Reader in Residence opportunities

Crossing the Tees Book Festival would like to commission FIVE Readers in Residence to engage adults across the Tees Valley with the National Year of Reading.

The National Year of Reading is an initiative that aims to change the nation’s reading culture. Our festival will support the campaign’s goals to bring reading to where culture is and ask residents of the Tees Valley to Go All In and see how reading in all its forms can unlock more of what you love – whether it’s music, baking, family time, films, sci-fi or… anything.

We would like a Reader in Residence to be based in each of the five local authorities.

The Reader in Residence will be expected to:

• Generate events that aim to engage with communities and promote library usage
• Engage people with reading activities to celebrate reading in all its forms
• Aim activities towards adults and young adults aged 16+
• Explore library collections and creatively shine a light on some of our hidden gems
• Deliver a minimum of three activity sessions from May to July in libraries or community venues within the local area
• We recognise that applicants will need time to explore library collections to inspire ideas for creative reading activities but we are interested to hear your initial original ideas of what those activities could involve.

The festival will provide:

• Access to library collections and space to explore them

• Suitable spaces for workshops in all authorities
• Promotion of the Residency and the activities that you deliver
• Access to power and presentation facilities
• Photocopying facilities
• Support of library staff

The readers in residence will need to provide:

• Timesheets of hours worked on the project
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (payment of £21.50 will be reimbursed if required)

FEE

The fee for each Reader in Residence will be £2000 including travel expenses. We anticipate that this fee will cover the following:

• Initial research time from February 2026
• Planning time for three activity sessions (these could be the same activity repeated in different locations)
• Delivery of three activity sessions
• Monthly blog posts and engaging content for the festival website and social media

PAYMENT

The fee will be paid in two instalments by Stockton Borough Council within 30 days of a dated invoice. £1000 will be paid at the start of the project in February and £1000 will be paid after the final activity session in July.

PROPOSAL

Your proposal should include:

• Details of your relevant experience and what you would hope to gain from the project
• Details of any experience working with community groups
• Initial thoughts on which area of the collections may be of interest and type of activity that may take place
• Preference of local authority library service
• Two work related referees

Applicants must live in Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hartlepool or Redcar & Cleveland.

Submission of the proposal should be sent to info@crossingthetees.org by Sunday 11 January 2026. Interviews will take place between 23 January and 28 January.