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Imagine Arts Festival seeks a dynamic, experienced and highly motivated Festival Manager to assume responsibility for the year round management of the Festival

Imagine Arts Festival is a 7-day Arts Festival that runs in October each year in Waterford City and County and also incorporates Waterford Writers Weekend within its festival.

Over the past 22 years IAF has grown to become a firm fixture on the regional arts calendar with thousands of attendees each year enjoying the celebration of all artforms and including a children / youth programme and a history and heritage programme.

The festival aims to highlight local talent and give such creativity a wide platform as well as bring in the best of national and international work. The festival aims to show off the beautiful architecture of the area and has used the tagline ‘Arts in unexpected places’ over a number of years.

In recent years Imagine has begun commissioning new arts work and we plan to develop this in the coming years. The festival aims to celebrate Waterford both culturally and historically and has developed a reputation as a friendly and open event with festivalgoer’s returning each year and visiting artists spreading good feedback about their time here.

Imagine Arts Festival is a not-for-profit organisation and works closely with the local arts community to help produce the annual festival. The organisation strives, through the support of our funding partners, programme partners, patrons and sponsors, to bring the highest quality arts events to Waterford and its environs, enriching the community, stimulating debate and nurturing a love of the arts.

Key Responsibilities include :

• Working closely with the Board of Directors and Treasurer and its festival partners to ensure that the organisation fulfils its mission.
• Together with the Committee helping to devise an ambitious, imaginative and affordable programme for the Festival.
• Managing the finances, administration and governance of the company.
• Preparing a draft budget for consideration by the Imagine Committee.
• Helping the Committee to source possible funding to deliver the festival within the agreed budget
• Booking acts for the Festival and negotiating contracts with artists and agents.
• Preparing financial information for funders and stakeholders as required.
• Negotiating terms with participating venues.
• Attending monthly Committee Meetings and providing a Managers Report for same. Managing the income and expenditure of the Festival account.
• Managing the various staff incl. Administration assistant and during the festival the Production and technical crew. Also working closely with the diverse group of festival volunteers in various artforms.
• Hiring staff as required and within the agreed budget.
• Ensuring that current Health and Safety and work practices legislation is adhered to.
• Liaising with the Production Manager to ensure that the festival runs professionally and that all members of the production team are fully qualified and informed of the festival’s Health and Safety statement
• Liaising with our PR team and developing good marketing and pr strategies around the annual festival.

Relationship Management

The Festival Manager manages the Festival’s relationship with its stakeholders :

• The Committee and Board of Directors.
• The Festival’s funders Waterford Council and the Arts Council, including all aspects of core revenue funding and other funding initiatives.
• Corporate sponsors and Festival patrons.
• Other funding partners, including Fáilte Ireland
• The Festival Manager also establishes and maintains a highly professional focus towards delivering the festival for all members of the Festival team

Governance

The Festival Director is responsible for

• Ensuring that all legal obligations of the company are met including liaison with the Companies Registration Office, the Charities Regulation Authority, Revenue and other government bodies
• Providing administrative support to the Committee / Board of Directors
• Ensuring that Committee / Board meeting minutes and papers are accurate and filed and that procedures and protocol at Board meetings and AGM are in line with the company’s constitution
• Updating and maintaining policies of Health & Safety, Child Protection, evacuations etc

Administration/ Operations

The Festival Manager / Director is responsible for organising insurance cover for the company and any additional cover required during the festival period

Skills and Competencies

The Festival Manager / Director should be able to demonstrate the necessary business and managerial acumen and interpersonal skills required for this challenging position which includes the following:

• Ability to manage budgets
• Strong organisational skills
• Ability to manage and deliver projects
• Ability to prioritise workloads
• Flexibility
• An ability to work on own initiative
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Familiarity with national and international funding structures
• Knowledge of the infrastructure and network of venues for the arts in Ireland
• Experience in a similar or equivalent role.

Type of Contract

The equivalent of approx. 2days per week from March 22 to Dec. 22 – with the actual working times to be agreed between the appointee and the Committee.

Timetable: Following this first year and providing both parties are happy to proceed Imagine will offer a further two-years contract until Dec. 2024

Remuneration €15K per annum – to be renegotiated in 2023 if funding allows.

Application Process 

Applicants are invited to submit:

• A detailed CV outlining suitability for the role and all relevant experience
• A letter of application (cover letter)
• Contact details for two professional referees

Submissions

Applications will be accepted by email only and should be submitted to imaginefestofficial@gmail.com

The closing date for receipt of all applications is Monday 21st Feb. and interviews will be held in Waterford city in late Feb.

Confidentiality

The Festival acknowledges applicants’ need for privacy and will take all necessary steps to ensure applications and interviews are handled confidentially.

Equal Opportunities

Imagine Arts Festival is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Individuals are selected on the basis of their abilities and merits to perform the tasks required. Our policy is to be fair and consistent in all aspects of our business. We recognise, respect and value differences and diversity. It is against Imagine Arts Festival’s policy to discriminate on grounds of sex, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the travelling community.