Jobs

• Buxton International Festival
• Part-time contract working full-time during the 17-day Festival
• Closing 2nd February 2026
• Remuneration: Negotiable

The Role

The Buxton International Festival is a registered charity that runs a major Book Festival as part of its annual festival of Opera, Music, and Jazz held every July. The book festival, which was started by Roy Hattersley in 2001, plays an important part in the overall festival offering, producing debate and discussion on a range of ethical, cultural, historical, political, and literary issues.

We are seeking a new Book Director to curate up to 35 book events and work closely with our small, but dynamic festival team. This role is crucial in delivering an opinion-forming book festival that celebrates the written word and brings authors from across the United Kingdom to Buxton every summer.

The position requires an organised, detail-focused, creative, and motivated individual with strong project management and communication skills. The Book Director will support the development, management, and delivery of a world-class book programme, ensuring it aligns with our organisational values of quality, responsibility, equality, and engagement.

The Book Director is responsible for the development and delivery of the BIF Book Festival in July and has overall responsibility for all aspects from concept, development and content creation to delivery and evaluation. They will work closely with the Chief Executive to meet set targets for audience development, ticket sales, income and expenditure. The overall vision and shape of the Book Festival is developed by the Book Director working with the Chief Executive and supported by whole BIF team including during the Festival period a Book Festival Assistant and a dedicated Intern to help deliver around 50 events across the 17-day Festival. The successful candidate will manage the following aspects:

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Direction and Development of the Book Festival

• Upholding the artistic integrity and vision of BIF
• Extending its reach to wider, more diverse audiences, sponsors and donors

Programming

• Identify and secure potential authors and speakers
• Building up and maintaining partnerships with publishers and publicists
• Logistical planning – scheduling, pricing, capacity setting, accommodation, travel etc.

Finance, Funding and Sponsorship

• Oversight of budget management
• Leading on the development and implementation of a Fundraising Strategy for the Book Festival
• Maintain partnership with Waterstones the Festival’s Bookseller and key sponsor
• Develop sponsorship packages matching sponsors with appropriate events
• Develop and maintain close ties with Festival supporters/funders

Festival Management

• Attend monthly (online or in person) BIF Team meetings in Buxton
• Liaison with venues and bookseller (Waterstones) regarding book sales and signings at book events
• Liaison with Book Festival sponsors working alongside the Festival’s Development Manager
• Attend the Volunteer Briefing in early July
• Oversee contractual, logistical and hospitality arrangements for authors including complimentary tickets

Evaluation

• Ensure that BIF collects all required data for evaluation reporting using a variety of quantitative tools

In addition to the overall planning, the Book Director is responsible for delivering all aspects of a significant number of the Festival programme events and will be expected to work some evenings and weekends during the Festival. This contract will require a phased and managed approach to time across the year, with intense periods during and in the run up to the Festival.  The Festival offices are based in Buxton, however, we will accept applications from candidates who wish to work hybrid.

Essential Qualities/Experience

• The ability and confidence to welcome and host authors and guests on site at the Festival
• Ability to work cooperatively whilst taking leadership responsibility
• A love of books and an understanding of their power to inspire
• Outstanding administrative / organisational skills and strategic drive
• Computer literacy (including Microsoft Office 365 and Zoom) and the aptitude to quickly learn new systems.
• Understanding of social media and their applications
• Writing and editorial skills, including experience of generating content for online and web-based spaces
• Ability to multi-task and manage different priorities
• Management of multiple and often competing priorities and working to tight deadlines whilst maintaining the highest standards of delivery
• Excellent people and communication skills
• Awareness of equal opportunities issues
• Resourceful with the ability to work as part of a team or on own initiative as the situation requires.
• Experience in recruiting and managing temporary staff members

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience of working in an arts or festivals environment
• Experience of producing literature events
• A knowledge of the publishing and literary landscape in the UK

Application notes

To apply: Please send your CV and a covering letter to recruitment@buxtonfestival.co.uk

https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/about-us/jobs

Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd February 2026

Interviews: week commencing 16th February 2026 Festival office on 3 The Square, Buxton SK17 6AZ (or on Zoom if requested).

Be part of bringing live performances to Festival audiences

Buxton International Festival is a celebration of opera, music and books committed to delivering high quality live performances in the beautiful spa town of Buxton each July.

The Festival uses 5 venues in the town centre to host over 100 events – up to 10 per day.  BIF has always enjoyed the support of volunteers, particularly during the Festival period to help us welcome and look after our audience.  To deliver the Festival we need more volunteers than we have ever had before.  Can you help?

Benefits of being a BIF volunteer:

• Enjoy the buzz of the Festival

• Grow your social circle and meet new people

• Access free training and enhance your personal skills, knowledge and experience

• Volunteering is good for your mental and physical health

• Get to see some of the BIF events

• Work as part of the awesome BIF team

• Be able to say “I was part of that”

BIF volunteers are asked to:

• Provide a friendly and welcoming face for visitors

• Treat people with respect and courtesy

• Provide information about BIF to our visitors, answering queries and giving directions

• Seating the audience when venue doors open

• Working the microphone during Q&A sessions

• Sitting in on events

• Turn up on time (including training sessions)

• Commit to at least 5 event shifts (roughly an hour longer than the show)

Are you interested in being part of something special?

Please fill in the online form here and you will hear back from BIF to let you know the next steps.  Even if you have volunteered for BIF in the past, please fill in the form.  Our preference is to contact you by email, but where no email address is provided, we will telephone you.  If, when all your questions have been answered you are happy to join the BIF25 team, you will be sent an event rota to identify the shifts that you are available for.

We provide a festival briefing on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, coving a range of issues including health and Safety and festival procedures, which all volunteers need to attend.

Buxton International Festival is recruiting for committed people, full of creativity and initiative, to act as District Community volunteers for us, helping to promote our events both in person and via social media, and helping us to reach deeper into local communities.

As a community volunteer you will spread the word about our upcoming Festival to your networks and throughout your local community and have the opportunity to offer your own ideas for improving our marketing.

Although this is an unpaid position, being a volunteer for BIF comes with some perks including invitations to our launch event and post Festival thank you party. If you would like to work with one of the country’s finest festivals and become part of the BIF family, then this is for you.

Role description – To distribute brochures/posters/flyers – To promote BIF’s events and exclusive offers on your different social media platforms, this mainly involves reposting what BIF posts.– To promote BIF’s events and exclusive offers through word-of-mouth– To come up with new exciting marketing ideas to promote the Festival as a DCV.

What we are looking for– Confident, articulate people, willing to take on new challenges, who are skilled at working on their own initiative– Enthusiasm for music/books/opera and the work of Buxton International Festival– Potential interest in learning more about marketing and promotion

There is no age limit on this position, and we are happy to be flexible to fit in around your commitments elsewhere.

What’s in it for you?– Unique work experience, working directly with BIF’s marketing team.

– The opportunity to learn more about marketing, develop your creativity in this area, and put your ideas into practice– Invitation to a BIF event– Opportunities to meet the BIF team and attend a Team meeting focused on marketing.

We are currently looking for volunteers in each of the following areas:

Derby

Sheffield

Manchester

London

Liverpool

Birmingham

Stoke on Trent

Bakewell

Glossop

Ashbourne

Matlock

Leek

Baslow

New Mills

Marple

Chapel-en-leFrith

Whaley Bridge

Macclesfield

Stockport

Altrincham

Sale

Knutsford

Wilmslow

To apply, please send an email to James Fairclough at info@buxtonfestival.co.uk outlining your interest in the role.