Artistic Director

The Artistic Director is the creative leader of the Festival, generating and delivering a programme each year which attracts local people and visitors to events which offer both enjoyment and development of musical and artistic experiences.

The Artistic Director is responsible to the Chairman of the Festival. 

Artistic:

• To prepare and provide for the Festival Board’s approval a programme of concerts and events to take place during the two-week period around the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
• The Artistic Director is involved in the planning and programming of a series of walks during the two-week Festival period. The overall programme should be of a quality similar to or better than that of previous Festivals
• To prepare and provide for Board approval by the October Board meeting (or by a date agreed by the Board) a draft programme of events and a budget for the following Festival
• To promote and organise the Festival concerts, including the arrangement of the programme for each concert, and to control the booking of the artists with responsibility for agreeing and finalising their contracts
• To arrange commissions for new works
• To ensure that the Festival is delivered within the artistic budget
• To work with Festival staff and appropriate board member(s)to arrange: a programme of workshops and educational events, including workshops in local schools visits by artists to local care homes and other appropriate venues for those who would not otherwise be able to enjoy or attend Festival events a programme of walks during the Festival period
• To oversee the Festival’s Events team, which consists of freelance individuals contracted each year to the Festival for a period before, during and after the Festival.

Financial/fundraising: 

• To prepare the artistic budget for the Festival in line with policies and directions agreed by the Board, and to work in collaboration with the Festival Administrator, the Treasurer and the Board to prepare a properly planned and funded Festival
• To research and recommend suitable organisations and trusts for grant application, and to prepare artistic presentations for inclusion in such grant funding applications, including funding for new work commissioned by the Festival, or project funding for special presentations or musical education
• To develop and maintain good relationships with funding bodies, for example Arts Council England.

Administration:

• To advise the relevant Festival staff and the Board on aspects of the administrative tasks necessary for a successful Festival, including artists’ contracts, publicity and PR, concert locations and staging, rehearsal needs, exhibitions, ticket sales and travel and accommodation for visiting performers
• To present regular budgetary updates to the Board throughout the year
• To attend Board meetings when possible, either in person or by on-line conferences
• To facilitate two-way communications with the Board, keeping them informed on the progress of planning and financial considerations, while the Board communicates to the Artistic Director its deliberations and decisions
• To prepare a full report for the Board after the completion of each Festival
• To prepare the programme notes for each concert.

Marketing: 

• To be a member of the Marketing Committee and provide an input to the effective marketing, advertising and publicity for the Festival
• To oversee the preparation and production of a brochure/brochures to promote and advertise the agreed Festival programme of events in time for the print deadline
• To work with the Board in increasing the participation of local Dales people in the presentation of the Festival, and in attendance at events.

Advocacy and Communication: 

• To maintain good working relationships with key relevant arts bodies, other local supportive public sector organisations, and grant-making bodies
• To attend board meetings and work with the Board, its committees and with individual Board members in their areas of responsibility: Community and Education, Friends and Angels, Marketing, Trusts and Foundations, Volunteers, Treasurer and Company Secretary.

Future Festivals:

• To carry out the planning for the following year’s Festival, for approval by the Board
• To carry out all the above in a way that will promote and enhance successful Festivals in the following year and beyond, recognising that some objectives may require long term planning and programming.