Project Hidden in Plain Sight: Making Cheshire’s LGBTQ+ History Visible

Commissioned by Radiate Arts CIC
Funded by Historic England through History in the Making

Location: Cheshire, with venues and session dates to be confirmed

Contract: Freelance commission
Fee, days and expenses: Fixed fee of £6,000 (including workshop materials, travel, expenses) for 25 days over the project’s 12-month lifetime. Paid in 5 instalments upon completion of staged tasks. There is an additional £5,000 allowance for the permanent place marker.

Start date: December 2026
End date: December 2027

Role description:
Radiate Arts CIC is seeking a freelance artist to lead creative heritage activity and be the main day-to-day project contact for LGBTQ+ young people taking part. Working with the Radiate Arts Project Manager, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, and community partners, you’ll help young people explore Cheshire’s LGBTQ+ histories and decide how those histories should be shared.
You’ll support young people from their first enquiry through to the public celebration. That includes helping them feel welcome, making it easier to take part and creating ways for them to influence decisions throughout the project. Their research and creative work will inform a permanent public place marker, interpretation that shares the stories behind it, and a public exhibition or celebration.
We welcome artists working in any medium who can combine creative facilitation with the relationship-building and practical follow-up that help young people stay involved.

Main responsibilities

Youth liaison and participation
• Work with Radiate Arts and community partners to reach and welcome LGBTQ+ young people. Respond to enquiries, explain what taking part involves and help participants register and prepare for their first session.
• Be the named contact for participants through agreed Radiate Arts channels and contact hours. Send session information and reminders, answer practical questions and follow up sensitively when someone misses a session or needs support to rejoin.
• Check in with young people about access needs, confidence and barriers to attendance. Agree practical adjustments with the Project Manager and use participants’ preferred contact arrangements in line with project procedures.
• Give young people different ways to contribute, including those who prefer to share ideas individually or through creative activity. Record the decisions they influence and tell them how their feedback has shaped the project.
• Keep agreed participation, consent and feedback records securely. Follow Radiate Arts’ safeguarding and confidentiality procedures, and pass concerns promptly to the designated safeguarding lead. The Project Manager will agree contact hours, response expectations and escalation routes with you during induction.
Creative heritage delivery

See website for more information including person specification.

How to apply:
Send a short statement explaining your interest and relevant experience, a CV or brief artist biography, and up to three examples of your work. In your statement, tell us how you would help young people explore a local history and decide how to share it, and give an example of how you have helped young people join or stay involved in a project. Include your availability for mobilisation and January delivery.

Applicants can contact Radiate Arts to discuss alternative application formats or access requirements.

Apply to alex@radiatearts.co.uk

Closing date 27th November 2026

Interviews or informal conversations December 2026