Freelance Mental Health Engagement Lead

• Closing date:  9am on 2nd June 2025
• Interviews to be held:  9th and 10th June 2025
• Fee:  A maximum of £30,000 (assumes a start date from mid – June 2025- 31st March 2026). 3-4 days a week / equates to a maximum of £200 per day for 150 days 

Some evening and weekend work will be required as will a commitment to work across the district. We will pay travel expenses for required travel around the district in line with our policy (your usual place of work will be the Bradford 2025 offices opposite City Hall.) We welcome applications from proposed job shares.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025) runs from January 2025 to December 2025 and is a celebration of Bradford city and district, taking place across its city, towns, villages and greenspaces. It will showcase the rich history of the area and spotlight its dynamic contemporary culture in all forms; dance and theatre, music and film, visual arts and crafts, food and sport. Bradford 2025 is created for, with and by the people of Bradford.

We are seeking a freelancer to work with us as Mental Health Engagement Lead. The work will involve operating alongside our Engagement, Audience, Ticketing and Skills, Volunteering and Wellbeing teams, and Bradford District and Craven Mind’s (BDC Mind) Health Engagement Officers. The work is funded by BDC Mind and will contribute to their aim of helping people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) live happier and healthier lives through access to culture by widening access to Bradford 2025’s programme.

Reporting to the Director of Creative Engagement and Participation this role will ensure a people-centred approach to increase access and participation to the full range of cultural events and activity that make up the Bradford 2025 Programme. You will share information and access routes externally about the Bradford 2025 programme with health teams, the district-wide Creative Health Steering Group, and service users in health settings (including Primary, Secondary and Community Health Settings) as well as supporting settings and organisations we are working with in ‘Our Patch’ and explore synergies and referral routes to our Social Prescribing partners. The brief includes being an advocate for the positive impact of culture on Mental Health and to practically ensure people have the information and resource they need to effectively engage with our Programme.

We are looking for a someone who is experienced in project management, working with people with SMI or other access needs, and proactive at developing interventions to address barriers to access.