CiRCMEDiA

Job Title:	BTEC Theory, Theatre and Module Teacher
Salary:	£6750.00
Hours:	7 hours direct teaching (0.325 of a full-time contract over 40 weeks includespreparation time, inset days, assessment marking, open days)
Reports to:	BTEC Course Leader
Reportees:	N/A
Location:	St Pauls Church, Portland Square, Bristol, BS2 8SJ andKingswood Foundation, Britannia Road, Kingswood, BS15 8DB

About Circomedia

Circomedia is a leading centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre, based across two sites in Bristol. For more than 30 years we have trained, inspired and supported circus artists, students and communities locally, nationally and internationally.

We reach around 29,000 people each year as participants, performers, learners and audiences through:

• Accredited qualifications (BTEC, FDA and BA) at our Kingswood campus – currently 76 students are enrolled.

• Weekly youth, community and recreational classes for nearly 600 children, young people and adults.

• Professional performance programme and events at our city-centre venue in St Pauls.

• Festivals, community outreach and industry partnerships providing opportunities for students, alumni and artists.

Our team of 60+ staff, most of them practising artists, combine teaching, performing and community engagement. This creates a unique environment where training is rooted in the realities of the profession.

We are a registered charity, and we proudly advocate for and contribute to the UK’s vibrant circus community.

Circomedia has played a central role in Bristol being recognised as a Circus City with a vibrant ecology that nurtures the next generation of artists. We continue to work with partners across the UK and abroad to secure the future of this distinctive and evolving artform.

Why Join Us?

Working at Circomedia means being part of an organisation where your ideas and input matter. You will contribute to:

• Sustaining circus and physical theatre for future generations.

• Inspiring young people to develop resilience, creativity and confidence.

• Bringing live performance and community projects to diverse audiences.

• We offer a friendly, supportive workplace where your work makes a real difference every day

Circomedia’s Values

Ambitious: We push boundaries in education, performance and participation

Collaborative: We work with artists, communities and partners to create opportunities and share knowledge

Creative: We embrace innovation and celebrate difference

Job overview - BTEC Theory and Theatre Teacher / Module Assessor

This role will involve delivering dynamic and engaging teaching that combines physical theatre practice with the theoretical foundations of circus arts. You will support learners to develop their performance skills and progress within a range of circus disciplines. You will lead devising and physical theatre sessions, introducing and teaching a variety of circus techniques alongside physical theatre methodologies. A key focus of the role will be guiding students through creative processes, including devising original work, developing performance material and building expressive, skills-based pieces. Working closely with learners, you will support both individual and ensemble preparation for performances, fostering collaborative practice and artistic confidence. You will also integrate theoretical teaching into your sessions, exploring the history, principles, and evolution of circus and physical theatre, and introducing students to influential practitioners and companies within the field.

You will deliver engaging theory sessions on the historical, sociological, and political contexts of traditional and contemporary circus, highlighting the key developments. Through discussion and research, students will explore careers within the circus industry, how roles collaborate well (and where this collaboration can be improved), as well as industry challenges. You will support students to investigate up-to-date insights into the future of circus and wider performing arts, including emerging trends and potential threats.

This role requires you to deliver a balance of practical instruction, creative mentorship, and academic insight, to help learners develop as versatile, reflective, and performance-ready artists.

Key Responsibilities

Work as a member of the BTEC Teaching Team, to plan, prepare and teach theory and theatre classes across both years of the BTEC course, using a range of delivery modes that will complement and enhance students’ physical and artistic development and their ability to work with others. This should include but not exclusively sessions on the historical, sociological and political context of the development of circus and the future of circus. Theory sessions on how existing practitioners/companies can influence students within their own practice. Sessions on how students can effectively promote themselves as artists using a variety of materials and avenues to reach desired audiences.

Supervise the work of students, provide advice on skills, and help them with learning problems. Provide creative approaches to developing individual students’ practices including the exploration of interdisciplinary practice and introducing students to the work of specific individuals/companies who may inspire them.

Teach students in line with the validated course and module specifications, to meet learning objectives and outcomes. Ensure that assessment criteria and marking schemes are clear and explicitly communicated to and explored with students. Support students in gathering evidence of their progress and performance.

• Undertake continuous formative assessment of student progress and performance; contribute to twice yearly progress report for all students.

Take on an assessor role which will involve taking a lead on module assessment, involving working closely with the course leader to follow the standardisation set by Pearson and feeding back to the students in a timely manner.

• Contribute to appropriate ways of engaging students in generating ideas for enhancing provision and in decision-making, to enrich their academic and personal experience.

• Where appropriate, involvement in student induction.

• Contribute to and participate in internal and external quality and other regulatory reviews.

• Stay abreast of developments in the discipline, including honing skills for teaching, supervision and interaction with students to foster learning and creative thinking.

Administration

• Undertake academic administration duties such as attendance taking when required.

• Contribute to students’ annual/periodic performances or screenings.

• Attend course-related meetings as and when required.

• Attend staff meetings/learning activities as and when required.

• Undertake teaching-related administrative matters.

Student Personal Tutoring

• Carry out personal tutorials with allocated students during review week (twice a year).

• Use listening, interpersonal and pastoral care skills to appreciate the needs of individual students and their circumstances, and signpost students to student support when needed.

Student Recruitment

• Participate, when required, as a member of the student recruitment team for the course at Open days.

General Responsibilities Applicable to all Circomedia Staff

• Understand and support the vision, mission and aims of Circomedia.

• Maintain awareness of your own and others’ Health & Safety, and comply with Circomedia’s Health and Safety policy

• Take appropriate responsibility for records held, created or used as part of your work for Circomedia (paper-based and electronic) in line with the relevant data protection regulations.

Circomedia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake all training as required and to act in accordance with such training or other professional advice at all times.

• The company also expects all staff and volunteers to share the company’s commitment to Equal Opportunities within the workplace.

Encourage teamwork and effective communication with colleagues.

• Act as a representative of Circomedia and always deal with students, stakeholders, and the public in a professional manner.

• Comply with all Circomedia policies and practices as applicable.

• Undertake other duties as may be reasonably requested in your post.

This job description is not comprehensive, and duties may change and develop according to future requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Experience of teaching in Post 16/Further Education sector including assessing, lesson plans and schemes of work.

Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Relevant theatre or performing arts experience.

Competency in using Microsoft Teams and 365.

• Participation in continuous professional development.

• Ability to attend open days and inset days outside of normal pattern of working hours.

Desirable

• Degree or higher qualification in a performance related subject

• Knowledge of the national and international performing arts sector (familiarity with Contemporary Circus would be an advantage).

• Teaching Qualification @ a minimum of Level 3

Experience teaching BTEC L3, producing schemes of work and lesson plans.

Application Process

Application deadline: 23:59pm, Monday 24th July 2026

Interviews: Will be held on Monday 3rd August 2026.

Candidates will be asked to prepare a short presentation. Details of the presentation topic and interview questions will be shared with candidates in advance.

Final decision: We aim to offer the role within a couple of days of the interview.

Start date: We are looking for someone to start the job from 31st August 2026– subject to references, DBS and right to work checks.

How to Apply

Please send the following to recruitment@circomedia.com with the email subject ‘BTEC Theory and Theatre’:

• Your CV in a Word or PDF format.

• A covering letter that demonstrates how you meet the person specification (no more than 2 pages) in a Word or PDF format OR a short video or audio file

(max. 5 minutes – send via We Transfer).