Job Title: Festival and Events Manager Organisation: Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust Location: London Salary: £35k – 45k per annum Reports to: Head of Programmes & Partnerships Direct Reports: 2 Job Description: Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust, a leading promoter of Indian classical music, is seeking an experienced Festivals and Events Manager to lead, plan, and deliver world-class events in London and Leicester. We are looking for a highly organised, passionate, and detail-oriented individual with a love for Indian classical music to join our dedicated team. Role Overview The Events and Festival Manager is a pivotal role at Darbar Arts Cultural Heritage Trust, you must have a passion for music and ideally have an understanding or interest in Indian Classical Music. The role is responsible for the strategic planning, development, and delivery of our flagship festivals and events. This role involves leading a small team, to ensure the successful execution of all our activities. The successful candidate will be instrumental in shaping the future of Darbar’s events, ensuring they meet our high standards of artistic quality, audience engagement, and operational excellence. Accountability over all events. Running London Events and other events, overseeing Leicester events and Festival. Key Responsibilities Leadership and Management: Lead, mentor, and manage the small team of events, providing guidance, support, and performance management. Oversee the planning and execution of all events and festivals, ensuring they align with Darbar’s vision, mission, and strategic goals. Develop and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including artists, partners, sponsors, and audiences. Festival and Events Manage and deliver several large scale events – like our concerts at St. Martin in the Field, the Barbican and other key venues, as well as manage and deliver our more intimate events including the platinum series Manage and deliver our partnership concerts Oversee events (including the Culture Festival) in Leicester Being accountable and support the delivery of Darbar Festiva Operational Management: Oversee all logistical aspects of event delivery, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations, licensing requirements, and accessibility standards. Manage the production of detailed event plans, schedules, and run sheets, ensuring clear communication and coordination across all teams. Develop and maintain a comprehensive event dashboard, providing real-time updates on key metrics and progress. Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a comprehensive events and festivals strategy, identifying opportunities for growth and innovation. Work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure alignment with organisational objectives and the broader cultural sector. Oversee the creation and management of event budgets, ensuring financial sustainability and effective resource allocation. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL): Lead on the development and implementation of MEL frameworks for all events and festivals, ensuring robust data collection and analysis that is in line with funder requirements, including the Arts Council England. Produce detailed reports on event performance, including audience engagement, financial outcomes, and impact against strategic goals, for internal reporting as well as for board reporting. Use insights from MEL to inform future event planning and drive continuous improvement. Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary point of contact for senior stakeholders, including funders, sponsors, and partners, ensuring strong relationships and effective communication. Represent Darbar at industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities, raising the profile of the organisation and its work. Team Development: Support the professional development of the events team, providing opportunities for training and skill-building. Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture, encouraging creativity, innovation, and excellence. Person Specification Essential: Significant experience in senior event management, preferably within the arts or cultural heritage sectors. Proven track record of leading large-scale events or festivals, from conception through to delivery. Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience in line management, mentoring and developing staff. Excellent organisational and project management abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines. Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), with the ability to analyse data and produce insightful reports. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. Financial acumen, with experience in budget management and financial reporting. Be able to work evenings and weekends. · Work on unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) Need to be able to travel to Leicester on a regular basis. Desirable: Experience working in a charitable or non-profit organisation. Knowledge of health and safety regulations, licensing, and accessibility standards within the UK events industry. Ideally have access to a car to be used to travel to remote events. A passion for South Asian arts and culture, with a deep understanding of the ICM sector. Join us in promoting the finest Indian classical music and delivering exceptional cultural experiences in the heart of London and Leicester This job description is designed to appeal to candidates with both strong logistical skills and a genuine passion for Indian classical music, highlighting the prestige of Darbar's events and the unique experience the position offers. Interviews will be held 15th and 16th January 2025 in our West London Office.