We’re looking for a communications contractor to help spread the word about our Beltane & Samhuinn Fire Festivals. If you can tell compelling stories about creative happenings via web and social media, wrangle journalists, and secure top-class press coverage, this is the role for you!

Contractor title: Communications Coordinator 

Organisation: Beltane Fire Society 

Location: Edinburgh (remote with some in-person)

Hours: Approx 140 hours across September – November 2021 

Fee: anticipated at £1600-£2000

Deadline: Monday 6th September, Noon 

Who we are 

The Beltane Fire Society is a community of volunteers, and we stage huge fire festivals in central Edinburgh on the last days of April and October each year. We use them to mark the turning seasons and keep ancient Celtic traditions alive. They’re incredible visual spectacles with audiences of thousands, and we get a high level of press and social media attention from around the world. During the pandemic we have pivoted to creating digital festivals, and we’re now preparing to return to a physical festival with, we hope, a closely integrated live online counterpart.

Focus of the role 

This year is our 26th Samhuinn Fire Festival. This Samhuinn will be a slightly new format to previous festivals, with a parade in Edinburgh’s Old Town, which will be livestreamed online alongside recorded content from our volunteers. We want to make sure it is attended by people who are registered and attending remotely, but also to share our story and the traditions we love with everyone who is interested, on and offline. 

Our Comms Coordinator will lead our external communications, through two areas of responsibility: engaging with news media for press coverage, and running our online presence. 

The news media element will involve planning, writing and pitching feature articles to increase interest in our online and offline event, getting event details on listings sites, contacting registrants with details, writing and sending press releases and setting up interviews, as well as coordinating all the journalists who want to film, write about or photograph our event – responding to their enquiries and if needed, guiding those we give special access to on the night of the event itself. 

The online element will involve telling our stories and increasing interest in our event through our website and social media platforms, and helping coordinate the digital streaming aspect of the event on the night. This will include planning, writing and posting content, responding to queries and comments left for us online, coordinating with our volunteer photographers and videographers to store and share their work, and finding creative ways to engage our audiences and community.

Who we’re looking for 

We’re looking for someone to represent Beltane Fire Society to the press and to the public, continuing and building upon the good work done by previous Communications Coordinators. That’ll take someone: 

• Who really gets how news media outlets work and has demonstrable experience of engaging with press to get great coverage; 
• Who really understands social media and web CMS, and has demonstrable experience of using them to communicate effectively (ideally in an events context); 
• Interested in or willing to learn about Beltane Fire Society, our principles, events and style – and who will be able to work well with our volunteers; 
• With great writing skills and ability to devise, pitch and write great web and social content, as well as press releases and feature articles; 
• Able to build strategy to meet press coverage and social media targets, and to report regularly on both; 
• Has knowledge / experience of planning and managing livestreams on Facebook and YouTube;
• Willing and able to commit to working with us flexibly from early September through to mid November, often including evenings and Sunday afternoons. 
• Must be available on 17 October and 31 October. 
• With great people skills and initiative, who can work well in a small team with members of our board of trustees and our Event Coordinator; 
• Based in Edinburgh or within easy travelling distance, and able to work from home. 

There will be an opportunity for this role to roll over through to the Beltane Fire Festival in 2022.

To apply or find out more, email your CV and a cover letter setting out your suitability to chair@beltane.org , by Noon on Monday 6th September.