Festival Intern - Granite Noir 2027

Aberdeen Performing Arts; Aberdeen City; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accommodation contribution

Paid internship

Job summary

Aberdeen Performing Arts seeks two interns to support Granite Noir 2027, a major crime‑writing festival in Scotland. This paid, full‑time internship runs eight weeks from Wednesday 6 January 2027 to Wednesday 3 March 2027, offering hands‑on experience across festival delivery, including event management, author liaison, travel and accommodation, marketing, research and administration.

Ideal candidates are recent graduates starting their careers in the arts, or individuals seeking practical

Qualifications

• Passion for literature, arts and live events.
• Highly organised with attention to detail.
• Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Confident communicating with authors, artists, audiences and colleagues.
• Flexible, reliable and willing to help wherever needed.
• Interested in developing a career in festivals, arts, events, publishing or cultural organisations.
• Experience supporting events, festivals, arts projects or community programmes.
• Experience creating digital or social media content.
• Knowledge of the crime-writing, literary or wider cultural sector.

Responsibilities

• Event management and author liaison.
• Travel and accommodation arrangements.
• Marketing, research and administration tasks.
• Support Granite Noir's edition logistics and delivery.

Skills

Literature passion

Arts & events

Communication skills

Organisation

Education

Recent graduate in arts/culture

Job description

Are you passionate about literature, live events and the arts? Are you organised, proactive and keen to gain hands‑on experience delivering a major festival?

We're on the hunt for two hard‑working and enthusiastic individuals to join the festival programming and marketing team delivering Granite Noir 2027.

Granite Noir is one of Scotland's leading crime‑writing festivals, bringing together bestselling authors, emerging voices, artists and audiences from across the UK for five days of events, performances and conversations. This internship is designed for someone looking to build a career in arts, culture, festivals, events, publishing or marketing. You'll gain practical experience across all stages of festival delivery, working alongside experienced industry professionals. This paid, full‑time internship runs for eight weeks from Wednesday 6 January – Wednesday 3 March 2027 and offers a front‑row seat to the inner workings of one of Scotland's most exciting festivals.

You’ll dive into a variety of exciting tasks, from event management and author liaison to travel and accommodation arrangements, marketing, research, and administration. As part of our friendly and experienced team, you’ll help bring Granite Noir’s eleventh edition to life.

This role would particularly suit a recent graduate, someone at the beginning of their career in the arts, or an individual looking to gain practical experience in festival and events management.

When:

The festival runs Tuesday 23 February – Sunday 28 February 2027, so expect an action-packed week. Applicants must be available to work flexible hours during the festival period, including evenings and weekends and work across our three venues — His Majesty’s Theatre, The Music Hall, and The Lemon Tree.

Why you’ll love this role:

• Get hands‑on experience in arts, events, and festival planning.
• Immerse yourself in a world of literature, creativity, and community.
• Earn £13.45 per hour with the possibility of a contribution towards accommodation if you're joining us from outside Aberdeen.

What we’re looking for:

• Passionate about literature, arts and live events.
• Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail.
• Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Confident communicating with authors, artists, audiences and colleagues.
• Flexible, reliable and willing to get stuck in wherever needed.
• Interested in developing a career in festivals, arts, events, publishing or cultural organisations.
• Experience supporting events, festivals, arts projects or community programmes.
• Experience creating digital or social media content.
• Knowledge of the crime‑writing, literary or wider cultural sector.

Who we are:

Aberdeen Performing Arts is an award‑winning creative hub at the heart of the city. We run three iconic venues—His Majesty’s Theatre, The Music Hall, and The Lemon Tree—and deliver much‑loved festivals like Granite Noir, Aberdeen Comedy Festival, Light the Blue and Delve.

As a Real Living Wage employer, we’re committed to offering a comprehensive benefits package, including staff discounts and ticket offers.

• Why you’d love to work with Aberdeen Performing Arts.
• Why you’re perfect for this role.
• How you’d create a SPARK (reference our values!).
• Whether you would prefer to focus on Festival Programming (artist liaison, scheduling and event planning) or Marketing (content creation, audience engagement and campaign support) during your internship.
  

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives are encouraged to apply.

This post does not meet the minimum requirements for visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route. We are therefore unable to consider applicants for this post that require sponsorship to work in the UK.

Events, Event Management, Arts and Culture, Festival Assistant, Festival Coordinator, Event Coordinator, Literature, social media, marketing