Artistic Director and Chief Executive

Isacs; Belfast; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Belfast International Arts Festival seeks an Artistic Director and Chief Executive to lead the festival, curating a diverse range of contemporary performing arts. The role involves strategic leadership, community engagement, and delivering an inclusive arts experience for audiences. Applicants should demonstrate relevant experience and share their vision for the festival.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in artistic leadership and arts programming.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Belfast International Arts Festival.
• Curate diverse artistic programs and engage with the community.
• Recruit and support staff, ensuring an inclusive environment.

Job description

Belfast International Arts Festivalinvites applicants to become our next Artistic Director and Chief Executive.

Belfast International Arts Festivalis the largest international festival of contemporary arts in Ireland and one of the oldest across the UK and Ireland. The festival was established in 1962 as Belfast Festival at Queen’s, reconstituted in 2015 and rebranded as Belfast International Arts Festival. It takes places every year, in October and November, across Belfast, at various locations, both indoors and outdoors and large-scale and intimate. Our values reflect the importance we place upon global connections, contemporary and Inter-disciplinary arts practice, community, collaboration and partnership, access and diversity.

We are seeking anArtistic Director and Chief Executiveto replace Richard Wakely, who steps down at the end of 2025 after successfully leading the organisation and curating the programme over 13 editions. We want you to help us continue to lead, develop and grow this exciting annual celebration of contemporary performing arts from home and abroad to audiences from across the city and beyond.

BIAF is committed to being an inclusive employer and recruiting a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve. However you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, we welcome you to apply for this role. A full candidate’s information pack can be found below.

Please provide a written personal statement telling us why you want to be the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Belfast International Arts Festival and the qualities and experiences you would bring to the role and how those meet the criteria outlined in the Application Pack (available to download below). Statements should be no longer than 3 A4 pages.

Please also include your CV and a completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. Links to videos of examples of your work can also be included in your application and will be welcomed.

If you would find it more accessible to submit your application in a different format, personal statements of up to 5-minutes in length will also be welcomed in video format (preferably mp4 or .mov files).

Application Deadline:5pm, Friday 4th July 2025.

BIAF is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

A plain text version of the application pack is availablehere .

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