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A significant opportunity to curate and lead one of the UK’s longest-established literary festivals

Now in its 21st year, the Bridport Literary Festival holds more than 40 events across a range of venues running over one week in November.

It is a registered charity, funding local children through its BridLit Bursary scheme and supporting other educational and literacy charities.

From its inception, the Bridport Literary Festival has been run by Tanya Bruce-Lockhart. The result has been a commercially and culturally successful festival, attracting internationally renowned writers as well as providing a platform for emerging and local talent. On her retirement, we are seeking an experienced and dynamic candidate to maintain its high standards and to grow the Festival.

The Artistic Director will take the lead in planning, developing and delivering the festival programme, including several events specifically to engage with children and schools, as well as some other individual live events in the year.

The ideal candidate will have a broad and deep knowledge of books, a strong and extensive network of contacts in the publishing world, and the confidence and passion to build the reputation and scale of the Festival while retaining its distinctive local character.

The role
To devise, organise and curate the Festival programme; booking authors, interviewers and speakers to create a diverse, popular and commercially successful festival.

Deliver the Festival within the budget as agreed with the trustees.

Lead the current team to plan and execute the Festival within budget, covering venue selection and liaison, scheduling and travel, marketing, logistical and technical requirements.

Be the primary point of contact for, and develop good working relationships with, the broad range of local stakeholders and supporters.

Ensure the commercial success of the Festival, ensuring that sufficient income is generated to fund its charitable aims and educational outreach programmes.

Qualifications and skills required
The job would suit a confident, organised self-starter with creative vision and strong social skills. We are looking for:

• Experience of working with authors and in developing and implementing literary and/or cultural festivals, with excellent organisational and project management capabilities.

• A strong network of contacts across the publishing industry, including social media and podcasts.

• Extensive knowledge and love of books and literature across a wide range of subjects.

• Commercial and marketing acumen to identify growth and revenue opportunities and areas for innovation.

• Proven ability to understand the needs and interests of a local community, and to build and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of local stakeholders.

• Ability to lead a local team and to work with a board of trustees.

Schedule and location
This is a home-based freelance job. It is a part-time role, requiring between 80-100 days per annum.

It is desirable but not essential that the Artistic Director is locally based. The job entails regular trips to Bridport, including the full week in Bridport during the Festival.

Next steps
This is a unique opportunity to take the helm of a successful and established literary festival.

Applicants must submit an up-to-date CV, the names and contacts of two referees, and a covering letter setting out your credentials and suitability for the role.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to present their plans and vision for the Festival to the trustees.

Applications should be sent to hello@bridlit.com with the subject line “Bridport Literary Festival Artistic Director application”.