Job Description

Are you passionate about live events, theatre and performance? Ready to gain hands-on, paid experience at the heart of a vibrant, independent city-wide festival? This could be the perfect next step on your journey into the creative industries.

We’re excited to launch a paid placement with the Durham Fringe Festival as part of the Into the Light programme—designed to support people of all ages into meaningful, paid work experience across County Durham’s vibrant creative and cultural sector.

Please submit your application as early as possible as we may close our vacancies early should we receive a high volume of applications.

Job Title: Programme and Engagement Assistant

Location: The Academy, High Street, Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, DH1 3JU

Duration: 8 weeks

Hours: 20 hours per week (days/times agreed, to include weekend work)

Pay: £254.20/week (subject to statutory deductions)

Travel Bursary: £25 per week (added to weekly pay, subject to statutory deductions)

About the Placement

This exciting paid 8-week placement offers the chance to work directly with the Durham Fringe Festival team, based in their brand-new venue The Academy. This role provides a rare opportunity to support the launch of an emerging venue, working with the Festival Manager, helping to install new venue operating systems, engaging with a wide range of audiences including customers, people interested in or actively working in performing arts, and cultural organisations from across the region.

This will support the 6^th Durham Fringe Festival, which will take place from Wednesday 29^th July to Sunday 2^nd August, across 11 participating venues. While based at The Academy, the placement holder will also have the opportunity to engage in the wider planning and delivery of the festival, providing experience of Arts Projects and Festival management more broadly. There is also further opportunity to work on the development of The Academy’s 12-month programme, and gain experience in an organisation experiencing significant growth and change.

What You’ll Learn

We’re committed to making this a meaningful learning experience. During your placement, you will:

Build on your Core Creative Skills
Gain Industry Knowledge
Receive Support & Guidance
Evaluate Your Progress through an end‑of‑placement review to reflect on your achievements and next steps

Who Is This For?

This opportunity hopes to develop skills and experience for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a Creative Producer, Venue or Event Programmer, or more broadly in Arts Project Management.

How to apply

Please apply via with a short CV, along with a letter of application answering the question ‘Why are you interested in this placement opportunity, and what do you think you could bring to the role?’ (maximum 500 words).

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Maria Baranowksa at maria@durhamfringe.co.uk

You can find out more information about the Durham Fringe Festival on their website https://durhamfringe.co.uk

All new appointments are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references, and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

We recruit based on aptitude, positive attitude and potential, and work to ensure people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to work within the heritage sector. This is prioritised above academic qualifications and we support non-traditional routes into work. We recognise and value transferable skills and diverse experiences as a form of expertise. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as well as applications from, LGB, Trans and non-binary candidates as underrepresented people within the creative and culture sector .

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Programme and Engagement Assistant

Job Description