Touchstones Rochdale have got a really exciting opportunity for students who are passionate about culture, community and making creativity happen here in Rochdale!
They are looking for three Festival Assistants to help bring their flagship community-led festival Side-by-Side to life this August. You’ll support artists, community groups, and their team to deliver a week-long programme of events in Rochdale Town Hall square – and get hands-on with everything from event planning to running workshops.
You don’t need loads of experience – just enthusiasm, reliability and great communication skills. You’ll get eight weeks of training, learn new skills and become part of something meaningful and fun.
This is a paid placement opportunity for university students and students must be enrolled in a degree programme.
About Touchstones Rochdale
Touchstones Rochdale is an Arts and Heritage Centre in the heart of Rochdale, working intensively with leading socially engaged artists and communities to co-create exhibitions and public programmes. The organisation aims to shift cultural power, resource and ownership to some of the least engaged by actively involving people to shape their collections, events and exhibition programming. Touchstones’ definition of culture embraces all aspects of creativity. They seek to be inclusive, encompassing, exciting and entertaining, for everyone, everywhere.
Touchstones values and ethos
Touchstones believe in creativity as a force for change. Their focus on community development and lifelong learning informs their wide-ranging programmes. Together, they want to inspire connecting with culture, making sense of the world and giving people joy.
Become a Festival Assistant
Touchstones are looking for three Festival Assistants who will support visitor engagement with their flagship community-led festival Side-by-Side, as well as supporting community members, staff and artists to facilitate the festival. The Festival Assistants will provide a warm welcome to Side-by-Side and work as a team to develop their own activity for the festival.
This role is perfect for students who…
* want to encourage people to engage with cultural activities.
* have good communication skills.
* enjoy working in a team.
* can demonstrate reliability and punctuality.
The role and responsibilities
Festival Assistants will work closely with the team in the run up to the festival to support event preparation, ready to deliver an inspiring and engaging programme of events and workshops during Side-by-Side festival.
The role will include:
* supporting staff to prepare for and deliver the festival, working closely with community groups and commissioned artists.
* welcoming visitors during the festival and supporting them to engage with a variety of creative activities.
* working as a team to develop, test and deliver an engagement activity as part of the festival.
* helping to ensure that events run smoothly, supporting with workshops and evaluation.
* learning about possible roles in the Arts & Heritage sector and gaining experience in different tasks relevant to each.
Training and professional development
Festival Assistants will benefit from eight weeks of training ahead of the festival launch to:
* shadow community groups and producers as they develop their events
* work together to produce an engagement activity for the festival learn from the staff teams about marketing, collections care, engagement, facilitation and evaluation
The staff team will be working with community partners and freelance artists and producers to run Side-by-Side, producing an exciting programme of activity that is developed by and for the community.
Time, pay, and location
Commitment: The placement will start on Tuesday 1 July and end Tuesday 2 September.
The induction week will run from Tuesday 1 until Friday 4 July.
The festival celebration takes place from Wednesday 20 until Wednesday 27 August 2025.
Working hours: The placement will take place 2 days a week throughout July and August, with some full time working in the induction week (1 – 4 July) and over the festival period (20 – 27 August).
It will be roughly 200 hours in total over the duration of the placement.
Location: Touchstones Rochdale, The Esplanade, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, OL16 1AQ.
Pay: £12.60 per hour
Application deadline: midnight on Sunday 18 May 2025. If successful, you’ll be contacted by Monday, 2 June 2025.
Interviews: Successful candidates will be invited to interview in Rochdale on Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, or Thursday 29 May.
Share
Job Information
Could this be the job you’ve been looking for? Find all the relevant information below:
Join our free creative directory now to connect with Rochdale’s top talent. Access a network of innovators, promote your business, or find your next collaborator in this one-stop database of creativity.
#J-18808-Ljbffr