Director, Artist and Program Development
This is a temporary full-time opportunity, 40 hours per week, to cover a one-year leave. Employment will commence around mid-October/beginning of November for training and will continue until approximately the end of January 2025.
Who We Are
The National accessArts Centre, affectionately named the NaAC, is an amazing but fast-paced, work environment where we all collaborate to provide artistic training, creation, exhibition, and present opportunities for artists with disabilities. As a creativity hub for artists living with disabilities, so often limited in their opportunities and choices, we blur the lines between professional artists, disabled artists, entrepreneurs, innovators and storytellers by sharing their work internationally and re-shaping how the world views and appreciates their talents and place in our communities.
Who You Are and What You Will Do
You are a strategic thinker with a passion for the arts. Reporting to the president & CEO and working with other senior management and key personnel, you will implement the NaAC’s strategic plan for 2024. In addition to furthering several key projects already underway, you will be responsible for initiating already scheduled projects and playing a significant role in activating our Won Lee Community Hub in Ontario. Your public speaking skills will ensure you are primed to represent the NaAC to the national and international arts communities and your visionary expertise will help to guide the NaAC as it endeavours to expand its footprint on the world stage.
Overseeing our programming department, you will leverage your innate ability to lead our high performance team through the many facets of our multi-disciplinary programming. Able to hold difficult conversations with a variety of stakeholders, you will co-lead our Equity Working Group and apply your knowledge of practices that serve equity-seeking communities.
Curating and Presenting:
- Implement approximately 10 presenting events and programs already embedded in our strategic plan.
- Craft exhibition statements and select works for exhibitions, ensuring high caliber presentation.
- Leverage existing and build new relationships with key stakeholders to ensure accessibility is always at theforefront of decisions.
Won Lee Community Arts Hub (Toronto, ON):
- Craft and execute an in-term artist residency plan for this space.
- Execute the strategy and recommendations from grants underway; develop partnerships for this space.
- Develop and execute a fund development strategy for programming in this space.Fund Development and Budget Management:
- Develop and execute grant strategies to support programming and strategic growth with partners that includeCADA, AFA, Canada Council for the Arts, Calgary Foundation, City of Calgary and Rosza Foundation.
- Create and manage programming budgets for the upcoming year.
Programming, Leadership & Advocacy:
- Maintain the 2024 programming plan and build new strategies to increase opportunities for artist with disabilities across multiple disciplines (visual arts, performing arts, music, film, Indigenous Ways of Knowing).
- Lead a high performance team of frontline arts facilitators, program coordinators, and team managers.
- Advocate for artists’ equity; handle conflicts, abuse reporting and ethical dilemmas.
- Represent the NaAC in a variety of situations; hold existing relationships.
Experience and Skills You’ll Bring:
- Related degree or experience in the arts
- Demonstrable strategic thinking/planning
- Curation, presenting & exhibition skills
- Grant writing and reporting experience
- Demonstrable team leadership
- Program planning experience
- Public speaking & exceptional writing skills
- Experience working with adults with disabilities
Pay Rate & Working Hours:
- $80,000 + health, dental, & vision benefits
- Monday – Friday | 40 hours/week, possible evening/weekend
The NaAC is a Diverse & Inclusive Work Environment
The National accessArts Centre is an equal opportunity employer and prides itself on offering a diverse and inclusive workplace, free of discrimination and harassment. We invite all qualified and eligible persons to apply. Decisions will be based on qualifications.
To Apply
Submit your resume, with a cover letter, to Heather Jones at heather.jones@accessarts.ca no later than October 8, 2023.
The NaAC facility is 100% accessible. We will endeavour to offer additional reasonable accommodations to interviewees, as required, with notification provided at the time an interview is booked.
Please note that we are unable to communicate with or grant interviews to all applicants. Candidates will be selected for interviews based on the completeness of their application and their qualifications.
