Festival Curator

**Belfast Photo Festival**:
**Belfast Photo Festival - Curator (Maternity Cover)**
**Location ** Belfast Photo Festival Office and throughout Belfast City Centre
**Renumeration ** £35.5k pro rata (calculated at a 40hr week)
**Type** Part Time (4 days, 32 hours per week)
**Duration** 1 Year Maternity Cover, with potential for extension

Applications received after this time will not be considered

**VACANCY DETAILS**

Belfast Photo Festival is a charity with big ambitions, holding a year-round tourable programme, including one of the world’s leading international festivals of photography, and the largest annual festival of photography in the UK / Ireland. This is in addition to a major two-day creative industries festival focusing on the intersection of creativity and technology (RENDR).

Launched in 2011, the international Belfast Photo Festival has attracted over 100 thousand visitors a year, celebrating some of the finest national and international contemporary photography across museums, galleries, public spaces and building facades. The Festival consists of exhibitions, talks, workshops, screenings and tours designed to appeal to a broad range of audiences.
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- **ABOUT THE POST**
The Curator is a key player in the successful delivery of the Belfast Photo Festival. Reporting to the company CEO, they are responsible for the overall artistic direction and development of the annual festival programme. Their role includes curating projects, spearheading new work and commissions and overseeing their development; fundraising for all aspects of the festival; pro-actively developing partnerships with local, national and international arts organisations, artists, funders and other stakeholders/partners; catalysing active participation in and knowledge of the local and international arts community; developing fresh thinking for the festival’s artistic, outreach and touring programmes; managing the development and delivery of the city-wide festival and other related activities throughout the year in partnership with the festival CEO.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

**JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Artistic Programming**
- Responsible for devising and delivering a high quality artistic programme that is consistent with the aims, objectives and strategic plan of the Festival
- Drive the growth of artistic programming through work with internal and external stakeholders
- Initiate and manage exhibition touring programmes, including partner and artist liaison, budget management and logistics
- Sustain and enhance existing successful organisational programs, services and events

**Fundraising / Finances**
- Develop and implement a funding strategy for festival projects, exhibitions and related events in coordination with the CEO, with the aim of acquiring funding and sponsorship from outside parties, through initiating and maintaining contact with existing and potential funders
- Research, identify and connect with strategically relevant funders, including Trusts and Foundations, grant giving organisations, statutory bodies, cultural and national institutions, private sponsors and institutional partners
- Contribute to festival budget development and management in consultation with the CEO
- Evaluate programme outcomes, prepare and deliver evaluations to funders and sponsors in a timely manner

**Audience Development**
- Develop a range of artistic programmes aimed at engaging wide audiences, targeting both those with an existing knowledge of and interest in art, as well as those with little prior experience
- Devise marketing and interpretive materials that are accessible and welcoming to all audiences
- Devise, implement and monitor audience evaluation

**Partnerships / Relationship & Stakeholder Management**
- Serve as principal liaison with artists, project partners, and partner institutions, as well as with external agencies, partners and individuals, as required, to support the achievement of the festival programme delivery plan.
- Provide leadership and direction on all matters related to artistic partnerships; developing comprehensive strategies to fully leverage all partnership opportunities with local arts organisations, international partners, funders and industry associations.

**Project Management / Operations**
- Coordinate all aspects of festival programme and scheduling including: Initiating contact with artists/institutions/partners, conducting pre-contract communication/negotiation, devising contracts for festival artists/partners, and acting as sole point of contact throughout engagement, from project initiation through to completion
- Plan and oversee logístical operation of festival production and installation, including management of external contractors and installation team, and working closely with/managing festival external contractors

**Communications & PR**
- Devise and script all copy, including PR and audience interpretation relating to the fes