Bid Director - Bradford City of Culture 2025

In September, Bradford will formally launch a bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025. We are now seeking a Bid Director to engage stakeholders across the public, private and cultural sector, and bring together the communities of the city behind a distinctive bid that delivers a step change in the City’s development.

Bradford is the UK’s 6th largest city, the youngest city in Europe (29% of its population under 20 and nearly a quarter under 16) and one of the most diverse in the UK.

Home to the National Science and Media Museum, the city has a cultural heritage that includes the Brontës, JB Priestley and it recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of being named the first UNESCO City of Film. Despite this, Bradford district overall has some of the lowest engagement figures for the arts nationally. In response, the city has been working for the last six months to put in place new structures to strengthen its capacity and to establish a new cultural voice for artists and independent cultural groups.

Home-grown arts organisations including England's largest learning disability theatre company, Mind the Gap; Bradford Literature Festival; female-led political theatre collective Common Wealth; intercultural arts hub Kala Sangam; Bradford Community Broadcasting and independent artists such as director, writer and activist, Javaad Alipoor, represent an emerging new generation of cultural companies and leaders successfully engaging new audiences.

The city is home to some exceptional large-scale venues including the Grade II listed St George’s Hall, which recently underwent a £9.5m restoration project, and there are plans to open the former Odeon as music venue ‘Bradford Live’. Theatre in the Mill has just been named as one of two national pilots for Arts Council England’s Producing Hub; receiving £1.5m to develop local talent and boost the city’s ability to produce new work. Its wealth of public spaces and parks could also offer a spectacular canvas for events in 2025.

The bid is part of a longer journey and the City Council has also announced plans for a new Cultural Strategy for the next decade 2020 to 2030 which will reflect its changing demographics as the youngest city in Europe and one of the most diverse in the UK.

The successful candidate will have experience of working across sectors and ideally on a similar bidding process. You will be an experienced leader ideally with a background in culture, media, broadcasting or other relevant sectors or an evidenced ability to engage with these sectors. You will have the ability to both lead strategy and address the detail in a small team focused on the bid.

You will have:
•A passion for place based cultural development
•A track record of working with cities and diverse communities
•A commitment to the role of culture in social and economic development
•Strong written and verbal communication skills
•Ability to work with a wide range of partners in the public and private sector
•Experience of working on budgets and fundraising
•An understanding of the principles of the UK City of Culture programme

These roles are few and far between and can be career changing for the post holder. We want you to have, or grow, a passion for Bradford and to help us put together a new narrative for the role of culture in the City. You will have access to key partners in the city and our Trust and Cultural Place Partnership will help open doors that support the development of the bid. You will have a budget to support further external advice and expertise, community engagement, fundraising and marketing.

The post is for a 2 to 2.5-year contract with the potential for an extension if Bradford is selected. We are willing to consider individuals, freelance contractors, secondment proposals or company/ team proposals but the job is a minimum of 4 days a week and preferably full time. The post will be housed and supported within one of the Trust organisations. The role will involve local, national and potentially some international travel. The position has an entitlement of 25 days’ holiday pro rata, in addition to 8 days public holidays.

Tenure: 2 to 2.5 year contract
Salary: £60-£70,000 pro rata and depending on experience
Closing date for applications: 12 noon Monday 16 September 2019
Interviews: 30 September / 1 October 2019

To apply:

You will find the candidate briefing pack at www.bradford2025.co.uk

Please send your completed application by email to info@bradford2025.co.uk by 12 noon Monday 16 September 2019.

We require a covering letter (no more than two sides of A4) explaining why you want to lead Bradford’s bid and outlining how your experience meets the person specification along with a summary of your CV and career to date.

For further information regarding this post please contact info@bradford2025.co.uk

For more information visit http://www.bradford2025.co.uk/