Heritage Engagement & Volunteer Officer

barnsleycivic.co.uk

HERITAGE ENGAGEMENT
& VOLUNTEER OFFICER

INFORMATION PACK

WELCOME

Thank you so much for your interest in Barnsley Civic
and the role as Heritage Engagement & Volunteer
Coordinator.

Barnsley Civic is a regionally significant,
contemporary arts centre in the heart of Barnsley
town centre. With ambitious new leadership in place,
and a growing cultural programme, this is a brilliant
time to join our dynamic team.

We are a passionate and creative bunch. We believe
in our shared cultural & social aims, and work hard
together to deliver on them. Our collaborative team-
led approach gives everyone a chance to shape what
we do and how we do it.

In late 2024 we reopened our Eldon St entrance
after more than 26 years, as part of a £2.5 million
redevelopment project. As we prepare for our 150-
year anniversary in 2027-28, further capital investment
will unlock more of our unique building, and we will
be developing a wider and more diverse cultural
programme; both inside and outside our historic walls.

In these challenging times, we are constantly seeking
out new opportunities and new partnerships. The
diversification of income streams goes hand-in-hand
with an expansion of cultural ambition. Our optimistic
vision for the future is that Barnsley Civic will play an
ever-increasing role in the cultural and civic life of
South Yorkshire, and the wider regional & national
cultural landscape.

If you are looking for a new challenge, are ambitious
for your own career, and want to be part of a positive
& hopeful staff team, then please consider applying
for this role. We look forward to hearing from you.

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ABOUT US

We are a future-focused, contemporary arts centre
positioned in the heart of Barnsley town centre.

Barnsley Civic is a large and diverse arts & cultural
centre. Our 150-year old building is Grade II listed.
Across four floors, and over 50,000 square feet,
our public spaces include an adaptable 400-
seat assembly theatre, a 50-seat studio theatre,
three large development spaces, contemporary
exhibition spaces, a classes studio, bars and
catering spaces, and a welcoming community
space in our newly reopened frontage. Alongside
these public rooms, the building also holds a
range of different office spaces occupied by
resident companies and artists.

As a receiving house we programme a rich variety
of performance and visual arts, welcoming
national and regional tours and touring art
exhibitions. We host a broad mix of theatre, dance,
family shows, gigs, comedy and entertainment.
Alongside external programming, we are
expanding our in-house production capacity,
with both solo and co-produced projects in
development. Like all mixed-use arts buildings
we also support a range of private hire events to
cross-subsidise our artistic programme.

Both within our building and beyond, our in-
house engagement team works with a wide
range of community partners and educational
institutions to bring creative activities to Barnsley
communities. Core activities include Cross the
Sky, a theatre company working with learning-
disabled adults. We also deliver a growing
heritage engagement programme, with support
from partners like Historic England. A productive
partnership with local and regional government
provides the additional resources needed to help
us maximise the impact and reach of our creative
engagement and cultural programme.

As an Arts Council England National Portfolio
Organisation we are focused on supporting the
development of the local and regional cultural
ecosystem. Our artist support and development
activity includes a diverse studio theatre
programme of new works, and the provision of
creation space for both visual and performing
artists. As the most significant ACE-funded
cultural building in our area, we host many
associate and resident artists and companies,
and act as a meeting place for the whole regional
cultural sector.

barnsleycivic.co.uk

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A BIT ABOUT BARNSLEY

Barnsley is a welcoming, thriving, and vibrant location
and is fast becoming one of Yorkshire’s most exciting
places to live, work visit and explore.

Living in Barnsley gives you the best of what
South Yorkshire has to offer - bustling towns
surrounded by incredible outdoor space, it’s
minutes from the M1 and has superb transport
links (train/ bus/ road).

Sitting on the northeast edge of the Peak District
National Park, Barnsley is perfect if you enjoy
getting out and about.

With picturesque countryside, beautiful parks and
gardens (Yorkshire Sculpture Park), stately homes,
industrial heritage, nature reserves, the Trans
Pennine Trail, galleries, a wealth of public art, and
bustling historic markets, right on the doorstep, it
has plenty to offer.

There are some fantastic places to set up a home.
Like most of South Yorkshire, Barnsley is best
known for its rugged stone-built terraced homes
but the most popular properties in the area are
three-bedroom semi-detached homes - outlining
Barnsley’s appeal to families.

And with new developments springing up, the
town also offers its fair share of newer houses,
as well as town centre apartments close to the
station for commuters.

Barnsley town centre recently underwent a £220M
transformation, bringing a brand-new retail and
leisure complex, The Glass Works and a great
day, evening and night-time offer. This is driving
footfall and business and attracting visitors from
across the region.

The town centre is also home to The Seam
development, Barnsley’s Digital Campus. An urban
village will transform the two Digital Media Centres
and the Barnsley College Sci-Tech Digital Hub and
will be a testbed for innovative ideas, supporting
the Barnsley economy to grow, with digital and
smart tech at the heart of it.

Across the borough, investment continues, with
several major schemes underway and more in the
pipeline.

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     HERITAGE ENGAGEMENT &
VOLUNTEER OFFICER

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

Hours:

Salary:

21 Hours Per week.

£26,000 (Pro Rata) Fixed Term until January 2028

Based at:

Barnsley Civic.

Reporting to:

Engagement Projects Manager

Responsible for:   Freelance Artists

Liaison with:

 Engagement Projects Manager, CEO & AD, Creative Engagement
Manager, Exhibitions Curator, Head of Programme, and Project
Freelancers.

Overview of the role
The Heritage Engagement & Volunteer Officer will have a key role in the development and delivery of
Barnsley Civic’s exciting new Heritage Engagement programme CIVIC150: A Barnsley Civic reconnected
with its past and restored for its future. The post holder will work with our Engagement Projects manager
to deliver this project that starts in April 2026, subject to confirmation of funding.

The core aim of the programme is to reconnect the modern Barnsley Civic with its 150-year history, and
engage all of Barnsley’s communities in the social and physical history of our building, through a two-year
programme of exhibitions, talks, interpretation, digital engagement, events and capital investment centred
around key anniversaries; as we build towards the 150th anniversary of the building’s inauguration on
Jan 25th, 2028.  The postholder will be passionate about and invested in the heritage of Barnsley and its
community and play a key role in the delivery of this exciting programme.

The role will be split between working on site at Barnsley Civic and off-site in the community and may
involve an element of evening and weekend working.

barnsleycivic.co.uk

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     HERITAGE ENGAGEMENT & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

     KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

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 Deliver a programme of heritage engagement events and workshops celebrating the history of
Barnsley Civic and its decorative scheme.

 Oversee the collection of archival materials such as oral histories, photographs and documents
from the public in line with our accession plan and monitoring forms for safe deposit at Barnsley
Archives and Local Studies Centre.

 Co-ordinate the successful delivery of a high-quality volunteer programme as part of the
project, including regular meetings, volunteer training, and being a liaison with volunteers
throughout the programme of activities.

 Co-ordinate the creation and delivery of a school’s engagement pack linked to the buildings
decorative scheme and social history, as well as legacy resources for use after the project
within Barnsley Civic and the wider borough

 Co-ordinate and deliver a series of workshops with schools and community groups throughout
the project.

•  Oversee heritage craft freelancers throughout the project.

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 Oversee the creation of an online exhibition and blog space celebrating the publics connection
to Barnsley Civic and its place in the community.

 Collect feedback for project monitoring & evaluation. Using Barnsley Civic’s creative
consultation community playbook as a guide and working closely with the freelance evaluator
to find creative ways to evaluate activity throughout the project.

•  Play a key role in the creation of Barnsley Civic’s long term Heritage Engagement Strategy.

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 Work closely with the Marketing and Comms department to ensure planned activities are
advertised and align effectively with in house marketing and promotional initiatives.

 Provide regular monitoring, reporting on project progress to the Engagement Projects Manager,
Engagement Staff Team and relevant stakeholders.

 Work closely with the Engagement Projects Manager to monitor the projects engagement
expenditure budget ensuring compliance with internal financial policies and procedures.

 Play an active role as part of Barnsley Civic team and contribute to the wider objectives of the
business, including our aims to become a more sustainable and greener organisation.

•  Engage in heritage specific and company-wide training and development when required.

•

 Uphold and comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures and the law in relation to
health and safety, financial regulations, equal opportunities, data protection, required for the
effective and appropriate operation of the venue.

•  Undertake any other duties commensurate with the salary and level of responsibility of the post

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     PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

•  Experience in delivering engagement activities

•

 Excellent written and verbal communication skills, for internal and external audiences,
including the ability to formulate copy for publicity and interpretation of heritage

•  Experience and knowledge of the heritage sector

•  Excellent interpersonal skills

•

 Experience of volunteer management, including the recruitment, training, support,
retention and recognition of volunteers.

•  Proven ability to work as part of a team and independently

•  Experience of working towards targets and delivering against them

•  Good IT skills

•  Flexible and self-motivated.

Desirable

•  Experience of delivering projects that engage often-excluded audiences and schools

•  Experience working with oral histories and archives

•  Experience of budget management

•  Experience of contract management

•  Knowledge and experience of Barnsley’s communities

•  Experience of community work

•  Experience in marketing / publicity

•  Degree or qualification in history, archaeology or similar discipline

barnsleycivic.co.uk

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     HERITAGE ENGAGEMENT & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Diversity

Barnsley Civic welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, faith, socio-economic background or disability. All appointments are made on
merit, following a fair and transparent process. The organisation employs positive action where
appropriate to ensure our staff team better reflects our audiences and communities.

Organisational
Structure

GENERAL
MANAGER

FINANCE
MANAGER

ENGAGEMENT
PROJECTS
MANAGER

HEAD OF
PROGRAMME

VISUAL ARTS
CURATOR

HERITAGE ENGAGEMENT
& VOLUNTEER
COORDINATOR

CEO & AD

COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
MANAGER

COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
OFFICER

HEAD OF
COMMUNICATIONS

HEAD OF
OPERATIONS

MARKETING
OFFICERS

FRONT OF HOUSE
 MANAGER

FRONT OF HOUSE
 MANAGER

TECHNICAL
MANAGER

BOOKINGS
ADMINISTRATOR

TECHNICIAN

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

LOCATION
Barnsley Civic
Eldon Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2JL

EQUALITY
Barnsley Civic passionately believes
in equality of opportunity and is firmly
committed to encouraging equality, diversity,
and inclusion throughout the cultural sector.
We encourage applications from every part of
society and will strive to make any necessary
adjustments for the successful candidate and
interviewees.

Reasonable expenses can be paid for travel or
access requirements.

Distances
from Barnsley
20mins
Sheffield
Leeds
25mins
Manchester  70mins

Barnsley

Submission Process

Submit your CV and cover letter outlining how your Skills, Knowledge
and Experience meet the Job description and personal specification.

Provide two relevant professional referees we may contact.

If you have any questions about the role please email
gemmageldart@barnsleycivic.co.uk

Email: jobs@barnsleycivic.co.uk

Closing Date: 5th May 2026

Interviews: 13th May 2026

barnsleycivic.co.uk

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