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Assistant Producer, Thanet – East London Shakespeare Festival

A Midsummer Night's Dream Outdoor Tour & Community Programme

Location: Thanet (candidate must be based in Thanet and within accessible distance of Ramsgate)

Please include in the subject line: Assistant Producer 

Fee: £1,614 total (120 hours at £13.45 per hour, in line with the Living Wage)

Hours: Approximately 15 hours per week over an 8-week period (120 hours total)

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and a short cover letter (no more than one page) explaining why you're interested in this role and any relevant experience you have, to info@elsf.uk

We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. If you have any access needs or require adjustments for your application, please let us know.

Join the team behind A Midsummer Night's Dream

East London Shakespeare Festival is seeking an Assistant Producer to support the delivery of our 2026 outdoor tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream across Thanet and London, alongside an exciting programme of community engagement activity and a special public event, A Midsummer High Tea, in Ramsgate town centre.

Working closely with the Producer and Artistic Director, you'll gain hands-on experience across producing, arts administration, community engagement, marketing, event delivery, and company management, while helping bring professional outdoor theatre to local communities.

This role is ideal for someone looking to develop practical experience within a busy touring theatre company. You'll support everything from community cast rehearsals and audience engagement to performance-day logistics and administration, gaining valuable insight into how outdoor theatre productions are planned, managed, and delivered.

About East London Shakespeare Festival

East London Shakespeare Festival (ELSF) is a professional outdoor touring theatre company dedicated to bringing joyful, contemporary, and family-friendly Shakespeare productions to local communities.

Our work combines high-energy performances, comedy, music, and audience participation to create accessible and engaging theatre experiences for audiences of all ages.

In 2026, ELSF is touring A Midsummer Night's Dream to parks and community spaces across London and, for the first time, expanding our work into Thanet, Kent.

Thanet Tour Venues

Broadstairs Bandstand

Ellington Park

Quex Park

Oval Bandstand & Lawns

Contract Period

The role will take place from 30 June - 17 August (with a break between 03 Aug - 17 Aug)

Hours will be flexible and agreed around project activity, rehearsals, events, and performances. Some weeks may require more hours than others, while the total contracted hours will remain 120.

The Opportunity

Working alongside the Producer and Artistic Director, you'll play a key role in supporting the smooth delivery of the tour and its community engagement programme.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Supporting the Producer with day-to-day company and production tasks, including administration, marketing activity, and community engagement.

- Assisting with the coordination and delivery of Community Cast rehearsals, including participant communication, scheduling support, and session preparation.

- Supporting performances, events, and community activities across Thanet venues, including get-ins, get-outs, and general company logistics.

- Acting as a point of contact between the company, venues, community participants, and project partners.

- Assisting Front of House operations on performance days and helping create a welcoming experience for audiences.

What We're Looking For

Essential

- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks.

- Good communication and interpersonal skills.

- Basic working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and spreadsheets for record-keeping and administration.

- Confidence interacting with community participants and the public.

- A positive, reliable, and proactive approach to work.

- A willingness to get involved in all aspects of the project, from admin and marketing to front-of-house and event support.

- The ability to work independently when required.

- Confidence working outdoors and in varying weather conditions.

- A genuine interest in theatre, events, arts admin, producing, community engagement, cultural projects.

Desirable

- Previous experience in theatre, live events, arts administration, community projects, or cultural organisations.

- Experience supporting workshops, rehearsals, performances, or public events.

- Familiarity with social media platforms and creating or scheduling content.

- An interest in producing, company management, event management, or community engagement as a potential career.

- Knowledge of or connection to the Thanet area and local communities.

What You Will Gain

This role offers a broad introduction to how a professional outdoor touring theatre company operates. This role is particularly suited to someone considering a future career in producing, company management, stage management, arts administration, community engagement, or event management within the cultural sector.

You will:

- Develop hands-on producing and company management skills within a live theatre touring environment.

- Gain experience coordinating community engagement activity and working with community participants.

- Learn how outdoor theatre tours are planned, managed, and delivered across multiple venues.

- Build practical skills in arts administration, marketing support, audience engagement, and event logistics.

- Gain experience working directly with professional theatre-makers, performers, venues, and community partners.

- Develop confidence in front-of-house, event coordination, and public-facing work.

- Strengthen transferable skills including communication, organisation, problem-solving.