This page hopefully answers all your questions concerning the staff exchanges.
How many exchanges will there be?
There will be 25 exchanges within the coming two years.
2009
4x 1-week exchanges
4x 2-week exchanges
1x 1-month exchange
2010
9x 1-week exchanges
6x 2-week exchanges
1x 1-month exchange
Final Staff Exchange Workshop in Amsterdam
Who can participate?
The Staff Exchange programme is aimed at employed staff rather than volunteers who have worked at their centre for a minimum of a year and who want to increase their expertise by working in another centre for a short intense period. We are aiming at a good cross-section of work areas and levels of experience, i.e.: Administrators, Curators, Directors, Managers, Marketeers, Programmers, Producers, Technicians and more.
All Staff Exchange participants will be required to contribute actively to a blog and the online toolkit to share experiences and knowledge. Also, all participants will be expected to participate in a final, five-day Staff Exchange workshop meeting in the autumn of 2010.
Which centres can host and send?
All the centres listed under ‘Participating Centres’ can host and send. Please have a look on the TEH website http://www.teh.net to find out more about them. Sending centres should also be hosting centres. In case of reasonable exceptions, the Project Manager should be informed.
A sending centre will inform its staff about the existence of the Staff Exchange Project and pass on application details. If there are more than 3 applicants, the Sending Centre should organise a nomination process for employees it wants to send. It will also book the transport for the exchangee and administratively support the exchangee in the preparation of the exchange.
A hosting centre has a final veto on the exchangee that is proposed by the project management team. A hosting centre will nominate a buddy (see point below), and be responsible for accommodation and a tailored programme for the exchangee in close collaboration with him/her.
If possible, accommodation will be sourced privately (ie staying with someone from the hosting centre) so that exchangees are better embedded within the social reality of the centre.
What is the best time for exchanges?
The best time for staff exchange could be during (international) events or programmes i.e. festivals, conferences or other large scale events. These should be taken into account when planning the exchanges. Also, we also strongly encourage centres to host exchangees before and during TEH Meetings
What do exchanges entail?
Exchanges take places for one or two weeks or one month. They are open to employees of Trans Europe Halles members that take part in Changing Room. Exchanges are opportunities for peer-to-peer learning: they can include shadowing, hands-on activities, conversations and interviews, and attendance of cultural programmes.
What are buddies?
Each participating centre will be asked to nominate a liaison or ‘buddy’. This person should preferably not be the TEH delegate but another person in the sending/hosting centre who knows his/her organisation reasonably well and is a sociable person who will take on the responsibility for being the main contact for the exchangee – both on a logistical (flights/accommodation/work programme) and a social level. S/he will help the exchangee to book flights, find accommodation, and put together a work programme (possibly in collaboration with the TEH delegate.
How did the application & selection process work?
See separate page on ‘Application’
What about languages?
Unfortunately we cannot offer any language training within this scheme. However, language can be an issue within staff exchanges. We therefore ask all applicants and buddies to indicate their language skills. We also recommend that staff exchanges take place during (international) events where need for local language might be less of an issue.
How much do I have to pay if I want to take part?
Each Staff Exchange participant will receive support towards travel, accommodation and living costs. This is dealt with by the sending & hosting centre. Please contact them or Annette for more information.
Who can I contact if I’ve got questions?
You can contact Annette Wolfsberger , she is the project manager of the Staff Exchange Project. You can contact her via Facebook or via annette[AT]melkweg[DOT]nl - your sending & hosting centres have additional contact information.
