Creative Programme Consultant

Overview of role

Durham Cathedral seeks a Creative Programme Consultant to assist with the development of its visitor experience. This is part of a wider review of our operations, supported by Heritage Emergency Funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and following our temporary closure due to Covid-19. The position offers the opportunity to be part of a larger piece of strategic work that revitalises and redefines the way the cathedral engages with both visitors and the wider region.

We have developed a major change programme aligned to the new charitable ‘Objects’ (set out in the Cathedrals Measure 2019) and with visitor experience and inclusion at its heart, which seeks to:

- Better understand our audiences and create a two-way dialogue- Restructure our visitor-facing operations to deliver an exceptional experience- Develop our creative programming to engage a more diverse audience and deepen

connection with our community

The Creative Programme Consultant will work alongside a core team at the cathedral as well as specialist consultants covering visitor experience and enterprise, audience research, digital, marketing, trading and retail to plan and deliver our ambitious transformation.

There is an expectation that the appointed consultant will work closely alongside the other specialist consultants to mutually inform and feed into the other workstreams.

The appointed consultant will be part of the Centrality of Worship: Community and Audience Development Project Board, but will also be required to work across the project with the Change Project Manager and will be expected to feed into other workstream boards as appropriate.

As part of developing a robust, engaging and commercially exciting creative programme that will put Durham Cathedral into the role of creative producer as well as partner or recipient venue, the role will be required to input across a number of areas to make sure it is fully integrated, including visitor-facing operations, education and learning, marketing and digital engagement.

The key outcome for the role will be to deliver an exciting, evidenced, fully-costed creative programme focused on growing audiences. increasing income-generating opportunities in addition to developing both online and physical audiences.

About Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral is a Grade I listed building standing at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is first and foremost home to a vibrant Christian community, whose stated purpose is to:

- worship God - share the gospel of Jesus Christ- welcome all who come- celebrate and pass on a rich Christian heritage- discover its place in God’s creation

Internationally recognised for its historical and architectural significance, the cathedral stewards outstanding collections and archives, made publically accessible through our library and museum, Open Treasure. In recent years we have focused on investing and improving physical and intellectual access across both the cathedral and our wider precincts, most notably through the Open Treasure project and our expanded Education, Learning and Outreach offer.

Before Covid-19, we had expected to welcome over half a million visitors in 2020; to pray, participate in lifelong learning, discover the story of the region, enjoy cultural performances, connect with their faith and community, or simply enjoy the historic building itself. Since our foundation in 1093, we have been a focal point for pilgrimage and Christian learning and today our visitor demographic ranges from regional to international, families to older adults, for whom the cathedral is both a place of worship and a cultural venue. Our Education, Learning and Outreach team engage with 16,000 people a year, and we deliver a wide range of

events, performances, and participation opportunities, with over 115,000 people visiting in 2019 specifically to take part in creative activity.

Change Management Programme

Durham Cathedral is a value-driven, outward-facing, Christian organisation who seek to serve the needs of our community whilst supporting its transformation and resilience. Our temporary closure due to Covid-19 has given us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the welcome we offer visitors and how we engage with them during their time with us. We’re proud of what we have achieved to date but recognise there is more to be done in terms of inclusivity, access, and opportunities for participation. The cathedral is currently undertaking a change management programme to develop a strategy informed by our faith and with people at its heart, that creates meaningful experiences across all our operations. We aim to transform and reimagine the way we work to ensure that all our visitor engagement is shaped by our Christian heritage and the community we serve. We hope to inspire, challenge, delight, and most importantly, involve them.

The Change Programme is overseen by the Programme Board, on behalf of the governing body, and led by two Change Programme Managers. The delivery of the programme falls across four workstreams who meet on a fortnightly basis; Visitor Experience and Enterprise (VEE), Centrality of Worship: Community and Audience Development (CoW), Strategic Business Planning, and Organisational Culture. The Creative Programmer will join the CoW project board, and report into the VEE Project Board where needed, and may also contribute to smaller task groups as determined by the boards and Change Programme Managers.

The overall vision of the Change Programme is to:

- Invest in audiences and people- Explore the Christian faith as a place of prayer and worship- Deliver exceptional experiences- Embrace digital in all aspects of our operations, mission, and ministry- Welcome and inspire all as pilgrims- Run profitable commercial activities

- Steward our resources effectively- Work on a basis of sound financial acumen

The Brief

In addition to a regular rhythm of prayer and worship, the cathedral hosts a varied and wide-ranging events and activities programme. It broadly comprises venue hire, partnership events, cathedral-own productions, a learning and outreach programme, participation in nationwide initiatives such as Year of Pilgrimage and sharing of both our own and loaned collections through our museum, Open Treasure. March 2020 was intended to be the launch of a visual arts programme that aimed to develop our audiences and offer new opportunities for income generation through a complementary activity programme. This included the display of two existing major artworks (LIGHT by Chris Levine and Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon) and a new community art project with Mick Stephenson and schools from County Durham. It is recognised that we need a visionary individual to enhance our in-house skill base and help to realise our commitment to innovative, appealing and inclusive engagement that supports the financial resilience of the Cathedral.

We need a Creative Programmer with a history of commercial success who can check and challenge our creative engagement across all visitor facing areas of our operations, providing advice and support for their restructure and development in line with our Christian ethos. The successful consultant will develop a creative programme enabling exploration and adventure by our audiences, and the methodology for planning creative engagement in the future. We hope to change perceptions of the cathedral through exciting and inspiring works.

Reporting to the Change Programme Managers, and working with the project boards, the consultant will develop and deliver a revised engagement strategy for the cathedral by October 2020.

The ability to work to tight deadlines is vital. If project delays are due to programme delays at the Cathedral then we will extend the term of the contract: if it is due to a consultant failure to meet required timescales and we have provided information on time, it will cause a contract review and possibly lead to early termination. Applicants must have the capacity to deliver this project to the required timeline as an essential requirement.

Deliverables

Deliverable Date

Attend fortnightly project board meetings of the Centrality of Worship: Community and Audience Development workstream on Wednesday afternoons, with possible attendance at several Visitor Experience and Enterprise project boards (Monday afternoons) where necessary, completing any independent tasks set to agreed deadlines.

Fortnightly

Working with internal teams, the Project Board and external partners, develop a draft Creative Programme (suggested 12 months) for the cathedral, feeding into the overall engagement and audience development strategy. To present a draft programme to the Centrality of Worship Project Board.

16th September

Finalise Creative Programme for scrutiny by D5 (Senior Management Team.)

22nd September

Present final Creative Programme to Centrality of Worship Project Board, ensuring that it is aligned with the new marketing/digital strategy (available from 16/9) to deliver audience centred campaigns. This is part of a separate Digital Marketing brief.

30th September

Develop detailed and realistic delivery plans By final submission to Chapter; Monday

and budgets, working on a best-value basis. 12th October

Identify income generating opportunities and support the Development team in identifying areas that could attract further investment.

By final submission to Chapter; Monday 12th October

Develop relationships with regional and national creative organisations to explore opportunities for partnership working that complements and extends the reach of both organisations. These will be developed further during the future implementation phase.

By final submission to Chapter; Monday 12th October

Provide specialist support, advice, and knowledge in areas of expertise across the cathedral’s wider activity programme as required

By final submission to Chapter; Monday 12th October

Final submission of plans to Chapter Prepared by 12th October, for Chapter meeting on October 20th.

Fee

The budget is £12,000 excluding VAT, but inclusive of any travel or expenses.

Appointment Timeline

We will be appointing the successful consultant the week of 17th August 2020 - with a kick off meeting on August 19th or 20th. The successful consultant would need to be available for an immediate start.

Response Detail

To respond to this brief, please answer the following questions:

1. Please illustrate how you would add value whilst also delivering an exceptional creative programme for the cathedral. This programme must be engaging to a wide variety of audiences, based upon sound audience research and an understanding of profit and loss. You must indicate the evidence base you would use to support your programming ideas. [2 pages]

2. Please create a timetable of activity to show how you would meet the timescales within this brief, including a list of questions or information that will be required upon appointment. Please outline your contingency plans for illness or inability to work. [1 page]

3. Please provide a summary of relevant professional experience (can include case studies) outlining the value you can add to this role, in particular please include your experience of commercially successful creative programming. Two relevant references that can be contacted in advance of appointment. [2 pages]

4. A summary budget breakdown (one page), illustrating how the fee would be spent and payment timescales. [1 page]

If necessary, where invited, applicants will need to attend the next stage interview prepared with key questions that they will need resolved in order to begin work at the beginning of the contract, in order that we can provide the required information at the kick off meeting.

Please note that you will be required to present statements of insurance after appointment.

Anything additional that you submit to us in response to this brief as background information will not necessarily be read or count towards our evaluation of your proposal.

This is one of a series of briefs for consultant roles to support the change management programme at Durham Cathedral, also including visitor experience and enterprise, audience research, marketing and commercial consultants. We are open to considering applications from

a consortium of consultants to meet all or a number of briefs as a joined proposal. The other briefs will be shared on the Durham Cathedral website or available on request.

Please send completed submissions in PDF format to change@durhamcathedral.co.uk by 09:00AM on Monday 17th August.

Response Evaluation

Responses will be evaluated as follows:

Responses will be marked on a scale between 0 and 5 points, using the guide outlined in the table below, and weighted accordingly.

0 = The response fails to comply with the requirements of this brief or is otherwise incapable of evaluation.

Wholly Unsatisfactory

1 =The response does not demonstrate an understanding of Durham Cathedral’s requirements as defined in this brief and is incomplete or is otherwise unconvincing in significant respects.

Unsatisfactory

2 = The response demonstrates only a limited understanding of Durham Cathedral’s requirements as defined in this brief, lacks detail or is not convincing in some respects.

Cause for Concern

3 = The response demonstrates an understanding of, and compliance with Durham Cathedral’s requirements as defined in this brief.

Acceptable

4 = The response indicates that the bidder would effectively deliver the project in accordance with Durham Cathedral’s requirements. The response is convincing, detailed and demonstrates a good understanding of Durham Cathedral’s requirements as defined in this brief.

Good

5 = The response indicates that the bidder would effectively deliver the project in accordance with Durham Cathedral’s requirements. The response is entirely convincing, highly detailed and demonstrates a complete understanding of and compliance with, Durham Cathedral’s requirements as defined in this brief.

Excellent

QUALITY CRITERIA (80% WEIGHTING) SCORE (OUT OF 15)PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCECOSTED SUMMARY PROPOSALADDED VALUE

PRICE CRITERIA (20% WEIGHTING) SCORE (OUT OF 5)PRICE

Clarifications

Please contact change@durhamcathedral.co.uk if any clarifications to this brief by 09:00AM on Friday 14th August.