• CULTURAL DEMOCRACY LEAD

  • Job title: Cultural Democracy Lead

    Employer: QUEERCIRCLE: B4, 3 Barton Yard, Soames Walk, London, SE10 0BN

    Reporting to:  Director 

    Hours: Full-time (4 days a week) 

    QUEERCIRCLE’s office hours are: Tue - Friday, 10:00 - 18:00 

    Some evening work will be required, compensated by time off in lieu. 

     

    Contract: Permanent with 3 months’ probation 

    Salary: £42,000  (based on four day working week)

    Start date: January 2026

    Applications Close: 7 December 2025

     

  • ABOUT QUEERCIRCLE

    We believe in the radical potential of the arts for individual, collective and societal transformation. We are both a platform championing LGBTQ+ artists, and an ecology of individuals and organisations committed to creating systems of holistic support for LGBTQ+ people. 

     

    We are an organisation-in-process; prioritising and embedding reflection as an individual and collective practice of care. We’re committed to remaining agile and adaptive in response to learning and the changing needs of our communities; embodying a constant state of becoming. 

     

    Our community-focused approach prioritises the building of long term collaborations to foster a culture of generosity; and a shared understanding that we are collectively building something for each other, and future generations of LGBTQ+ people. 

     

    PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

     The Cultural Democracy Lead is a senior position within QUEERCIRCLE, responsible for leading and implementing the organisation’s Cultural Democracy pillar - embedding its principles across all strands of work. 

     

    This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on programme delivery while supporting and aligning the work of the Arts + Communities Producer and Young People’s Programmer. 

     

    This role will develop and deliver programmes that place queer communities at the centre of cultural production, political education, and creative health; integrating these activities into a cohesive, inclusive, and responsive programme. 

     

    Working collaboratively with the team, they will ensure QUEERCIRCLE’s values of co-creation, equity, and accessibility, are reflected across programmes, partnerships, and public communications.

  • Key Reponsibilities

    Strategic Leadership 

    • Lead the development and delivery of QUEERCIRCLE’s Cultural Democracy strategy, embedding its principles across arts, health, and political education. 
    • Work with the team to identify opportunities for growth, collaboration, and innovation across all programme strands. 
    •  Represent QUEERCIRCLE publicly, articulating the organisation’s vision of art as a site of wellbeing, resistance, and collective empowerment. 
    •  Contribute to strategic planning, evaluation, and organisational learning as part of the senior team. 
    •  Work with the Director and Managing Director to identify fundraising and partnership opportunities aligned with QUEERCIRCLE’s values.

     

    Programme Development and Delivery 

    • Design and deliver QUEERCIRCLE’s Creative Health and Political Education programmes, connecting artistic practice with health, activism, and civic learning. 
    • Lead interdisciplinary projects and partnerships that position art as a tool for liberation, belonging, and wellbeing. 
    • Co-Develop collaborations with the NHS, health researchers, educators, and grassroots movements to embed creative health practice in community and policy contexts. 
    • Create spaces for political learning, dialogue, and campaigning rooted in queer, feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial frameworks. 
    • Ensure all programmes are accessible, trauma-informed, and co-created with communities.

     

    Leadership and Team Management 

    • Provide strategic oversight and mentorship for the Arts + Communities Producer and Young People’s Programmer, ensuring their projects align with wider organisational goals; providing clarity, guidance, and professional development. 
    • Foster a supportive, inclusive team culture grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and care. 
    • Align team projects with strategic objectives, ensuring cross-programme collaboration and shared learning. 
    • Oversee programme budgets, delegating project-level financial management to Producers and ensuring transparency and alignment across strands.

     

    Partnerships and Advocacy 

    • Build and sustain partnerships across arts, health, education, and social justice sectors that support cultural democracy and community-led practice. 
    • Lead advocacy and public campaigning around cultural democracy, creative health, and liberation-focused practice. 
    • Represent QUEERCIRCLE within sector forums, policy conversations, and movement spaces, sharing learning and championing queer cultural democracy.

     

    Research, Evaluation, and Learning 

    • Collaborate with the team to design evaluation frameworks that capture cultural, social, and health impact. 
    • Use reflective practice and evaluation findings to inform programme design and long-term development. 
    • Synthesise learning from the Arts + Communities and Young People’s programmes to inform organisational strategy. 
    • Contribute to documentation, publications, and sector-wide learning to extend QUEERCIRCLE’s impact. 

     

    Communications and Public Engagement 

    • Work closely with the Communications Lead to communicate QUEERCIRCLE’s programmes and values to diverse audiences. 
    • Shape narratives that connect creative health, political education, and community practice within a cohesive public voice. 
    • Support the creation of accessible, inclusive digital and print content that amplifies the work and stories emerging from each programme strand.
    • Represent QUEERCIRCLE at events, conferences, and forums, strengthening visibility and engagement across the arts, health, and social change sectors.

  • PERSON SPECIFICATION
    Essential 

    • Significant experience (minimum 5 years) in leading arts, community, or education programmes grounded in social justice. 
    • Proven ability to develop and deliver creative health or political education initiatives. 
    • Strong theoretical and practical understanding of cultural democracy, participation, and co-creation. 
    • Experience managing teams, partnerships, and complex, multi-stakeholder projects. 
    • Excellent communication, facilitation, and advocacy skills. 
    • Commitment to queer, feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial frameworks. 
    • Experience collaborating with public-sector or NHS partners on health and wellbeing projects. 

    • Demonstrated ability to embed accessibility, inclusion, and care-centred approaches in creative work. 

     

    Desirable 

    • Experience contributing to fundraising and partnership development. 
    • Familiarity with evaluation, impact assessment, or action research. 
    • Understanding of participatory or community learning methodologies. 
    • Knowledge of communications strategies and storytelling within arts or social justice contexts.


  • DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

    We value different perspectives and experiences and welcome diversity in all its forms. We particularly encourage applications from the global majority, LGBTQIA+, working class people and/or people with disabilities.

    ACCESS 

    QUEERCIRCLE will make every reasonable adjustment to the office or to working arrangements to accommodate the needs of people with different abilities. You can discuss any access needs you may have at any stage of the application process on recuritment@queercircle.org 

    APPLICATIONS

    Please send us a CV and personal statement (of no more than two sides or via video or audio file at a maximum of 8 minutes) outlining how you meet the criteria and why you want the job to recruitment@queercircle.org with the subject line ‘Cultural Democracy Lead’ by 7 December 2025

     

    Fill out our Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form: https://form.typeform.com/to/KWD00ReP

     

    If you would like to apply in a different format that meets your access requirements better, please contact: recruitment@queercircle.org

     

    FEEDBACK

    We know applications take time and energy and we have tried to make the process as simple as we can. You will be notified by email if you’re unsuccessful at the application stage. We are a small team and won’t be able to provide feedback on your application. If you attend an interview, you will receive feedback.