Our Hinterlands Programme Director

ARCADE ARTS LTD; Selby; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ARCADE ARTS LTD in the Selby area is seeking an experienced Programme Director to lead Our Hinterlands, a CPP project that puts rural communities at the centre of decision-making.

You will shape planning to delivery, grow partnerships with residents, artists and funders, and ensure inclusive, transformational cultural activity across the district.

A small team of staff, freelancers and volunteers will work with you to deliver, with potential extension beyond 2029.

Qualifications

• Experience with co-creation and community decision-making and practical delivery.
• Strong audience development and engagement skills across diverse communities.
• Ability to programme artistic works and deliver high-quality creative activity in varied settings.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluating programmes to inform reporting and improvement.
• Ability to develop and sustain partnerships with funders, artists and local stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the consortium and governance structures to ensure transparent decision-making.
• Translate community ambitions into a detailed programme plan with timelines and delivery frameworks.
• Oversee budgets, risk, safeguarding and environmental responsibilities across the programme.
• Recruit, support and develop staff, freelancers and volunteers delivering the programme.
• Develop an income strategy and advocate for ongoing funding beyond initial period.
• Share learning and build networks to sustain the programme’s legacy.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Inclusive practice

Communication

Facilitation

Partnership development

Job description

Our Hinterlands is looking for an experienced Programme Director to lead a bold new cultural programme, putting rural communities at the centre of decision-making in the former Selby District.

Our Hinterlands is a new Creative People and Places (CPP) project, funded by Arts Council England and supported by North Yorkshire Council.

THE ROLE

You’ll lead our community on a journey – from having a look, to coming along, taking part, making decisions and deciding what happens next. You’ll bring residents, artists and partners together and turn conversations into joyful, high-quality arts activity.

You will guide the programme from planning to delivery, ensuring it is collaborative, inclusive and transformational.

Across the life of the programme, you will grow partnerships, support artists and residents to collaborate and shape an inspiring programme of creative activities, projects and events.

You will lead with transparency and generosity, building a programme that generates joy and confidence, bringing towns and villages closer together, honouring heritage, stories, culture and identity through artistic endeavour.

You will be supported by a consortium of dedicated local organisations; Up For Yorkshire, Tadcaster & Rural CIC, North Yorkshire Council and consortium lead ARCADE.

A small team of staff, freelancers and volunteers will work alongside you to deliver.

This is an exciting leadership role with plenty of space and support to make it your own.

The post is offered until 31st March 2029, with the ambition of an extension, subject to renewed Arts Council England funding.

Job Share options are available for applications from 2 people, but this must be discussed with the team in advance.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Programme Leadership and Strategic Development

• Translate the consortium and local people’s ambitions into a programme plan, including priorities, timelines, delivery frameworks and decision-making processes.
• Provide leadership for the Our Hinterlands team, establishing the programme’s identity, values and ways of working that are rooted in co-creation and community decision-making. Shape and oversee a programme that grows participation across the district, with a focus on being relevant, inspiring and responsive.
• Balance projects with district-wide initiatives, addressing reach, impact and legacy.
• Embed environmental responsibility, access, inclusion and safeguarding from the outset Consider legacy from the outset, horizon scanning and building a pathway to continued funding beyond 2029.

Artistic programming and community decision making

• Programme in partnership with local people, using community-led decision-making. Lead and manage the commissioning of a programme aligned to the needs and requirements of decision-makers and funders.
• Build and manage partnerships with stakeholders, from funders and artists, to local decision-makers to national networks.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, lead and develop the team and partners, building a culture that is community centred, rigorous and ambitious.
• Provide day-to-day line-management enabling the delivery of the programme and objectives.

Operations, Finance and Risk

• Oversee programme planning, resource allocation and risk management, ensuring activity is delivered safely, effectively and on schedule.
• Manage budgets and financial reporting in line with funder requirements and ARCADE’s systems, ensuring strong governance and value for money.
• Ensure robust operational policies and procedures are upheld across the programme, including safeguarding, health & safety, equality and data protection.

Fundraising, Advocacy & Sustainability

• Develop and deliver an income strategy that supports programme resilience.
• Advocate for Our Hinterlands across sectors, building support, visibility & partner commitment.
• Develop a network of contacts to extend the programme’s legacy beyond the first funding period.
• Hold a relationship with Arts Council England and ensure a strong position to secure funding.

Consortium Working & Governance

• Work closely with the consortium to maintain clear, transparent governance and accountability.
• Set up and maintain effective meetings, reporting and decision-making processes, ensuring partners are informed, engaged and able to contribute meaningfully.
• Act as the key link between the consortium and ARCADE as host organisation, ensuring strong alignment while protecting Our Hinterland’s distinct identity.
• Build relationships with funders, ensuring compliance and effective programme stewardship. Work closely with the Independent Chair, ensuring they are informed and utilised to support the success of the programme.

Evaluation, Learning and Reflective Practice

• Develop and implement a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework of participation, reach, inclusion and impact, meeting funder requirements.
• Embed reflective practice and iterative learning to shape continuous improvement of the programme and demonstrate value.
• Share learning locally and through relevant CPP networks, contributing to wider sector knowledge around co-creation and community-led culture.

PERSONAL SPEC

KNOWLEDGE of:

• Co-creation and community decision-making, including practical delivery experience Audience development and engagement, with a deep understanding of how to identify, reach and grow diverse and under-served audiences
• Programming performances or other artistic works that deliver ambitious and artistic excellence in a variety of settings and at a variety of scales.
• The process of bringing innovation and local connection to arts initiatives and programmes to develop and sustain creativity and engagement.
• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and experience of using them to develop programmes as well as inform reporting to public bodies.

SKILLS in:

• Leadership of arts or community development projects,
• People and team management
• Inclusive practice, particularly with those facing barriers to cultural participation.
• Excellent communication skills and able to adapt these for different audiences/settings. Facilitation and leadership in a range of settings, with a focus on growing agency in others. Financial management of complex projects, including managing diverse income generation. Partnership development and management, including negotiation and persuasion. Management of multiple projects with a common goal, including ability to plan and organise own workload, meet deadlines and work under pressure on own initiative.