Breakthrough Traineeship – Creative Programme Assistant, Folkestone
About Breakthrough
Breakthrough is a 6‑month employability programme designed as a stepping stone to get you workplace experience and all-important employment skills. This short placement gives you insight into a future career in the Creative Industry, supporting your confidence and professionalism in the workplace, and helping you to break through into a career that matters to you!
Read more about Breakthrough here:
The role
The Creative Programme Assistant role will be hands-on and varied. As we are a fast paced, small organisation you will get to experience a full range of tasks. You will gain experience working within a gallery space/open studio/research space dedicated to arts and mental health. You will work alongside people with lived experience and receive mentoring and support from the Director, Sarah Lloyd. You will be supported to gain transferable skills in gallery and arts administration and gain in-person experience working with the public. You will be shown how we use social media to promote activities and advocate for mental health and wellbeing. You will be involved in the delivery of creative festivals and our annual Design + Art Fair. You will gain experience of exhibition logistics and learn about evaluation, record keeping and sales. We will be able to align the role to help you with your long-term goals, ensuring you gain the experience you need for future employment whether that be curatorial, creative, managerial, administrative, communications etc…
This role could include assisting with:
Gallery Administration (during gallery opening times) including:
- Welcoming visitors
- Assisting with workshops and events
- Recording visitor numbers and feedback
- Supporting evaluation activity when required
- Keeping the gallery space clean, tidy and organised
Exhibition support:
- Assisting with preparing exhibition and event materials
- Technician work such as Painting walls
- Exhibition planning and installation/de-installation
- Creating displays and general administrative tasks
Social Media/Website/Comms:
- Assisting with updating of FWF’s website, LinkedIn and other platforms
- Designing and creating marketing materials
- Liaising with local press and submitting listings
- Documenting events and exhibitions
- Contributing/developing ideas for new social media content
About the employer
Fourth Wall Folkestone Community Interest Company is a creative space focused on art and themes of mental health and women’s health. Currently situated on The Old High Street in Folkestone, Kent; Fourth Wall Folkestone is open to all as either an informal gallery, open studio, or research space. We hold accessible events, workshops and exhibitions and we invite the local community to reimagine the role of art in society through creative activities and drop in events. The programme is curated by Sarah Lloyd: an artist, researcher, social activist and the Director of Fourth Wall Folkestone CIC. She believes all of us as humans are inherently creative and believes that an artist’s role is to inspire and facilitate creative thinking. She is passionate about learning through making. The ability of art to connect people together and shape community is what drives a lot of her own artistic practice and therefore the programme at Fourth Wall Folkestone.
Deadline for applications
The deadline is 11:45pm, on 17 August
You will need to download the job description below and read it carefully, and review the eligibility criteria below to ensure you are able to apply.
You then need to fill out the form below to submit your application.
All of the job descriptions include an “Employers advice” section and we strongly recommend that you tailor your answers to ensure they cover that advice given for the specific role you are applying for.
You can apply for more than one role if you wish to, but you will need to submit separate applications using the same process.
We strongly suggest that you research travel options for the role before applying to ensure travel is feasible.
To be eligible to apply for a Breakthrough traineeship, applicants must:
- Be aged 18-25 on the 29th September 2025
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Available to start work on the 29th September 2025 and available for the duration of the placement (until 28th March 2026)
- Have no or little (less than one month) previous experience of working in an arts, creative or voluntary sector organisation
In addition to the above, applicants should also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Currently not in employment, education or training (NEET)
- Be disabled and/or Neurodivergent
- Have current or prior mental health issues
- Have experienced racism, homophobic or transgender discrimination
- Be a recent school or college leaver (A level or equivalent)
- Are struggling to find work due to lack of employment or training experience
Download the full job description
This contains more information about the role, including advice from the employer.
Breakthrough 2025 Application Form
Please ensure you have read the job description and all other information above before applying.
Contact us
If you are unsure if you are eligible, have any other questions, or need information in a different format, please email our Careers team:
FAQs
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If you have applied for a Breakthrough placement in a previous year and been unsuccessful, then yes you are very welcome to apply again if you meet this years eligibility criteria!
If you have already successfully undertaken a Breakthrough placement before, you won't be eligible to apply again.