We are seeking an early career freelance drama educator to join our team
Illuminate are a drama and heritage education company best known for the Sandford Award winning
Junior Tour Guide program.
Junior Tour Guides are upper primary school children trained to be dramatic presenters of their local place of interest usually for other children, but it can be for learners of all ages. We run the
programme for Historic Environment Scotland at sites across the country including at Linlithgow Palace, Trinity House Maritime Museum in Leith, Craigmillar Castle, Huntly Castle, Bishop's & Earl's Palaces on Orkney and Doune Castle and for the Rosslyn Chapel Trust in Rosslyn.
In collaboration with Historic Environment Scotland, we have expanded this programme in recent years to create the Primary School Performance Project. Over a 4–5-week period a class are immersed in learning about a historic site near them culminating in a performance in school for their community.
We are looking for an early career freelance
drama educator
to join the team and initially support Performance Projects in Bo'ness in November 2025 and in Falkirk in Feb/March 2026.
This is not a full-time role and would suit a freelancer with other projects of their own as we offer the opportunity to work flexibly.
Bo'ness would be 3-4 days work while the Falkirk project would be 2 days a week over 4 weeks (The latter would be two days a week of Monday, Wednesday or Friday TBC)
You would be working alongside an experienced member of the Illuminate team. They would take a senior role in the project but in this role you would be expected to deliver sessions alongside them, co-direct the performances and support with production management.
There are also existing and new projects taking shape which there may be potential to become involved in during 2026 and beyond.
We are looking for someone able to:
Co-deliver training and rehearsals (using Illuminate workshop plans and methods)alongside an experienced member of the team
Co-Direct and produce school performances including some song and dance
Facilitate live performances and/or filming
Provide school with any follow up/ongoing support as required
Demonstrate excellent organisation skills and a passion and enthusiasm for drama education
Embrace the inclusive ethos of our programmes and help us to expand and develop
Be a part of our creative and friendly team
We are looking for someone with:
Essential
A qualification in drama education including experience of both project & production management, directing and facilitation
A passion for and knowledge of Scottish history
Understanding of Primary education and knowledge of Curriculum of Excellence
A commitment to inclusion and creatively and resiliently accommodating different learning and behaviour needs
Flexibility to deliver
Excellent personal and project organisational skills
Able to help lift and move costumes and equipment
PVG Membership or up-to-date Disclosure Scotland
Own public liability insurance
Ability to drive and access to car and/or access to good public transport links but please note many schools aren't on main public transport routes
Located in Central Belt
Desirable
Experience in heritage education
Some experience working with choreography/period dance
Experience in site specific work and/or schools tours
What can we offer?
Daily rate £250; Half Day rate £175 plus public transport travel or car use at 45p a mile up to a max of £25 per journey
Training in Illuminate workshops and Primary School project/production management, working alongside an experienced member of the team
A supportive and friendly team of other freelancers around the country
Ability to work flexibly around other commitments as long as you can offer some flexibility in booking training days/sessions
Opportunities arise to join group training for example this year we undertook a team training day in working with children with emotional and behavioural challenges
Risk assessments for the work
What next?
Send a CV and cover email
by Friday 29
th
August
detailing what you can bring to the role to
We'll be inviting a selected few candidates to come and meet us for interview and conversation in Edinburgh during w/c 8
th
September.
We would offer some training and shadowing in late Sept/early October.
More about Illuminate and the Junior Tour Guide program.
Run by Karen Kyle McKenzie and team you can find out more about us at and on our social media
LinkedIn:
Facebook:
You can watch a film about the Primary School Performance project here:
and hear from Junior Tour Guides, their audiences, teachers and families here:
We also run heritage programmes outwith Junior Tour Guides including the Learning, Community and Outreach programme for Trinity House Leith Maritime Museum. There may be other opportunities to work with us as we continue to grow.