Breakthrough Traineeship – Project Assistant, Milton Keynes
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
We are looking for a local, enthusiastic person looking for a future career in arts, heritage or projects in the cultural sector. The role will be varied and suit an independent and flexible person maybe with their own artistic interests. The role includes support with current engagement projects, administrational tasks, content development, marketing and social media as required. We work across the whole cultural sector with organizations, freelancers, artist and creatives, communities and schools. This is a particularly exciting time as we look towards Milton Keynes 60th birthday in January 2027 and work towards supporting the sector to back the bid to become the City of Culture in 2029.
This role will include
- Assisting in person at occasional events and meetings across Milton Keynes.
- Administrational tasks supporting our cultural membership scheme such as refreshing our member database, writing for our newsletter or taking notes at meetings.
- Supporting with engagement or facilitated projects with different communities of people across Milton Keynes.
- Developing and creating content about projects – ours or other creatives taking place to share through digital channels including producing our newsletters.
- Supporting the development of new projects through ideas, conversations and applications.
Who we are:
Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes (AHAMK) is a bridge organisation, membership network and infrastructure body for the arts, heritage, and cultural sector. We work together with stakeholders such as Milton Keynes Council, Milton Keynes Community Fund, Community Action and other organizations in Milton Keynes to support Culture across Milton Keynes.
Our Vision:
AHAMK is a volunteer forum of organisations working together to position arts, heritage, and culture at the heart of Milton Keynes’ infrastructure and strengthen Milton Keynes’ cultural ecosystem.
Our Mission:
- Support, connect, and champion the arts and heritage sector.
- Strengthen collaboration and amplify the sector’s voice.
- Advocate for culture across communities, education, and local stakeholders.
- Promote access, inclusion, and participation.
- Develop and deliver cultural activity through partnerships.
Values:
- Empower communities and organisations for a collective voice.
- Encourage growth, innovation, and collaboration across the creative sector.
- Influence funders and decision-makers.
- Demonstrate social, economic, and cultural impact.
- Nurture talent and skills within the cultural workforce
Here are some of our key projects we are working on at this time:
Networks & Leadership:
- Stabilise and build networks; act as conduit for sector voices in decision-making this includes creatives, artists, members, Cultural Leaders and Community members delivering cultural heritage activities
- Clear focus on MK60 (60 years of the City) and City of Culture 2029
MAKE Network:
- Schools links with culture organisations
- Building pathways for creative careers leading up to 2030 with schools, college and OU
MK Creatives & Artists Programme:
- Skills, networking, safeguarding, wellbeing initiatives
- Funding development
- Strategic Arts forum
Trustee Development Programme:
- Infrastructure and governance support
- Youth trustee element for leadership development
Community Engagement:
- Mapping cultural assets, one-stop directory for the sector, creative hubs in deprived areas, sector support training and CPD programmes
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion work
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.