Cultural Programme Manager

ABOUT SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL

One of the grandest former civic buildings in London with a rich and varied history, Shoreditch Town Hall has established itself in the last decade as a leading cultural venue, live events space and community destination.

Our landmark Grade II listed building houses spaces which range from an expansive and versatile 750 seat auditorium, The Assembly Hall, to a flexible warren of spaces in our basement, The Ditch. Shoreditch Town Hall’s core team is a tight knit, dedicated and multi-skilled group of 14 who are supported by around 30 casual staff and a loyal and highly skilled Board of Trustees.

No day is ever the same at Shoreditch Town Hall, ensuring a vibrant and stimulating working environment that challenges and rewards in equal measure.

2026 has been an exciting year so far with our world-class curated cultural programme including a sold out run of Fag Packet’s DYKE Systems Ltd, and our annual Summer in the Ditch queer cabaret, as well as the return of the high profile event SXSW London.

We’re looking forward to celebrations around our 160th anniversary, and commercial events such as Ceilidh The Musical and KIN’s Christmas Party season.

ABOUT THE ROLE

To support the Head of Cultural Programme in the design and delivery of Shoreditch Town Hall’s cultural and community programme.

This is a key role that takes responsibility for administratively and operationally delivering the programme, communicating with visiting companies and artists, and collaborating closely with in-house teams.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Cultural Programme

• To support the Head of Cultural Programme on all aspects of producing and programming at Shoreditch Town Hall.
• To take responsibility for delivering assigned artistic projects across all art forms.
• To work alongside the Head of Cultural Programme to deliver artist development programmes at the Town Hall, including our artistic residencies.
• To work with the Head of Cultural Programme on all elements of creative and administrative delivery of community programmes and projects, including projects with community groups, Hackney Borough Council and other key stakeholders.
• To actively attend productions, whether finished or in development, and see work by a range of artists and companies across artforms.
• To take an active interest in the heritage of the building, working with the Head of Cultural Programme to devise programmes and projects to celebrate this.
• To work with the Reception & Sales Assistant to respond to programming enquiries and to manage the Programming inbox.
• To generate revenue from ad hoc cultural hires including rehearsals, workshops and public- facing artistic activity as agreed with the Head of Cultural Programme.
• To meet artists and companies as necessary, always acting as an advocate for the Town Hall and the artistic programme.
• To maintain good working relationships with all of the Town Hall’s artistic stakeholders including visiting companies, independent producers, artists, creatives and our Associate Companies.
• To keep up to date with all artistic activity taking place at Shoreditch Town Hall and maintain a broad overview of future projects and possibilities.

Producing

• To line produce specific projects, managing negotiations, contracts, budgets and day-to-day delivery.
• To negotiate contract terms and fees within agreed financial parameters.
• To work with the Head of Cultural Programme and the CEO on fundraising for artistic, creative and community programmes and projects; attending meetings, drafting fundraising applications and managing systems to deliver and report on activity.
• To work with the CEO on monitoring and the overall impact of Shoreditch Town Hall’s activities, focusing on different strands of work across the building.

Administration

• To support on all areas of cultural programme administration: including contracting; budgeting; updating welcome packs and contact sheets; and developing new administrative systems and processes for the department where required.
• To ensure that all aspects of cultural programming are correctly reflected in Artifax and to act as a point of contact for day-to-day programming and scheduling enquiries.
• To support the Head of Production on technical liaison with visiting companies and artists, collating production and technical information and arranging and/or attending production meetings as required.
• To undertake financial duties relating to the artistic programme, including raising invoices, generating final sales and merchandise settlements, calculating re-charges, and so on.
• To be responsible for the compliance and submission of all PRS returns.

Communications & Sales

• Alongside the Head of Cultural Programme to work with the Head of Marketing and Communications & Marketing Officer to support the delivery of all marketing and communications campaigns for the artistic programme.
• Feed into the audience development strategy, ensuring that we develop the widest possible audience for the Town Hall’s cultural programme, particularly amongst those living in Hackney and East London, always championing the organisation’s commitment to access and affordability.
• To support the proofing of marketing materials and press releases.
• To work with the Head of Cultural Programme to monitor the performance of projects, providing evidence of impact in terms of community engagement, audience development, personal growth and other key performance indicators.

Operations

• To work with the Visitor Experience & Operations Manager to ensure appropriate staffing levels for all cultural activity at Shoreditch Town Hall are in place as required, including, but not limited to: Duty Management, Bar, Box Office, Front of House, Cleaning, and Security staff.
• To support the Head of Operations and the Visitor Experience & Operations Manager to ensure that all necessary paperwork is received from all artists and cultural hires prior to an event or production, including public liability insurance documentation, safeguarding policies, damages deposits and full payment (if relevant), risk assessments and so on.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Essential

• At least 3 years’ experience of programming, producing or general management within the arts or cultural sectors.
• Exemplary administration skills, with an intrinsic eye for detail and accuracy.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills with the ability to prioritise.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills (particularly in Word, Excel and Outlook).
• Experience delivering creative projects.
• Experience working directly with artists.
• Experience managing budgets and meeting financial targets.
• A commitment to diversity, representation and inclusion.

Desirable

• Experience and/or knowledge of the local area and its community and cultural scene.
• Experience of producing artistic activity in non-traditional spaces, including site-specific work.
• Experience of artist development.
• Experience realising projects with local community partners.
• Knowledge of the Spektrix box office system and/or Artifax event scheduling system.

Applications are comprised of 3 documents (CV, Cover Letter , and the Additional Details Form) you will also be required to complete a an anonymised equal opportunities form.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please consider the job description and the personal specification when applying.

TO APPLY, UPLOAD YOUR (up-to-date) CV, ALONG WITH A COVER LETTER  OUTLINING WHY YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THE ROLE AND THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES YOU SUITABLE FOR THIS POSITION.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR CV CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

1. Personal Profile (Ensure this section is tailored to the specific role you are applying for).
2. Employment History (List in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role).
3. Education, Training, and Qualifications (List in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent, and including secondary school education).

Hours: 37.5 hours per week to include evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays where necessary

Location: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT. Some remote work is possible.

Interviews: W/C 19th October / If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to an interview to take place in person or via video- conference.

The interview will be with at least two representatives of Shoreditch Town Hall, including the role’s Line Manager.

Where possible, every interview will also include a tour of the building. Interviewed applicants may also be invited to a second interview.