Volunteer coordinator, Independents Biennial 2025

• Hours: Flexible (avg. 26 hours p/w)
• Contract length: 7 months (April – September 2025)
• Contract type: Freelance
• Location: Office TBC / Home Working
• Renumeration: £16 p/h (£11,008 April-September)
• Employer: Art in Liverpool C.I.C.
• Deadline: 15th January 2025

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Volunteer Coordinator to lead on volunteer development for Independents Biennial 2025. The biennial art festival runs June 7 – September 14 2025, in all six boroughs of Liverpool City Region.

You will be recruiting and managing a large team of volunteers in a mix of front of house, curatorial and production roles across a multi-venue programme.

From April – May the role is flexible, with blended office hours and home working. From June- September the role will be based between various venues. This will be planned with the successful candidate to ensure it is personally manageable, as well as supporting the effective and efficient management of volunteers.

Experience in a similar role (HR, venue management, volunteer liaison, festival production, etc.) is essential.

Relationships

You will be working directly with the Director, Marketing Coordinator and Producer to deliver a front-of-house rota, manage venue staffing and support developmental opportunities and placements for volunteers.

There are over 100 venues signed up for IB 2025, not all will require volunteers, but some will require extra support for events, while others are more straightforward day-to-day exhibition venues.

Hours

The role is a mix of work-from-home and office based, with flexible hours between April and September 2025. Working patterns will be decided on appointment to make this a manageable role for the right candidate.

Future

The contracted period for the Volunteer Coordinator role is April – September 2025 (the funded period) but we hope to develop this into a long-term producer relationship as Independents Biennial develops as an organisation into 2026 and beyond.

About Independents Biennial:

Independents Biennial launched in 1999. In the 25 years since it has taken many forms, but is ultimately focussed on improving the working lives of artists, increasing opportunity and ensuring the ongoing work of Merseyside’s most ambitious creatives is seen by the public.

Following a year of R+D we are reestablishing Independents Biennial as a vehicle for change across the region. It has become significantly harder for artists to build sustainable practices, and develop place-based work, so we are actively supporting the reestablishment of lost galleries, encouraging the development of new spaces and region-wide projects.

Next year’s programme runs from 7^th June – 14^th September, with funding from Arts Council England and local councils.

Responsibilities:

• Venue Liaison
• Managing a large team of volunteers
• Event support
• Front of House management
• Volunteer expenses management (systems will be in place to manage this, and payments are the responsibility of the Director)

Requirements:

Essential

• Willingness to work adaptably across the project
• Strong leadership skills evidenced in your application
• Track record of ambitious creative output evidenced in your application
• Strong knowledge of Merseyside’s Cultural networks (from studios to major galleries)
• Experience of managing a large team of staff or volunteers
• Excellent planning skills over extended projects
• Effective time management
• Desire and drive to solve problems as they occur

Desirable

• Direct experience in artist liaison roles

How to apply:

Apply by cover letter and CV to patrick@artinliverpool.com no later than 15^th January 2024

Cover letters can be submitted as any format:

• Written letter no more than 1 side of A4
• Film, 5 minutes or less
• Portfolio including images, no more than 5 sides of A4

All formats must clearly respond to the application criteria and provide evidence where possible. Applications may include links to websites, social media or google drive folders as evidence.

Interviews will be held 20^th – 22^th January 2025. Applicants must be available for interview on one of these dates. Online interviews can be conducted if necessary, and travel expenses can be paid to attend in person interviews.

Important Dates:

• Application deadline: 15^th January 2024, 11.59pm
• Interviews: 20^th/21^st/22^nd January 2025
• Start date: 1^st April 2025 (flexible)
• Contract end date: 31^st September 2025