Job Summary
This exciting position will lead Bolton’s new Creative People and Places programme, empowering our diverse communities to shape and deliver their creative ideas and to celebrate the unique culture of their town.
Job Description
The Fabric of Bolton Programme Director will be the founding strategic lead of Bolton’s new Creative People and Places programme. You will be responsible for establishing the vision and ways of working for this new programme, ensuring that democratised practice and community decision making are always front and centre. You will support Bolton’s diverse communities to take ownership and decision‑making power for their creative future and ensure excellence in artistic quality is paired with an unwavering desire to ensure that the voices of those currently least engaged are heard and acted upon. You will become a vital, embedded part of Bolton’s cultural landscape and be visibly out and about in the community, building genuine trusting relationships and an understanding of what the people of Bolton need from the programme as well as what the programme can learn from them. Funding has been secured from Arts Council England for a three‑year period, matched with investment from Bolton Council.
Job Requirements
- Proven leadership experience in arts, culture or community development.
- Strong track record of leading on delivery of ambitious programmes with significant measurable impact.
- Demonstrable ability to build trusting relationships with communities, particularly those facing the biggest barriers to cultural participation.
- Commitment to cultural democracy, diversity and accessibility.
- Programming performance or other artistic works in a variety of settings at a variety of scales.
- Developing and sustaining arts initiatives and programmes that deliver artistic excellence.
- Track record of empowering communities as decision makers and leaders in creative projects.
- Experience of working in areas of low arts engagement with diverse communities.
- Experience in senior financial responsibility, such as managing large‑scale project, departmental or organisational budgets.
- Experience of monitoring and evaluation.
Job Responsibilities
- Co‑create a programme with residents that includes events across art forms with workshops, commissions, celebrations and participatory projects.
- Develop a pipeline of activity that grows over time from small‑scale, relationship‑driven work to larger public moments that build pride and momentum.
- Work closely with The Fabric of Bolton’s consortium to maintain clear, transparent governance and shared accountability.
- Set up and maintain effective processes, ensuring partners are engaged and able to contribute meaningfully.
- Develop and implement an evaluation and learning framework that meets Arts Council England requirements and supports continuous improvement.
- Develop and deliver an income strategy that supports programme resilience, including partnership‑building and fundraising.
- Oversee programme planning, resource allocation and risk management, ensuring activity is delivered safely, effectively and on schedule.
- Lead and manage the delivery staff and freelancers.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are striving to be an inclusive employer and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident employer.
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