Breakthrough Traineeship – Gallery and Communications Assistant, Portsmouth
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 primary responsibility of this role is to offer visitors to the gallery a warm and informative welcome and to support the day-to-day operation of the organisation.
You will also be working closely with the Marketing & Communications Manager, supporting communications and developing skills in a range of areas including copywriting, social media management, content creation, and website management.
During the placement you will gain experience of working across all aspects of our programme delivery, including a broad range of administrative and practical tasks.
This role will include assisting with:
- Front of house duties for the day-to-day operation of Aspex Portsmouth, its programme and events;
- Coordination of volunteers;
- The delivery of creative engagement events and exhibition installations;
- The creation and management of social media content and channels;
- Documenting internal and external activities across our programme and wider community outreach, through reporting and admin;
- Updating the Aspex website, including creating new listings and pages to support the communication of our programme;
- E‑newsletter and event communications using platforms including Mailchimp and Eventbrite.
The role will be based at: Aspex Portsmouth, The Vulcan Building, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth PO1 3BF and will include attendance of offsite workshops and events in the community.
About the employer
Aspex brings new art and ideas to Portsmouth. We believe that in bringing joy art broadens minds, facilitates learning, connects and nurtures our communities and stimulates radical imagining.
Located in the historic Vulcan Building on the waterfront at Gunwharf Quays, we create opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and life experience to engage with contemporary visual art – from looking and discussing, to making and curating.
Deadline for applications
The deadline is 11:45pm, on 27 July 2026
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 28 September 2026
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Available to start work on the 28 September 2026 and available for the duration of the placement (until 28th March 2027)
- 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
Please note that this programme is not suitable for those on a degree placement year or an MA programme.
Download the full job description
This contains more information about the role, including advice from the employer.
Breakthrough 2026 Application Form
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.
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Please do. You will need to submit an application for each role you are interested in and should check that the travel to the workplace is realistic for you before applying.