ASPbelong is a project spanning universities, game developers, artists and young people, exploring how shared immersive experiences can strengthen real-world sense of belonging and mental health. We’re publicly funded by Horizon Europe and UKRI.

We’re looking for an exceptional collaborator to help grow awareness of Lina – our classroom experience in which young people aged 11-14 work together to solve the mystery of a missing classmate – and more broadly of our format Augmented Social Play (ASP). Played on tablets or smartphones without internet access, ASP combines immersive storytelling, collaborative gameplay and evidence-based psychology, making bold but safe use of ubiquitous tech to strengthen real-world connection.

Lina has been in soft launch via a multi-nation scientific study into its impact on young people and classroom climate. It’s been warmly received in dozens of schools, and now we’re gearing up for public launch. So this is about amplifying – getting our message to the right people, especially educators, journalists and thought-leaders. We’re non-profit and non-commercial; we’re motivated by innovation and belief in our work; our success metric is uptake, not income. But this is also about raising visibility in order to secure a future for this work.

This is not a routine social media role. You'll help shape an entire communications strategy, build new partnerships, approach mainstream and specialist press, influencers, and public figures, create or commission short-form content, plan and support event attendance, and more.

We’re looking for someone with initiative, courage and sound judgement, who is genuinely excited by the work we’re doing. Passion for education, social impact, cross-disciplinary creative work or innovative tech could all be relevant. An understanding of how ideas reach people in 2026 is essential.

You’ll work closely with Adam Barnard, the project’s non-academic lead, while interacting with members of a diverse consortium spanning Brighton, Birmingham, London, Dublin, Austria, Czechia, Portugal and beyond. Being based in Brighton (as Adam is) or SE England is a bonus but not essential – this role is primarily remote – however you must be either a British national, or legally able to work in the UK.

We’d start in September / early Autumn, initially on a 6 week trial, then extending to roughly a year’s initial engagement. Hours flexible – we’ve envisioned this as a part-time freelance role, perhaps 2-3 days per week on average, but this is negotiable. Pay (hourly / daily) dependent on experience but in line with comparable roles.

How to apply

Before you apply, look closely at our website www.aspbelong.com.

- A short introduction – who you are, and why this interests you (max 250 words)

- A relevant example of something you've made happen, or helped spread (max 250 words)

- You can attach, or link to, a CV and/or portfolio, but this is not essential.

Deadline: Monday 27 July, 12pm

Next steps and interviews (online): tbc / flexible

ASPbelong

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