Job Description
Glasgow Life is looking for a Festival Director of Glasgow International, Scotland’s world-renowned biennial festival of contemporary art. The postholder will provide a key leadership role in taking forward the delivery of Glasgow International and will collaborate with the contemporary art community, funders and partner organisations to realise the festival’s ambitions.
The postholder will lead on the artistic vision and organisational development of Glasgow International, ensuring the festival delivers agreed milestones on time and remains financially stable. The successful applicant will join at an exciting time for the festival, in its 20th anniversary year and with renewed support from core funders towards festivals in and. Additionally, following a comprehensive review of Glasgow International, Glasgow Life will be working to develop a new governance structure for the festival, to best support its aims for the future.
This post is a temporary contract until 30 September, spanning the delivery and evaluation phases of Glasgow International and the programming, development, delivery and evaluation phases of Glasgow International .
About Glasgow International
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art. Every two years the festival presents an array of artists' projects across Glasgow by international artists and those based locally, amplifying the city's identity as a vibrant and distinctive centre for artistic production, presentation and cultural organising.
About Glasgow Life’s Arts and Music teams
As a Festival Manager you’ll be joining Glasgow International, which is part of Glasgow Life’s Arts & Music team. The Arts & Music team provides people with valuable and meaningful experiences through arts and music. Our high-quality services, world-class events and festivals benefit the people of Glasgow. We help people experience the benefits of taking part in cultural programmes and events. These contribute to Glasgow's visitor economy. We make sure everyone gets the most out of Glasgow Life and use culture to promote inclusion and happiness. Read more on our website.
About Glasgow Life
Glasgow Life is the charity which inspires people to lead richer, more active lives through culture and sport. Simply put, we believe that everyone deserves a great Glasgow life. We do this by delivering innovative cultural and sporting programmes and events which improve the mental, physical, and economic well-being of Glasgow. Glasgow Life also creates unforgettable experiences for tourists, strengthening the city’s visitor economy. We stage world-class events, conferences and festivals which enhance Glasgow’s international reputation. Glasgow is the first city to be named European Capital of Sport twice sport and was also the first place in the UK to be named a UNESCO City of Music.
The role
As Festival Director, you’ll play a central role in leading and developing the festival towards editions in and. You will report to Glasgow Life senior leadership team and be part of the wider conversation with key stakeholders around the future governance structure of the festival.
The candidate
If you’re interested in joining us as Glasgow International Festival Director you will need:
• Leadership experience within the contemporary arts or closely related sector;
• Extensive knowledge of the contemporary art sector in Glasgow, Scotland and internationally;
• Proven track record of curating ambitious contemporary art projects;
• Good communication, listening and organisational skills, with proven track record of ability to collaborate with a wide range of partners;
• A proven track record in successfully raising funds from trusts, foundations, government agencies and individual donors;
• The ability to think strategically and to work with others, with knowledge of best practice in the governance of contemporary arts organisations;
• Lived experience of marginalisation within the cultural sector, as a result of racialised, gendered or ableist structures; or evidence of your commitment to increasing access to the cultural sector for marginalised individuals and an understanding of their lived experience.
You can read the full person specification for this role under the ‘