We’re casting for dynamic and energetic performers to join our SPARK! team in 2022.
Spark! is a high-tech extravaganza of amazing drumming, stunning costumes, dynamic choreography and – LIGHT! Lots of light!
To join us 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 north east England. 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 2022 and beyond at some amazing events, with more coming in daily.
- enjoy travel and meeting people. We travel A LOT! (17 countries in 2019; and every part of the UK too). In 2022 we’ve had 5 weeks in Dubai and a very lovely week in the Maldives 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 sightseeing and fun too as this random gallery of our experiences from the last few years shows.
So how much will you earn?
Performances:
Performance fees average £200 per day.
We’ve bounced back very strongly after the covid restrictions eased last summer. The most available performer has earned ~£19,000 in the 9 months since then.
The performers who were available for the most shows in Spark! earned around £21,000 in the 2019-20 period (our last full 12 month period pre-covid). This was part time – about 100 days work. Some of this was very intense work (like six days in Russia; a week in China etc – 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. In “normal times”, 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!
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our income 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.
Initial rehearsals:
Initial rehearsals will be 12-15 days spread over late-July to mid-September.
We’ll try to make them fit around existing commitments new performers have. It is likely to be 2-3 days rehearsal per week. Ensure you have at least 20 free week days (or work you could re-arrange) between late-July and mid-September so we can have some flexibility scheduling in the rehearsals. (If, for example, you’re away all of August, this is unlikely to work for you)
Rehearsals will be paid at £120 per day (equivalent to £600 per week). This will be paid in two parts: 50% at the end of each week’s rehearsals, and the final 50% after you have done your first eight show days with Spark!
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 https://www.facebook.com/worldbeatersmusic 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 an audition day.
We will be holding two audition days in North Shields on:
- Monday 27th June 2022 – 9.30am – 4.30pm
- Tuesday 28th June 2022 – 9.30am – 4.30pm
You must be available for one of these days. If you’re not free for either of these days, then we can’t consider you this time.
If invited to audition, 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 do 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) Complete the application form and upload your video
Complete the application form at:
https://forms.gle/tF9mXgbuupLzQJoy8
Apply by 5pm on Friday 24th June 2022.
No applications will be accepted after this time. However we will be assessing applications on a rolling basis as they come in and may be able to give you a decision on whether you will audition sooner than the deadline, so get it in a ASAP.
We’ll let you know either way by 10pm on Friday 24th June whether we’ll be inviting you to audition the following week.
We know there was a lot of info there. Send any questions to spark@worldbeatersmusic.com or ask us on Facebook or Twitter and it may be useful to others.