Festival Producer
Leicester
£220 Per Day
Freelance - 30 to 40 Days
Contract - from mid- March to mid-July
Must be available during week of festival and able to be on site - 29th June -5th July
About the role
Inspirate is seeking an experienced Festival Producer to lead the delivery of our flagship festival, which is predominantly an outdoor arts programme.
You will be responsible for and manage the full production cycle - from scheduling, logistics and artist coordination, to on-site delivery and supporting evaluation. Working closely with the Executive Producer, you will oversee complex multi-partner events, ensuring that each event is produced to the highest artistic, operational and safety standards.
This role requires a confident project manager who combines strong production expertise with an ability to communicate clearly, motivate teams and work collaboratively with artists, partners, contractors, suppliers and local authorities. You will play a key role in growing Inspirate’s nationally leading events, shaping exceptional cultural experiences for diverse audiences.
Key Responsibilities
1. Project & Production Management
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Develop and manage the overall festival production schedule, including timelines, staff rotas, rehearsals, tech schedules and contractor timelines.
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Coordinate all logistical operations, including staging, sound, lighting, site layouts, technical specifications, transport, artist hospitality and catering.
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Produce detailed production packs, schedules, call sheets, health and safety, and festival delivery documents.
2. Budgeting, Contracting & Compliance
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Create and manage project budgets, ensuring accurate forecasting, tracking and cost control.
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Lead on contracting artists, suppliers, freelancers, venues and technical teams, ensuring all agreements, insurances and certifications are in place.
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Oversee compliance with licensing, permissions, and relevant regulations for indoor and outdoor festival activity.
3. Team & Stakeholder Coordination
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Supervise and support the festival production team, including freelance crew, volunteers and creative collaborators.
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Liaise with artists, partners, sponsors, venues, local authorities and contractors to ensure smooth communication and aligned delivery.
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Lead production meetings and ensure all stakeholders have clear and timely information.
4. On-Site Festival Operations
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Lead on-site delivery across all festival days — managing installation, technical runs, changeovers, artist liaison, audience flow and all operational logistics.
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Troubleshoot issues in real time and oversee the production team's performance to ensure smooth delivery.
5. Health, Safety & Accessibility
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Create and monitor all risk assessments, emergency procedures, security protocols and accessibility plans.
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Ensure festival delivery complies with local authority requirements, industry standards and best practice in audience and participant safety.
6. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
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Support the creation of evaluation frameworks and ensure robust data collection across festival events.
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Contribute to end-of-project reporting, debriefs, and recommendations for future festival improvements.
Essential Skills
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Proven experience producing festivals, outdoor arts events or multi-site cultural programmes.
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Strong project management skills, including scheduling, logistics coordination and multi-partner delivery.
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Experience managing and reconciling production budgets.
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Experience leading on-site operations, including technical runs, rehearsals, event control and troubleshooting.
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Strong understanding of health & safety, risk assessments, crowd management, licensing and compliance.
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Skilled in working with artists, production teams, freelancers, venues and local authority partners.
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Excellent communication, negotiation and administrative skills.
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Ability to work under pressure, balance competing priorities and meet strict deadlines.
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Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in festival delivery and engagement.
Desirable Skills
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Experience delivering festivals in partnership with Without Walls, local authorities or outdoor arts networks.
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Understanding of production for a range of artforms including dance, circus, aerial, music, installation and site-specific work.
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Knowledge of local and national artist networks within South Asian, outdoor arts or festival sectors.
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Experience supervising volunteers, emerging producers or junior staff.
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Confidence in reading technical specifications and working with production managers, riggers and crew.
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Experience supporting evaluation, impact reporting or funding applications.
How To Apply
If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your CV and a Cover Letter
(no more than two pages) to Parmjit Sagoo on parmjit@inspirate.org.
Please tell us about your relevant experience, skills, knowledge and competencies, which you feel make you the best person for the role - give examples of things you have done to fulfil the essential and desirable criteria.
The deadline is Sunday 25th January 2026. Interviews will be held on Friday 6th February.
You can download the full job description here.
Please note that the Inspirate office will be closed from 23rd Dec-5th January, all enquiries or communication about the role will be answered upon our return.