Festival Opportunities
Our Opportunities
Board Member Recruitment
Arts by the Sea is looking for two new Board Members. For an opportunity to be part of the team improving the lives of local people by providing access to creative and cultural activity, read on for more information.
As a member of the board, you will provide strategic governance and oversight to the festival, supporting and challenging the Executive team, have a direct impact on the work the festival delivers and on the creative opportunities available to local people.
You will be expected to attend a minimum of 3 out of 4 board meetings per year, with a time commitment of a minimum of 6 hours per quarter.
How to Apply
If you are interested in becoming a Board Member, please send an email to Leigh Hayler (leigh.hayler@bcpcouncil.gov.uk)
Your CV and a covering letter of no more than 2 pages (or a 3-minute video) detailing
what interests you most about this role and what you could bring to it.
- A completed Skills and Experience form. (Download form here)
If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Andrea Francis, Festival Director
at andrea.francis@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
Please note this is not a paid role.
CREATE! 2026
Applications are NOW OPEN for CREATE! 2026:
Apply by 5pm on Monday 3rd November via our online application form.
CREATE! 2026 is a FREE course being delivered in Spring 2026 for those who are based in Dorset and BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) with less than 2 years experience in the arts sector.
You will learn how artistic events are created from start to finish and take part in workshops led by experienced professionals.
Topics include:
- What makes a great event?
- Building a network
- How do community-led projects work?
- Financing a creative idea
- Where can events happen?
- Marketing and audience identification
- What is risk management?
What do you get from the course?
The FREE course includes:
- Your travel expenses whilst attending the course
- Lunch, drinks and snacks during the course
- A professionally developed programme designed to give you a clearer understanding of how artistic events can be made
- An opportunity to pitch for a pot of money to help make your creative idea a reality
- Networking sessions during and after the course
- Direct access to arts professionals
- Useful resources signposted directly to you
- Direct engagement with art/performance in your region
Participants on the course also have an opportunity, at the end of the course (using skills learned during the course and documents they have been introduced to) to pitch a creative idea which Activate Performing Arts, b-side, and Arts by the Sea will offer constructive feedback on. The most successful pitches are offered seed-funding to further develop their ideas.
With creative learning sessions taking place across Dorset, the participants take part in the workshop sessions together, where there are opportunities for connection and spaces to see different types of artistic work.
Interested?
Download an Application Pack in PDF format or Word format.
CREATE! is for people of any age (18+) who may have some experience in creating their own creative events, those who want to step into the artistic industry but don’t know how, and also those who have no idea how any of the creative world works but think they have a great idea they’d like to make a reality.
Your application will be scored against the following criteria:
Essential criteria
- Creative ability to come up with original ideas
- Genuine passion for creating artistic events
- Willingness to learn and a curiosity for new experiences
- Good communication skills
- Less than 2 years working or volunteering in the arts sector OR less than 2 years since returning after a career break.
Desirable criteria
- Able to work both in a team and solo
- Awareness of gaps in your skills and/or knowledge
ACCESS: The CREATE! courses are designed to be accessible. We encourage applications from people who have access requirements.
Apply
Board Member Recruitment
Arts by the Sea is looking for two new Board Members. For an opportunity to be part of the team improving the lives of local people by providing access to creative and cultural activity, read on for more information.
As a member of the board, you will provide strategic governance and oversight to the festival, supporting and challenging the Executive team, have a direct impact on the work the festival delivers and on the creative opportunities available to local people.
You will be expected to attend a minimum of 3 out of 4 board meetings per year, with a time commitment of a minimum of 6 hours per quarter.
How to Apply
If you are interested in becoming a Board Member, please send an email to Leigh Hayler (leigh.hayler@bcpcouncil.gov.uk)
Your CV and a covering letter of no more than 2 pages (or a 3-minute video) detailing
what interests you most about this role and what you could bring to it.
- A completed Skills and Experience form. (Download form here)
If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Andrea Francis, Festival Director
at andrea.francis@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
Please note this is not a paid role.
CREATE! 2026
Applications are NOW OPEN for CREATE! 2026:
Apply by 5pm on Monday 3rd November via our online application form.
CREATE! 2026 is a FREE course being delivered in Spring 2026 for those who are based in Dorset and BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) with less than 2 years experience in the arts sector.
You will learn how artistic events are created from start to finish and take part in workshops led by experienced professionals.
Topics include:
- What makes a great event?
- Building a network
- How do community-led projects work?
- Financing a creative idea
- Where can events happen?
- Marketing and audience identification
- What is risk management?
What do you get from the course?
The FREE course includes:
- Your travel expenses whilst attending the course
- Lunch, drinks and snacks during the course
- A professionally developed programme designed to give you a clearer understanding of how artistic events can be made
- An opportunity to pitch for a pot of money to help make your creative idea a reality
- Networking sessions during and after the course
- Direct access to arts professionals
- Useful resources signposted directly to you
- Direct engagement with art/performance in your region
Participants on the course also have an opportunity, at the end of the course (using skills learned during the course and documents they have been introduced to) to pitch a creative idea which Activate Performing Arts, b-side, and Arts by the Sea will offer constructive feedback on. The most successful pitches are offered seed-funding to further develop their ideas.
With creative learning sessions taking place across Dorset, the participants take part in the workshop sessions together, where there are opportunities for connection and spaces to see different types of artistic work.
Interested?
Download an Application Pack in PDF format or Word format.
CREATE! is for people of any age (18+) who may have some experience in creating their own creative events, those who want to step into the artistic industry but don’t know how, and also those who have no idea how any of the creative world works but think they have a great idea they’d like to make a reality.
Your application will be scored against the following criteria:
Essential criteria
- Creative ability to come up with original ideas
- Genuine passion for creating artistic events
- Willingness to learn and a curiosity for new experiences
- Good communication skills
- Less than 2 years working or volunteering in the arts sector OR less than 2 years since returning after a career break.
Desirable criteria
- Able to work both in a team and solo
- Awareness of gaps in your skills and/or knowledge
ACCESS: The CREATE! courses are designed to be accessible. We encourage applications from people who have access requirements.
Apply