Freelance Producer – Dirliebane Theatre Company

fst Federation of Scottish Theatre; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading theatre company in Scotland is looking for a Freelance Producer to manage the Hoot! A Children's Comedy Theatre Festival from December 2025 to October 2026. The role involves a mix of remote work and on-site responsibilities at Perth Theatre. Candidates should possess strong communication skills and a passion for arts for children and young people. The position offers a freelance fee of £12,800 over an estimated 64 days of work.

Benefits

Flexible working culture

Creative engagement with children’s theatre

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in project management, potentially from various sectors.
• Ability to support festival programme management.
• A flexible approach to work, willing to engage in various tasks.

Responsibilities

• Support the Artistic Directors to manage the festival programme.
• Plan logistics related to artists, participants, and events.
• Research funding opportunities to support the festival.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Experience working within and managing budgets

Highly organised

Creative attitude

Ability to work with a wide range of people

Strong interest in arts for babies, children, and young people

Good working knowledge of the arts sector in Scotland

Job description

Overview

Published date: 14 August 2025
Contract Type: Freelance (estimate 64 days over 11 months, December 25 to October 26)
Salary/Fee: £12800 (based on daily rate of £200)
Reports to: Dirliebane Co-Artistic Directors
Closing Date: Monday 22nd September 2025 12pm
Interview Date: W/C Monday 29th September 2025

About Dirliebane Theatre Company

Dirliebane Theatre Company was created by Fiona Ferrier and Rachel Colles in 2016 to make theatre clown performances and creative engagement programmes with and for babies, children, and young people. We use the practice of theatre clown to develop our work with our target audience through research, workshops, and work-in-progress sessions. All our performance work aims to reflect the thoughts, worries, ideas, and passions of our audience.

“That was perfect. It was a perfect show. There is nothing else out there like it. The children loved it, you were the kids and they were you” – Depute Head East Craigs Primary School

Over the last year we have developed a Learning & Engagement programme across Perth & Kinross to engage children & their families in creative & immersive play based in clowning, working with a wide range of participants. We aim to build and grow this programme to be long term and sustainable.

We also began our Clown Play programme running weekend workshops for artists, practitioners, teachers, and anyone else who is interested in learning about theatre clown and how they can use it in their own practice.

We are a small team with a large family of long-term artists. We believe strongly in family & carer friendly working and support this through our production planning. We create strong partnerships and benefit from our long-term collaboration with Perth Theatre and Starcatchers alongside many groups and organisations in the communities we work in.

In 2024 Dirliebane became Perth Theatre’s Children’s Theatre Company in residence. We are part of Creative Scotland’s Multi Year Funding portfolio.

You can find information, photos, trailers, and feedback for all our work on our website www.dirliebane.org.uk

Dirliebane Theatre – CLOWN, CONNECTION and COMMUNITY

Freelance Producer Job Specification

Dirliebane Theatre Company are looking for a freelance producer to work with them on Hoot! A Children’s Comedy Theatre Festival which will be based in Perth Theatre and running from 8th October to the 11th October 2026. The producer will work with them over a period of 11 months from December 2025 to October 2026.

We are looking for someone passionate and self-starting who can work on their own and in a team, who is flexible and calm and cares a lot about work for babies, children, and young people, their families, carers, and communities. Demonstrable experience is important but this could come from other sectors or from different life experience and will not necessarily be the deciding factor in choosing the right person for this role. We are keen to hear from a wide range of candidates, early, mid, or late career.

The Producer will have responsibility, alongside our Artistic Directors, for ensuring the high-quality planning, delivery, and evaluation of the festival.

The Producer is expected to:

• Support the Artistic Directors to manage the festival programme through development, delivery, and evaluation
• Support the Artistic Directors in creating the overall festival schedule
• Bring ideas and creativity to develop new strands and initiatives for programming
• Liaise with Perth theatre for technical and FOH requirements alongside the Production Manager
• Plan and organise logistics related to artists, participants and events including schedules, travel & accommodation, catering, equipment, and risk assessments
• Support our Artists-in-Residence in our partner schools to deliver work with the children for the festival
• Support the programming of work with additional artists
• Establish and ensure project timelines and milestones are being met by deadlines
• Liaise with partner companies & artists, community members in support of the programme
• Chair and minute relevant meetings
• Research funding opportunities to support the festival including corporate partnerships
• Support the creation of copy for marketing, social media posts and website updates
• Work within and manage delegated budgets
• Undertake project evaluation including gathering statistical information and preparation of reports as required
• Write contracts for companies and freelancers
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working within and managing budgets
• A flexible and creative attitude
• Experience working with a wide range of people
• Highly organised and adept at managing their own workload
• A strong interest in arts for babies, children, and young people
• Good working knowledge of the arts sector in Scotland

Offer

• Freelance fee of £12800 (based on a daily rate of £200)
• We estimate this to be 64 days across 11 months (December 2025 to October 2026)
• Mix of remote working and on-site at Perth Theatre or other spaces. Some evening and weekend working expected.
• Flexible working culture

HOOT! A Children’s Comedy Theatre Festival

Based at Perth Theatre this will be a new festival celebrating comedy theatre for children. Our plans for the programme include:

• Work from companies across Scotland
• Work from Dirliebane Theatre Company
• Artists-in-Residence working in two partner schools to create theatre comedy sketches with their pupils to perform at the festival
• A range of work from freelance artists including a theatre clown revue, pop-up performance and other theatre pieces
• Comedy walkabout with Perth Youth Theatre
• Workshops and interactive activities

We expect the Producer to be involved in all aspects of the festival delivery.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a CV (maximum 2 A4 sides) and a cover letter (maximum two A4 sides) to [e-mail] by 12pm on Monday 22nd September 2025

In your cover letter, please include:

• Why you are interested in this role.
• The skills, knowledge, and experience that you will bring to this role.
• Why you are interested in the arts for babies, children & young people.

Hoot! Is all about celebrating the power of laughter and comedy in theatre to connect with babies, children, and young people. If you would like to, please also tell us in your cover letter about what always makes you laugh, for example, for our Co-Artistic Director Rachel, it is Kermit the frog!

If you would like to chat to us about the role before applying, please email [e-mail] with Freelance Producer in the subject line.

Your application will be read by our Co-Artistic Directors, Rachel Colles & Fiona Ferrier and our board members Tim Licata and Gemma Greig-Kicks

We will contact you if you are selected for an interview which will take place in person or online, depending on your preference.

We treat all role applications equally, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other equality characteristic. We particularly encourage applications from people identifying from the Global Majority.