Light Up the North: Freelance Brief Strategic Lead

Light Up The North is a network of light festivals which have come together to share their collective expertise and to learn together. We work together to support artists, to commission new artworks, to carry out research and as a strategic consortium which supports the development of the light art sector.

We wish to appoint a new Strategic Lead to work with us to continue to grow and develop the network consolidating the extremely successful growth in our membership, co-commissioning and partnership working in 2022.

The Strategic Lead will focus on delivering specific strands of our programme of work set out in our recently successful National Arts Lottery Project application with support from key Sub-Groups made up of the full partners in the network (these cover Communications and Marketing; Co-commissioning; CPD and talent development and environmental sustainability). The Strategic Lead will also work closely with our Communications and Marketing Freelancer and have dedicated administration support.

The Strategic Lead will support the network to help light art festivals in the north deliver higher quality programmes, create new strategic partnerships in HE, be a fulcrum for more ambitious touring commissions and increase the number and ability of more diverse northern artists creating outstanding work at a national and international level. The Strategic Lead will help LUTN to become a robust, resilient sector-led network and will lead on a strategic review for organisational development beyond 2025.

Contract dates: Jan 2024 – July 2025 inclusive
Fee: £300 per day; total fee available £20,100
Working pattern: 67 days over 19 months;
Average 3.5 days per month, flexible + remote
Budget of up to £2,000 to cover travel and subsistence to meet potential partners.

Person Specification

Experience of working on the development of light festivals and commissioning artists to create new work for diverse outdoor locations.
The ability to be highly organised and focussed on the core tasks you are required to progress as the Strategic Lead
The skills of a good communicator and advocate able to work with people at a strategic level and broker collaborations and partnerships with a diverse range of organisations.
A self-starter capable of working independently.
Experience of overseeing business and organisational development.
Experience of writing and delivering strategic plans and funding bids.
Experience of managing successful projects with multiple stakeholders and timelines.

You may also have:

Experience of collaborating with or working within the higher education sector, and local authorities.
Experience of brokering partnerships with the private sector.
Experience of reporting to a non-executive board previously.

To find out more about the role and how to apply, visit: Freelance Brief Strategic Lead – Light Up the North

Application deadline: 15 December 2023, 5pm

Fee: £20,100 total excluding VAT

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