Breakthrough Traineeship – Programme Assistant, Bexhill-on-Sea
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
This is a unique role for someone looking to build hands-on experience in cultural programming, youth engagement, artist support, and operational gallery management. As Programme Assistant, you will be a proactive and essential member of Flatland’s small team, supporting both our internal activities and our role as a key delivery partner for Talent Accelerator (info below).
You will gain broad skills across public programming, communications, event delivery, project research, artist development, gallery operations, and community engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Talent Accelerator (Wed – Thurs):
- Support Talent Accelerator’s team, working closely with partners at De La Warr Pavilion and other regional collaborators.
- Assist in the coordination of work experience, workshops, mentoring sessions, and engagement activities for 14 – 25-year-olds.
- Support communications and relationship building with young people, schools, and creative industry partners.
- Conduct research on regional creative opportunities and help map career pathways for young people in the local area.
- Provide administrative and logistical support for Talent Accelerator’s regional activity and reporting processes.
Flatland Projects (Fri – Sat):
- Support the planning, production, and installation of exhibitions and public programmes.
- Work closely with Flatland’s Director and Artist Development Lead to deliver artist residencies, civic programming, and community-facing activity.
- Assist with day-to-day administration, including meeting support, budget tracking, and coordination of Flatland’s programme schedule.
- Contribute to the running of the Bexhill Cultural Network, liaising with local stakeholders and helping organise network meetings and events.
- Ensure the smooth operation of the gallery and shared spaces, working collaboratively with the Gallery Assistant and studio tenants.
- Act as a keyholder, welcoming visitors and supporting open hours and events on Saturdays.
About the employer
Flatland Projects is an artist-focused organisation committed to commissioning and supporting artists at critical points in their careers. Located at Beeching Road Studios in Bexhill-on-Sea, our work includes exhibitions, artist development opportunities, and community engagement initiatives. Since 2021, Flatland has been leading the development of Beeching Road Studios into a dynamic hub for creative practice, housing 27 artist studios, arts organisations, and small creative businesses.
Our mission is rooted in challenging the socio-economic imbalance of the coastal art scene and championing the sustainability of artist-led practice in East Sussex. We create meaningful, progressive support systems for artists from underrepresented backgrounds and advocate for equitable cultural infrastructure across our region.
Flatland is also a core delivery partner for several regional and local initiatives, including:
-Talent Accelerator – a creative careers programme led by the De La Warr Pavilion, designed to support young people aged 14 – 25 into sustainable, fulfilling employment in the creative industries. (More about this in the full job description you can download below)
-Coastal Catalyst – a regional programme strengthening cultural infrastructure across Sussex’s coastal towns.
-Bexhill Cultural Network – a local platform for collaboration between cultural and community stakeholders in Bexhill.
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
-
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.