About the Role

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]’s mission is to be the engine house for the performing arts in Kent, shaping the spirit of our region. This is an exciting opportunity to join us and help to shape the future of learning and participation at [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] for a 12-month fixed-term, whilst our Director of Learning & Participation takes planned adoption leave.

The Director of Learning & Participation plays a pivotal role in the theatre’s social purpose. We currently engage with over 40,000 young people and community members a year, with 4,000 participants joining long-term programmes focusing on depth of engagement and removing barriers to inclusion, including a thriving Youth Company, offering skills development and performance opportunities for ages 7-17. We are the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Associate Theatre in the South East, working long-term with 23 schools in areas of low cultural engagement to transform the way Shakespeare is taught, providing opportunities to perform on our stage and in site-specific locations across Kent.

Our programmes are oversubscribed and we know we can do more to respond to the needs of our community and young people in Kent. As a result, we are embarking on an ambitious capital project within the city walls. Our vision is to preserve, protect and re-present the Poor Priests’ Hospital, a Grade I and II listed 12th Century heritage building, creating a world-class Creative Learning Centre (‘The Hive’) and Heritage Destination for Kent. As Director of Learning & Participation, you will be central to this work, supporting the development of an inspiring and aspirational creative learning centre for and with our young people.

Key Responsibilities & Person Specification

A strategic thinker and experienced senior leader, you will bring your passion for inclusivity and widening access to the arts to the role. With proven experience of developing strategy and delivering impactful outcomes, you will lead [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]’s learning and participation work through a period of evolution and growth, building on the successes of our programmes to date, as well as growing new initiatives aligned to our next business plan. You will also be a strong relationship builder, able to harness the skills and expertise across the organisation and within our strategic partnerships with local and major national companies.

• Strategic planning and leadership of learning and participation programmes
• Developing and delivering community engagement initiatives
• Managing partnerships with schools, organisations, and funders
• Ensuring inclusivity and accessibility across all programmes
• Overseeing programme evaluation and impact measurement

How to Apply

You can apply by submitting your application online at recruitment.marlowetheatre.com. You may contact our Chief Executive, Deborah Shaw for a pre-application discussion or the recruitment team at [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] for a generic query about the role.

Recruitment pack: Download PDF (833KB)