Head of Engagement

Join us as our Head of Engagement and lead inspiring, inclusive, and innovative programmes that connect communities, schools, and audiences through creativity and culture.

About the Organisation 

Shakespeare North Playhouse is a unique arts venue, which opened in the summer of 2022. It presents a vibrant contemporary cultural and learning programme featuring home co-produced and visiting performances, as well as comedy, music, community work, hire and events and a range of education and training activities.  

Shakespeare North Trust (SNT) is the Charitable organisation which is the operator of Shakespeare North Playhouse.  

Our Vision: “Inspired by Shakespeare. Bringing Joy: Together, we tell stories that feel like our own, that change the way we see the world – opening doors, inviting debate, inspiring a love of learning, and bringing joy to this place; Our Shakespeare North Playhouse.” 

Our Mission – The Big Goal: “We share world-class theatre, activities and conversations inspired by Shakespeare and relevant to all of us.” 

Our Promise: At Shakespeare North Playhouse we commit to being ‘Bold and Brave’. It is a promise we make to each other internally as a team, to our visitors, patrons, and partners, and to all our artists and makers as we all come together to create a wonderful place. 

Our Values and Behaviours: The organisational values define Shakespeare North Playhouse. They create a framework for the way in which the organisation wishes to achieve the vision and objectives. It is critical that people will thrive together, as a team, with partners, visitors, and audience.    

Innovative – Honest – Collaborative – Creative 

Equal – Supportive – Accountable – Useful 

Role Overview 

The Head of Engagement is a key role in the Extended Leadership Team, responsible for leading the department to deliver creative programmes to a diverse range of audiences. The role leads the development and delivery of inclusive, innovative, and impactful learning and community engagement programmes that reflect the mission and values of Shakespeare North Playhouse and is responsible for setting and delivering income targets. The Head of Engagement is central to building meaningful relationships with schools, colleges, community groups, and audiences of all ages, ensuring the theatre is a vibrant hub for creativity, education, and cultural exchange. 

Reporting relationships  

The Head of Engagement will report to the CEO/Creative Director and be responsible for the line management of two learning Project Producers, a Learning & Engagement Coordinator and a Higher Education Partnerships Coordinator. There will be co-working on projects that span both Culture and Learning. The successful candidate will be part of the Extended Leadership Team (ELT) at Shakespeare North Playhouse and work closely with the Marketing and Communications, Technical and Facilities, Fundraising and Finance departments. 

Salary and Hours of Work  

The hours of work will be contracted as 40 hours per week but the jobholder will be expected to exercise flexibility based on the needs of the Theatre. 

Salary will be circa £39,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.  

Place of Work  

Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Knowsley. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Continue to develop and implement an Engagement Strategy that links to the Shakespeare North Playhouse Business Plan and delivers agreed income targets. 
• Oversee the strategic development, management and implementation of the Engagement programmes across Shakespeare North’s activities.
• Work closely with the CEO/Creative Director to create a delivery plan for building based activity linked to artistic programme, community development and work with young people.
• Contribute to the organisation’s Diversity and Inclusion policy and plans to ensure the organisation has relevant and powerful impacts across the community, particularly with those from underrepresented groups. 
• Line manage two Project Producers and two Coordinators ensuring they are supported to deliver their programmes of work to the highest possible standards. 
• Contribute to and implement Shakespeare North Playhouse policies, in particular those around Child Protection, Safeguarding, Diversity and Access.
• Be the lead Designate Safeguarding Office and oversee all Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures. 
• Ensure that the programmes at Shakespeare North are accessible and welcoming to everyone.
• Work with the Head of Audiences and Sales to create and develop engagement projects that meet Shakespeare North’s audience development objectives.
• Develop, contract and oversee external partnerships including local, national relationships with educational institutions and community groups.
• Represent Shakespeare North at external meetings, group and networks relating to creative learning and skills. 
• Set and control programme budgets and to meet income targets as agreed with the Creative Director and CEO. 
• Work with the Fundraising Team and other colleagues to identify sources of funding and help make applications in support of engagement work. 
• Set and monitor annual targets relating to the Engagement Programme.
• Regularly liaise with schools and school leaders and other educational establishments. Manage and develop partnerships with HE/FE institutions.
• Maintain monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure that the programme and its activities and events are properly recorded and evaluated. 
• Prepare material for written reports for Shakespeare North’s ’s Board and Funders. 

 Skills and Experience 

• Experience of developing and delivering new programmes of work within the arts,  education and voluntary sectors. 
• Experience of managing a wide range of socially engaged projects in different settings, with different audiences and diverse communities. 
• Experience of working within a cultural organisation is desirable but transferable skills from other industries or backgrounds will be considered if all other skill requirements are met.
• Experience of leading and managing a team in line with corporate objectives. 
• Experience of collaborative working both within organisations and with a range of external partners.
• Experience of creating income generating programmes. 
• Experience of setting, managing and reporting on budgets. 
• Experience of writing funding applications and reporting to funders. 
• A passion for the UK theatre scene. 
• Understanding of and high level commitment to equality and representation. 
• Up to date knowledge of best practice around safeguarding and child protection. 
• Excellent organisational, scheduling and planning skills including ability to prioritise sizeable workload and delegate accordingly.
• An understanding of the educational landscape and the issues, challenges and priorities of schools.
• Excellent communication skills. 
• Demonstrably a motivated collaborative self-starter able to work calmly and contribute to a positive working environment. 
• A working knowledge of the North West landscape and with developed networks for engagement and participation. 

How to Apply 

If having reviewed the job description and information about the Shakespeare North Playhouse you consider yourself to be a good fit for this role, please email a CV and a cover letter of application to [email protected] by Monday 10th Nov at 12pm.

The cover letter of application should be of no more than 2 sides of A4 addressing how your experience matches the role description, why you are interested in the role and why you think your skills and experience would make you a good candidate. Alternatively, you may submit a video/audio file of no more than 10 minutes in length. You can do this via WeTransfer or an alternative file transfer service.  

Diverse representation 

We encourage and welcome applications from people whose background and experience are under-represented in the cultural sector.  We are committed to inclusive working practices and understand there may be barriers people face when considering an opportunity like this.  If you are interested in applying for this role but feel there are things that may prevent you from getting involved, please get in touch and let us know how we can support you in making your application and throughout the selection process. 

Equality Monitoring  

As part of your application, please make sure to fill out the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form . The information you provide will not impact on the consideration of your application and will be used solely for the purpose of monitoring.

Data Protection 

Information provided by you as part of your application will be used in the recruitment process. Any data about you will be held securely with access restricted to those involved in dealing with your application in the recruitment process. Once the process is completed the data relating to unsuccessful applicants will be stored for a maximum of 6 months and then destroyed.  If you are the successful candidate, your application will be retained and form the basis of your personnel record. By submitting your application, you are giving your consent to your data being stored and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process, equal opportunities monitoring and your personnel record if you are the successful candidate.  In submitting your application, we will assume that consent by you is given. We refer you to Shakespeare North’s job applicant privacy notice which you should read before applying for this role. 

If you have any questions or would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, please contact us via email at [email protected] 

This job description is intended as a guide to the duties expected of the post-holder. These duties may be reviewed from time to time to meet the needs of the business.   

This job description is not contractual.