Interim Director – Freshly Greated (Arts Project)

Interim Director

Freshly Greated

Circa £250-£300 a day depending on experience (based on 2 days a week)

The Role

The Interim Director provides overall strategic and operational oversight for the Freshly Greated programme during a defined transition period, working closely with the Freshly Greated Consortium, Arts Council England (ACE), Voluntary Norfolk, freelancers, volunteer Community Producers and the wider local community.​

They will lead and support a small, multi-disciplinary team (including Programme Manager, Community Engagement Coordinator, Lead Producer and Youth Engagement Worker), maintaining stable day-to-day delivery while putting in place the plans, systems and documentation required for a smooth transfer out of Voluntary Norfolk. The focus of this interim role is on continuity, risk management, transition planning, and handover, rather than initiating major new strategic commitments.

• Provide clear strategic leadership and operational oversight for Freshly Greated on an interim basis (3–6 months), ensuring continuity of programme delivery and compliance with ACE funding requirements.​
• Steady the programme during a period of organisational change, actively identifying and managing risks, and maintaining staff, volunteer and stakeholder confidence.​
• Contribute to the options appraisal (commissioned by ACE) into future governance and leadership arrangements for Freshly Greated, working closely with the Consortium and Voluntary Norfolk.​
• Prepare the project for exit from Voluntary Norfolk, including clarifying assets, contracts, policies, staffing implications and governance documentation needed for the new hosting or independent structure.​
• Support and enable the recruitment, induction and handover to a substantive Director and/or new host organisation, ensuring a well-documented and orderly transition.​

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Programme Leadership

• Hold overall responsibility for the delivery of the agreed Freshly Greated programme plan during the interim period, ensuring a coherent, realistic and well-prioritised programme of activity.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to the team, setting clear priorities and work plans that balance ongoing delivery with transition tasks (e.g. documentation, systems mapping, handover planning).​
• Ensure the programme remains rooted in community leadership and co-creation, working closely with Community Producers and partners while avoiding over-extension into unsustainable new commitments during the transition.​
• Maintain and regularly review risk registers and mitigation plans, with particular focus on transition, staffing, finance, reputation and compliance.​
• Lead on the delivery of the creative offer across programme strands, ensuring great new creative and cultural experiences with, by and for the people of Great Yarmouth.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local and national artists, arts organisations and creative partners.

Operational Management and Compliance

• Oversee the effective operational running of the programme, including staffing, scheduling, contracting, and resource allocation, ensuring resilience and business continuity.​
• Ensure robust systems are in place for financial management, budgeting, cashflow monitoring and reporting, working alongside Voluntary Norfolk colleagues during the exit process.​
• Act as, or oversee, the Designated Safeguarding Officer for the programme, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and policies including Equality, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, GDPR and insurance.​
• Review and, where necessary, update operational policies, procedures and documentation to support transfer to the new host or structure and to enable a clean, well-documented handover.​

Transition, Governance and Exit from Voluntary Norfolk

• Work closely with the Freshly Greated Consortium and Voluntary Norfolk leadership to plan and manage the programme’s exit from Voluntary Norfolk, including key milestones and dependencies.​
• Participate in and help coordinate the ACE-commissioned options appraisal, providing timely information, analysis and practical recommendations.​
• Map and document all relevant contracts, agreements, staff roles, freelance arrangements, policies, intellectual property, data and assets that will need to transfer or be novated to the new governance structure.​
• Prepare high-quality briefing packs and documentation for trustees/boards, funders and other key stakeholders to support decision-making on future governance.​
• Support the design and implementation of agreed governance and hosting changes, ensuring continuity of delivery and minimal disruption to communities and partners.​

Partnerships, Advocacy and Income

• Maintain and strengthen strategic relationships with Arts Council England, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and key partners, ensuring confidence in the transition process.​
• Lead the relationship with ACE, ensuring all delivery, monitoring and reporting requirements are met accurately and on time throughout the interim period.​
• Maintain and steward key funding and partnership relationships, ensuring that partners are well-informed about the transition and clear on future points of contact.​
• Where appropriate, support the development of future funding bids or income plans that will underpin the sustainability of the programme beyond the interim period.​

Evaluation, Learning and Handover

• Oversee continuation of the programme’s action research and evaluation framework, ensuring monitoring, data collection and reporting remain robust during the transition.​
• Ensure learning, evaluation findings and key programme documents are organised and accessible to support the new governance structure and incoming leadership.​
• Work with the external evaluator, Consortium and ACE Relationship Manager to capture and share learning from the transition itself, contributing to local and national CPP learning.​

Audience and Community Development

• Ensure that communications and engagement activity continues to support diverse audiences and participation across Great Yarmouth during the transition period.​
• Maintain strong working relationships with community leaders, groups and Community Producers, communicating clearly about any changes and future plans.​
• Support staff and volunteers to manage change well, listening to concerns and ensuring people feel informed and involved where appropriate.​

General

• Work to the policies and values of Voluntary Norfolk (and any agreed successor host) during the interim period.​
• Promote equality of opportunity and respect diversity in all aspects of work.​
• Comply with Health and Safety regulations.​
• Carry out additional duties appropriate to the post as may reasonably be allocated by the Chief Executive and/or Consortium, related to the safe and effective transition and exit of the programme

…