Freelance Vacancy: Creative Writing Facilitator

Northern Ballet Limited; Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Ballet Limited is seeking a Freelance Creative Writing Facilitator for their Gentleman Jack Secondary Education Project in Leeds. This role involves designing and delivering workshops that inspire young people to express their identity through creative writing, reflecting on societal influences. The position is key in engaging youth with the upcoming ballet about Anne Lister.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of facilitating young people in creative writing.
• Highly creative and approachable.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver engaging creative writing workshops.
• Evaluate the impact of workshops and adapt accordingly.

Skills

Creativity

Facilitating workshops

Youth engagement

Job description

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Freelance Vacancy: Creative Writing Facilitator, Leeds

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Client:

Northern Ballet Limited

Location:

Leeds, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

088efd230fbe

Job Views:

3

Posted:

29.06.2025

Expiry Date:

13.08.2025

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Job Description:

We now have an exciting opportunity for a freelance artist to work with the Learning department on our Gentleman Jack inspired secondary education project.

We are seeking someone who is creative and has a proven track record of facilitating young people to find their own voice through creative writing workshops.

Northern Ballet is the UK's foremost narrative ballet company. We tell unexpected stories that move audiences across the country and online. We aim to reach as many different people and places as possible with our passionate storytelling, mastery of classical dance technique and live music. Our Learning Team is committed to creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to join in and learn about dance. We work in schools, theatres and community settings across the UK to bring the joy of ballet to as many people as possible.

In Spring 2026, we are premiering a new full-length ballet for the first time since 2022. Gentleman Jack is a major new ballet based on the life of Anne Lister (1791-1840), the Yorkshire diarist, landowner and businesswoman, who inspired the hugely popular and critically acclaimed BBC/HBO series, Gentleman Jack. Anne Lister, was one of the most interesting women of the 19th century, often referred to as ‘the first modern lesbian’. Presenting the narrative of this fiercely independent woman, who challenged the societal norms and expectations of her era, creates a unique opportunity and is part of the wider vision of our Artistic Director, Federico Bonelli, to broaden the range of stories represented on the classical ballet stage. The production will push artistic boundaries – adapting the traditionally gendered language of classical ballet technique to convey Lister’s story.

The main purpose of the post

Northern Ballet is seeking to appoint a creative, approachable, and highly skilled Freelance Creative Writing Facilitator to join the Learning Department for our Gentleman Jack Secondary Education Project. This is a key role in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the project to ensure that our new full-length ballet reaches its organisational mission to engage with young people around the themes of the production.

This role will work closely with the Learning Team to plan, deliver, and evaluate engaging creative writing workshops, inspired by the productions’ protagonist, the prolific diarist, Anne Lister. Your workshops should encourage young people to reflect on how societal trends and pressures can impact, and even influence how we feel about ourselves, then empower them to express their thoughts and feelings about their own identity through the writing of their own secret diary entries.

Other useful information about the role

As this project is inspired by Northern Ballet’s new full-length ballet, Gentleman Jack, we will be inviting all creatives to attend various training opportunities, including:

• at least one training session around language and terminology within the context of this project
• a session to learn more about the life of Anne Lister
• project development sessions with artists from Scottish Ballet, who have done extensive work in schools around themes of self-identity and allyship.

Further project development and planning sessions will be scheduled alongside Northern Ballet and other artists involved in the project, as well as a co-planning session with teachers to highlight and develop curriculum links.