Project Manager

Disability Arts; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization seeks a creative and collaborative Project Manager for the Make It Together project. This role involves coordinating a high-impact, disability-led initiative aimed at enhancing everyday creativity and inclusion. Responsibilities include managing operations, supporting partners, and ensuring the voices of Disabled people are central to the project. The position offers a unique opportunity to shape systemic change in the arts and culture sector.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing budgets.
• Knowledge of barriers Disabled people face.
• Skills in accessible and inclusive practice.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations, timelines, and budget tracking.
• Be the primary contact for the project.
• Coordinate co-production of inclusive Everyday Creativity Toolkits.

Skills

Project management

Building strong relationships

Managing a varied workload

Education

Arts / cultural sector experience

Job description

Make It Together is a 9-month, Arts Council England-funded project that brings together Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and national arts and culture partners to unlock inclusive everyday creativity across three pilot locations: Manchester, Barking & Dagenham, and Wiltshire.

The project embeds Creativity Connectors within local DPOs to bridge the gap between Disabled creatives and community-based creativity groups. The project will develop and share two national toolkits and culminates in an online Symposium in January 2026.

About the Role
We are looking for a creative, enthusiastic and collaborative Project Manager to lead the coordination and delivery of Make It Together. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a high-impact, co-produced, disability-led project that aims to spark long-term systemic change in everyday creativity and inclusion.

You will be the glue holding the partnership together—supporting delivery partners, managing timelines and budgets, facilitating communication, and ensuring that the voices and experiences of Disabled people remain central at every stage.

Key Responsibilities
General Project Delivery
Manage day-to-day operations, timelines, budget tracking and communications.
Be the primary point of contact for the project.
Ensure delivery of project activities, outputs, and reporting obligations to steering group and funder.
Produce timely narrative and financial reports with support from the DR UK Finance and Fundraising teams.
Support exploration of funding for a potential Phase 2.

Stage 1: Project Set-Up (circa Jun–Sep 2025)
Support DPO partners in recruiting and onboarding Creativity Connectors.
Convene and facilitate the Project Steering Group.
Liaise with national partners including Creative Lives, Attitude is Everything, The Audience Agency, and 64 Million Artists.
Coordinate setup and delivery of training for Creativity Connectors.
Support co-production of a project evaluation framework with The Audience Agency and partners.
Oversee the setup of the online Disabled Everyday Creatives Network

Stage 2: Research & Engagement (circa Oct–Dec 2025)
Support Creativity Connectors to:
Map local everyday creativity groups and practices.
Run inclusive focus groups / Knowledge Cafés to explore barriers, opportunities, and solutions.
Ensure strong communication and shared learning between DR UK, local and national partners

Stage 3: Legacy & Dissemination (circa Jan–Feb 2026)
Coordinate co-production of inclusive Everyday Creativity Toolkits.
Organise and deliver an online Symposium and EasyRead Symposium.
Oversee project evaluation and contribute to the final evaluation report.

Experience
Project management
Managing budgets
Arts / cultural sector experience
Working on partnership projects
Commissioning and undertaking evaluation

Knowledge
Knowledge of the barriers that Disabled people experience in society, and the Social Model of Disability
Accessible and inclusive practice in areas relevant to the project: e.g. in-person and online events, communication

Skills and Abilities
Building strong relationships internally and externally
Managing a varied workload, taking initiative and working to deadlines