Culture Maker - Storyteller

We are recruiting 90 Culture Makers across three roles. These role descriptions set out what we need from each and what we will give back in return. Every role is a volunteer position, fully supported by Burnley Leisure and Culture, Culture Burnley and the Year of Culture team.

Priority will be given to applicants from Burnley postcodes.

About the Role

Culture Maker Storytellers are the loudest, proudest voices for Year of Culture in Burnley. You're the advocates - the ones who make sure everyone in every corner of the borough knows something incredible is happening and feels welcome to be part of it.

Whether you're brilliant on social media, a confident talker, or just someone who loves their community, this role is made for you.

The Bigger Picture

Burnley Culture Makers are already in post across all fifteen wards of Burnley and Padiham. Together they are the team deciding what happens in their communities - choosing and recruiting artists, shaping neighbourhood cultural plans, and delivering extraordinary cultural experiences across Burnley in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Each neighbourhood area has access to a commissioning pot - a small fund for Culture Makers to bring in an artist and deliver a real local creative project entirely on their own terms.

Priority will be given to Burnley postcode residents.

This is a volunteer role run by Burnley Leisure and Culture, supported by Culture Burnley and the Year of Culture team, and funded in Phase Two by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The role runs for a minimum of 12 months with a view to being extended.

What You'll Get

• A welcome into the BLC and Culture Maker family.
• Two complimentary theatre tickets per season to performances at Burnley Mechanics.
• Discounts at all Burnley Leisure and Culture hospitality sites.
• Invitations to BLC staff events and social gatherings throughout the year.
• All expenses paid visits to cultural events and institutions across the UK.
• All out-of-pocket expenses covered - travel and meals for all Culture Maker activity.
• Access support fund - if you have care needs or access requirements, we will cover them so nothing stands in your way.
• Free wraparound training - cultural programming, event management, community engagement and more.
• Group mentorship and ongoing support from the Burnley Leisure and Culture team and Year of Culture partners.
• Wellbeing sessions throughout the year.
• The chance to develop funded community projects and see your ideas come to life.
• A Burnley Leisure and Culture gym membership (£9.99/month) after 3 months of service.
• Membership of the Community Advisory Panel for Burnley 2027 Year of Culture.
• Public liability insurance cover while volunteering, provided by Burnley Leisure and Culture.

Requirements

● Enhanced DBS check - organised and fully paid for by Burnley Leisure and Culture.

● Time commitment of approximately 10 hours per month on average, including: a full group meeting with all Culture Makers monthly (around 2 hours); bi-weekly gatherings with your local group (around 4 hours); and additional time for training, cultural visits and community project work (varies month to month).

● Active participation in the Culture Makers WhatsApp group.

● Commitment to maintaining confidentiality of individuals and project-related information.

● A genuine passion for Burnley and its communities - no prior experience in arts, culture or volunteering is necessary.

What skills do I need?

Is This You?

A Culture Maker Storyteller is someone who can't help but share things. You're the one in your friend group who always knows what's on, who sends the links, who takes the photos and posts them before anyone else has got home. You talk to strangers easily. You care deeply about your community and want other people to care too. You might be brilliant on social media, or you might just be brilliant face to face - either works. You light up when you're telling someone about something you love.

What You'll Do

• Shape the message and public narrative of Culture Makers and the Year of Culture.
• Create content, photography and documentation of programme activity.
• Speak at ward events, community gatherings and briefings.
• Facilitate community conversations and listening sessions in your neighbourhood.
• Share your own story as evidence that culture belongs to everyone in Burnley.
• Build connections between Culture Makers and local community media and networks.
• Run information points at events - welcoming people, answering questions, signposting to cultural activity.
• Use the Field Notes app and Big Burnley Calendar to help keep communities informed and connected.
• Represent the programme in your own community and on social media

Your Four Duties

Whatever your role, every Culture Maker carries these four duties into every happening for Burnley 2027 Year of Culture.

Open the Door - find the people in your community who have been told culture is not for them. Go and tell them it is.

Set Up the Party - be the person who gets there first. Do the work that makes arrival possible: the logistics, the relationships, the planning that happens before anyone else shows up.

Host the Party - when you are at an event, you are never just an audience member. Notice who is standing alone. Make the introduction. Be the warmth that makes a space feel safe.

Pack Up After It - capture what happened, feed back what worked, follow up with the people who seemed interested. This is what makes Culture Makers cumulative rather than a series of one-off events.

When do I need to be available?

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Details

Meeting, wellbeing session or training once per week on either Tuesday or Thursday then optional events at weekend.

Where does this role take place?