Breakthrough Traineeship – Creative Programme Officer, Guildford
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 Officer will support Surrey Libraries and Surrey Arts, the Project Co-ordinator, and culture teams, to create and deliver an exciting programme of cultural events, based in Staines Library and the local area. This includes workshops, performances, talks, online content and more. The programme will be developed together with local young people through Project YC ‘Youth Collective’, with the aim to: Empower youth voice, Improve the cultural offer for community of Staines-upon-Thames, and enhance creative skills pathways for young people.
The role will include:
- Assisting with research across a range of areas to support programming, project plans and activities
- Communicating with artists and facilitators taking part in exhibitions, workshops, and events
- Assisting with out of hours events and activities, including preparing venues and front of house duties (e.g. welcoming audiences to events, keeping a log of audience numbers)
- Maintaining the calendar of events
- Supporting collecting feedback from project participants
About the employer
Surrey Arts, part of Surrey County Council delivers and facilitates opportunities for people of all ages to participate in high quality arts activities. The service is the lead organisation for the Arts Council funded Surrey Music Hub and Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP), Culture Box Surrey. In addition, Surrey Arts creates projects with partners across the county to increase and widen participation and engagement in the arts, including performances, visual arts, drama, and dance with many supported by external funding. Surrey Arts sits within the Cultural Services team at Surrey County Council, which includes Libraries, Heritage and Active Surrey.
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.