Costumed Performers - Stirling Castle - HES/C/4167

To achieve a cohesive and comprehensible visitor experience of the whole Castle, the costume interpretation team will be required to ensure that’s its delivery is fully integrated with the rest of the interpretive offer. The supplier will be required to work closely with the Visitor Operations team to create a flexible daily activity program (for more details see 2.5) which responds to changing visitor numbers and patterns throughout the year.

Interpreters working on site will be required to assist with visitor management across the site, to have a good knowledge of all elements of the visitor experience, castle facilities and daily program to ensure that they can answer queries and assist visitors with orientation and in creating their personal experience of the Castle.

Objectives – The objectives for the costumed interpretation are as follows:

-To create a high-quality experience for visitors

-To engage with visitors in a lively, entertaining, and informative way

-Be appropriate to the presented interiors of the Royal Palace to enhance and retain the historic sense of place.

-To bring life to the buildings of the Royal Court to dramatic effect, giving them atmosphere and conveying a sense of how they would have been used.

-To increase visitors understanding and appreciation of the buildings, people, and society of the Royal Court.

-To involve visitors and encourage their participation in learning about the past.

-To introduce real characters from the Royal Court

-To meet the needs of differing audiences.

-To be as accessible as possible, provide a hierarchy of information, which gives varying levels of detail about the relevant themes and stories to enable visitors to create their own visitor experience.

-To integrate the costumed team with the rest of the visitor experience team at Stirling Castle and enable them to work seamlessly and harmoniously with the visitor operations and monument conservation teams at the site.

-To engage inclusively and empathetically with the castle’s diverse audiences.

Scope of Work

-To develop and present persona for sixteenth-century characters from the Scottish Royal Court and household, by using these characters and wearing authentic costume from the period, provide a world class visitor experience for visitors to Stirling Castle.

-To research, develop and script presentations, interpretive vignette outlines and interpretive conversation briefs.

-To carefully manage delivery to meet audience preferences, e.g. short, entertaining and informative presentations, not lengthy or didactic ones.

-To operate a program of monitoring and evaluation of all interpretive material and delivery to ensure both authenticity and a consistent high quality of visitor experience.

-To communicate effectively with the Contract Manager through regular in person meetings and email.

-To be responsible for the correct use, wear and care of period costume, including their maintenance.

-To fully use costume and props as interpretive tools to engage with visitors.

-To support the on-site Learning Officer to provide engaging experiences for all ages. This will include informal encounters with education groups on self-led visits and working with the Learning Officer to input specific activities and projects to support a wide range of subjects and learning needs.

-To plan, develop and deliver special events and performances for coach parties, functions and corporate entertainments as required.

-To work in conjunction with the Interpretation Unit to devise and deliver major events at Stirling Castle as required.

-To exercise a general duty of care for visitors, staff, sites and to ensure that all the Health and Safety requirements of current policies, legislation and guidelines are followed.