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Festival Programme Coordinator (Freelance)
Help shape one of UK's most exciting science and arts festivals
Imperial College London is seeking a creative and experienced Festival Programme Coordinator to support the development and delivery of the 2027 Great Exhibition Road Festival, a popular annual celebration of science, art and culture.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience producing large-scale public events and festivals, alongside a passion for working with academics, researchers and creative practitioners to engage diverse audiences with complex ideas.
The Great Exhibition Road Festival is a free, two-day festival led by Imperial College London in partnership with the Natural History Museum, V&A, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Royal College of Art, and other leading local cultural and research institutions. The next Festival will take place across the weekend of the 19-20 June 2027 in South Kensington.
About the role
The Festival Programme Coordinator will work closely with Imperial researchers and festival partners to develop a set of proposals for engaging exhibits, creative workshops, live demonstrations, interactive experiences and talks into engaging festival zones and activity programmes enjoyed by thousands of visitors across the festival weekend. The role combines creative programme development with practical event production. You will help shape and strengthen activity ideas, ensuring they are inspiring, accessible and impactful for public audiences, while leading on all the operational stages of planning, production and delivery for a large-scale live event.
The role requires someone who can demonstrate a blend of:
- Proven experience curating, producing and delivering elements of large-scale public festivals or events.
- Ability to translate complex content to create engaging public programming.
- Strong project management and large-scale event production skills.
- Capacity to manage multiple stakeholders and meet critical deadlines.
- Experience facilitating creative collaborations between researchers and artists.
Contract Type and Employment Period
This is a freelance, part-time contract covering 85 days in total between 7 December 2026 and 25 June 2027 - equivalent to approximately three days per week on average, with workload varying throughout the contract period. The day rate is £250 per day.
Location
Primarily remote, with frequent visits to Imperial College London's South Kensington Campus. This will work out to approximately 1-2 days on site per month throughout the first 5 months of the contract. This will ramp up as we approach the festival weekend in May and June with full on-site attendance required during the final festival delivery period from 14-20 June 2027.
How to Apply
To apply, please send:
- A CV
- A cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in the role
- Contact details for referees
Applications should be sent to [email protected] by 10.00 on Wednesday 23rd September 2026
After submitting CVs, the Imperial Public and Community Engagement team may ask potential contractors to join calls with the festival programming and production team to discuss their experience and their approach to fulfilling their responsibilities in this freelance role. These will take place online across the 7th and 8th of October 2026 (special dispensation can be made if those dates don't work).