Fill in the application form at:

Closed

5) Applications closed

No applications will be accepted after this time. However we will be assessing applications on a rolling basis as they come in, so don’t delay and get your application in now.

We’ll let you know either way by the evening of Thursday 19th March whether we will be inviting you to audition on Thursday 26th March

Any questions to spark@worldbeatersmusic.com or ask us on Facebook or Twitter and it may be useful to others.

Good luck!