Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries

Job Summary

We are looking for two creative practitioners with experience of working with early years children (aged 0-3) and a passion for books and reading.

Book Babies (working title) is one strand of Inspire's Baby Steps to Reading Wellbeing programme which is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The programme will see us working with parents and babies (aged 0-3) in libraries and Family Hubs in Ashfield and Mansfield.

We are looking for two creative practitioners to design and deliver playful and creative book-based sessions in libraries and Family Hubs for parents and their babies.

The sessions should nurture a love of books, stories and shared reading, through creative and interactive experiences, for both the child and parent.

Sessions will take place in Kirkby-in-Ashfield Library and Mansfield Central Library, and in Family Hubs in those areas. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and planning opportunities will take place during October 2026.

Our aims for Book Babies are to:
nurture enjoyment and confidence of sharing books between parent and child
allow parents space to explore how their baby responds to books
support the creative development of our practitioners
deliver excellent and inspiring book-based sessions for parents and babies that can inform how we develop our current library offer

Timeline overview:
CPD and planning opportunities will take place during October 2026
Session delivery will take place across two programme cycles, the first between November 2026 & March 2027, and the second between April and July 2027
Practitioners will deliver eight sessions in each programme cycle

Fee available:
Expected fee up to £4675 (£4,400 for 16 sessions and a £275 planning session)
Attendance at CPD will be paid
£250 travel allowance
There is some additional budget available for materials
All fees are inclusive of VAT where applicable. There is no budget for accommodation.

Practitioners will:
Work collaboratively with Inspire and our project partners
Attend CPD
Take wide inspiration from the CPD, and their own practice, to design playful and creative book-based sessions suitable for parents and babies in community and library settings
Travel between venues with any materials and equipment needed
Contribute to the project's evaluation by recording feedback from sessions and reporting their own experiences

Inspire will:
Work collaboratively and support the creative development of the practitioners
Support the delivery of CPD via our partners at Nottingham Trent University
Programme the sessions in libraries and Family Hubs
Manage session booking
Support practitioners to deliver the project
Promote through our central communications and marketing team
Record the project through photography, illustration and evaluation processes
Design, develop and record the creative outcomes through legacy materials.

• Job Title:
  
  Call out for Early Years Creatives:
  Book Babies
• Role:
  Creative
• Contract:
  
  Temporary
• Location:
  
  East Midlands

We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates and welcome applications from underrepresented groups.