Heritage Programme Manager- Freelance

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Heritage Programme Manager to lead the development, planning, curation, and delivery of heritage-focused programming across a portfolio of events, festivals, and cultural destinations. The successful candidate will be responsible for curating authentic heritage experiences, managing artisans and cultural practitioners, overseeing heritage activations, and ensuring all programming aligns with the event objectives, cultural narratives, and visitor experience goals.

The role requires strong stakeholder management skills and experience working with artisans, heritage organizations, cultural institutions, government entities, and event delivery teams.

• Develop and manage heritage programming, cultural activations, demonstrations, workshops, exhibitions, and immersive experiences.
• Curate authentic heritage content that reflects local traditions, crafts, customs, and cultural narratives.
• Identify and recommend heritage concepts, experiences, and programming that enhance visitor engagement and cultural awareness.
• Ensure all heritage programming aligns with event objectives, audience demographics, and destination positioning.
• Identify, recruit, and manage artisans, craftsmen, cultural practitioners, performers, and heritage specialists.
• Build and maintain a strong network of heritage participants and cultural partners.
• Negotiate, prepare, and administer contracts, agreements, and participation terms with artisans and heritage vendors.
• Coordinate artisan requirements, schedules, demonstrations, and participation plans.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all heritage participants throughout the project lifecycle.

• Liaise with government entities, cultural institutions, heritage organizations, and community groups.
• Coordinate with clients, event agencies, production teams, operations teams, and programming stakeholders.
• Facilitate approvals, communications, and coordination related to heritage content and activations.
• Ensure all stakeholders are aligned on programming objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
• Oversee the day-to-day management and operations of heritage zones, artisan villages, cultural markets, and heritage activations.
• Coordinate setup requirements, operational schedules, logistics, and participant management.
• Monitor artisan performance, attendance, compliance, and operational standards.
• Resolve operational issues and ensure the smooth delivery of all heritage-related activities during live event operations.
• Work closely with operations, production, health and safety, and guest experience teams to ensure seamless execution.

• Manage contracts, participation agreements, and documentation for artisans and heritage partners.
• Maintain accurate records of participants, agreements, operational schedules, and reporting requirements.
• Prepare programme updates, participation reports, operational summaries, and post-event evaluations.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and programme performance reporting.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in cultural programming, heritage management, event programming, festival management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience working with artisans, craftspeople, cultural practitioners, or heritage organizations.
• Strong understanding of UAE heritage, traditional crafts, cultural programming, and community engagement.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.

• Bilingual in English and Arabic.
• Experience working with UAE cultural institutions, government entities, or heritage authorities.
• Established network of artisans, heritage practitioners, and cultural organizations within the UAE.
• Familiarity with traditional Emirati crafts, performing arts, storytelling, and cultural preservation initiatives.

• Freelance Contract
• Duration: July 2026 – December 2026
• Available to work flexible hours, including weekends and event days
• Experience with in the UAE events, cultural, heritage, or destination development sectors is highly desirable
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