Barbican Centre
Salary range: £66,400 to £75,880
Contract: Permanent
Schedule: Full time
Join the City of Creative Visionaries
About us
Founded, owned and largely funded by the City of London Corporation, the Barbican is one of the world’s leading arts and education organisations. We seek to present and provide memorable artistic experiences across music, theatre, dance, visual arts and cinema that entertain, enable, enrich and educate our many audiences and participants.
Our Visual Arts department consists of Barbican Visual Arts and Barbican Immersive. Barbican Visual Arts produces an exhibitions and events programme encompassing contemporary and modern art, design, architecture, film and photography, and collaborates with international partners on an exhibition partnership programme. Barbican Immersive produces experiential and interactive film and video content, which tours internationally.
The role
As our Head of Visual Arts, you will oversee the artistic strategy and overall programme for both strands. This is a hands-on programming and curatorial role as well as strategic one, where you will nurture the development of individual projects. Working with the Artistic Director, the wider Barbican Centre and international stakeholders, you will develop ambitious, inclusive and sustainable exhibitions and events at the Barbican and a flourishing international partnership and touring programme.
A leading member of Barbican’s senior management team, your work will be informed by Barbican’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. We’ll look to you to build new audiences, develop income generation and raise funds. You will also help to deliver our new Creative Vision, which holds our civic purpose at its heart and aligns the social, creative and commercial aspects of our work with our ambition to become a 21st century international Centre.
The person
You’ll have an impressive track-record of developing innovative visual arts programmes, as well as bringing together individual exhibitions. Having worked for at least one major contemporary visual arts organisation, you will have built strong networks across the international art world, including artists, museums and galleries and collectors. You’ll be capable of managing complex budgets and balancing artistic requirements with commercial needs. With particular strengths in collaboration, negotiation and communication, you’re equally at home interacting with artists, presenting to sponsors, or making media appearances. You’ll also have the leadership skills to get the best from your team, consisting of a senior manager, six curators and a personal assistant.
We’re committed to increasing diversity of staff within the Barbican. As an organisation we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are particularly keen to encourage interest from people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, Black, Asian, and other global majority backgrounds. In recognising the positive value of diversity, we want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve.
We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. We support and provide adjustments for people with disabilities – if you have a disability and need help with the application process please contact us.
Apply
To apply online please visit https://careers.cityoflondon.gov.uk Alternatively, please contact 020 7332 3978 (24 hr answerphone) quoting reference number TBC. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on 020 7332 3732.
