Director of Creative Learning and Engagement

Royal Shakespeare Company; Stratford-upon-Avon; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Shakespeare Company is seeking a visionary Director of Creative Learning & Engagement to lead learning, participation and public engagement at national and international levels. This role sits on the Senior Leadership Team and shapes strategy to make Shakespeare and theatre accessible to all.

Based in Stratford-upon-Avon with travel across locations, the post requires evening/weekend commitments and strong partnerships with schools, theatres and communities to deliver sustained impact.

Qualifications

• Distinguished leadership career in cultural, education or public sectors.
• Clear vision for future of creative learning, participation and audience engagement.
• Ability to inspire diverse teams through change and innovation.
• Strong advocacy and partnerships with stake­holders.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the Creative Learning & Engagement strategy to keep Shakespeare and theatre accessible and impactful.
• Lead a leading learning portfolio reaching children, young people, teachers, communities and audiences globally.
• Forge strategic partnerships to extend the RSC's influence in arts education and cultural participation.
• Create an empowering environment where teams thrive, innovate and deliver public impact.
• Drive sustainable growth through financial stewardship, fundraising and strategic investment.
• Play a pivotal role on the Senior Leadership Team to shape the RSC's future direction.

Skills

Leadership in arts education

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Partnership development

Financial stewardship

Inclusion & accessibility

Job description

Can you inspire the next generation's relationship with Shakespeare, theatre and creativity? Are you a visionary leader who can connect artistic excellence with social impact? How do we ensure that Shakespeare belongs to everyone?

2026 marks 20 years of transformative learning partnerships across England. As we build on this extraordinary legacy, we are looking for an exceptional leader to shape the next chapter of our impact with schools, theatres and communities.

Join our Senior Leadership Team as a bold, strategic and inspiring Director of Creative Learning & Engagement. Leading one of the UK's most influential portfolios of learning, participation and public engagement activity, you will shape how children, young people, teachers, communities, families and audiences engage with Shakespeare and theatre.

As we look to the future, we want to deepen our impact, extend our reach and ensure that creativity, culture and theatre are accessible to all. This is a rare opportunity to lead a nationally and internationally recognised programme, championing access, inclusion and creativity while helping to define the role of a major cultural organisation in society today.

In this role you will shape and lead our strategy for learning, participation and public engagement, ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds can develop meaningful, sustained relationships with Shakespeare, theatre and the RSC. This influential leadership role will connect artistic ambition with educational excellence, civic purpose and national impact.

Key areas of responsibility include (please see the Role Profile for the comprehensive details):

• Shaping the future of the RSC's Creative Learning & Engagement strategy, ensuring Shakespeare and theatre remain accessible, relevant and impactful for all.
• Leading one of the UK's most influential creative learning portfolios, reaching children, young people, teachers, communities and audiences across the globe.
• Forging strategic partnerships that extend the RSC's influence and position it at the forefront of arts education and cultural participation.
• Creating an empowering environment where talented teams can thrive, innovate and deliver exceptional public impact.
• Driving sustainable growth through strong financial stewardship, evaluation, fundraising and strategic investment.
• Playing a pivotal role on the Senior Leadership Team, helping to shape the future direction of the RSC.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• A distinguished leadership career within the cultural, education or public sectors, with a track record of delivering impact at scale.
• Deep sector knowledge and a clear vision for the future of creative learning, participation and audience engagement.
• The ability to inspire and lead diverse teams through change, growth and innovation.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and advocacy skills, with experience building influential partnerships and securing support for ambitious programmes.
• Strong commercial acumen and financial credibility, with experience translating strategy into sustainable organisational outcomes.
• A personal commitment to inclusion, access and ensuring the transformative power of culture reaches the widest possible audience.

Location, working hours and salary

This is a full time (40 hours per week), permanent position, based in Stratford-upon-Avon but with work across different locations. To fulfil the requirements of the role, a significant presence in Stratford-upon-Avon is required to provide visible leadership and to attend performances and events. Given the nature of our work, there will be evening and weekend working. This role will require some national and international travel.

The RSC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Please note that all employees of the Creative Learning and Engagement team are required to undergo enhanced checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). No offer of employment will be made until references have been checked.

About the RSC

The RSC strives for accountability, creativity, collaboration, excellence, inclusivity and sustainability.

We aim to create a welcoming, supportive environment which is happy, healthy and safe. We place great importance upon developing a diverse, highly motivated and energised workforce to help achieve our priorities. We put our values at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all individuals.

We believe that safeguarding children and adults is everyone's responsibility, and everybody working at the RSC has a duty to place safeguarding at the heart of their work.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (no. 212481) is a registered charity.