The Artistic Director will lead the creation and implementation of TFANA’s artistic vision, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and values. Reporting to the Board of Directors and collaborating with the newly established Executive Director, the Artistic Director will forge strong relationships with artists, donors, audiences, and community stakeholders. With deep experience and passion for both classical and contemporary work, they will provide strategic leadership in season planning, artistic and educational programming, and the selection of creative teams. By fostering a transparent, collaborative, and consensus-driven decision-making process, the Artistic Director will ensure that TFANA’s productions and programs reflect the highest artistic standards while advancing the organization’s goals and growth.
Role and Responsibilities
Artistic Vision and Producing
- Conceive and implement TFANA’s artistic vision through curating seasons of exciting and diverse productions, in alignment with the organization’s mission and values.
- Engage and collaborate with artists to conceptualize, develop, and execute productions, workshops, and other programming.
- Partner with directors on casting, forming a creative team, hiring designers, and overseeing the design process for physical productions.
- Collaborate with playwrights, directors, designers, and other artists to effectively implement their vision and create original works, new adaptations, and revivals that challenge and engage audiences.
- Champion diverse voices and stories that reflect the community, promoting equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in all artistic decisions.
- Implement the culture and tone for each production process, ensuring that the process remains aligned with TFANA’s values, including equity and inclusion.
- Identify and mentor emerging artists, fostering new talent and creating opportunities for creative collaborations.
- Engage in long-term artistic planning, balancing contemporary work with classics to attract broad audiences and maintain a high quality of artistic excellence.
- Provide feedback to lead artists, and synthesize internal and external feedback
- Maintain awareness of labor practices and union agreements, to inform future strategic decisions for TFANA relating to artistic, managerial, and financial matters.
- Provide production budget oversight in collaboration with the Executive Director and General Manager.
- Maintain co-producing relationships and identify new co-production opportunities.
- Embrace Other Artistic Vision and Producing responsibilities, as needed.
Community and Audience Engagement
- Communicate the vision and work of TFANA to its full range of takeholders, including artists, staff, donors, Board members, press, and the audience.
- Cultivate relationships with local schools and organizations, creating meaningful partnerships and educational initiatives.
- Advocate for TFANA’s role as a cultural leader, representing the organization as a public spokesperson at conferences and community events, while building relationships that foster ongoing support and engagement.
- Oversee the design and tone of communications, marketing, and educational materials, ensuring that TFANA’s artistic vision and mission are accurately and consistently represented and that it reaches new audiences through innovative strategies.
- Establish positive and productive relationships with Board members and donors, educating them about the work and fostering curiosity and support.
- Embrace Other Community and Audience Engagement responsibilities, as needed.
Organizational Leadership and Board Relations
- Partner with the Executive Director in providing visionary leadership to all staff and artists, aligning TFANA’s artistic goals with financial sustainability and strategic objectives.
- Foster a creative, inclusive, and supportive organizational culture, where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and treated fairly.
- Serve as an active participant in fundraising efforts, collaborating with the development staff to cultivate relationships with major donors, foundations, and sponsors.
- Guide the production process, resolving any production issues, in collaboration with the General Manager and Production Manager.
- Problem-solve significant creative or personal conflicts that arise on productions and programs or among staff.
- Serve as a partner to the Board and attend all Board and Executive Committee meetings, as well as other Board committee meetings as required.
- Embrace Other Organizational Leadership and Board Relations responsibilities, as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Artistic Director will be a dynamic and inspiring visionary, who is able to creatively solve problems and galvanize others to realize the artistic vision of each production. A lover of Shakespeare, they will be a human-centered leader, who is a compassionate and thoughtful mentor to younger artists and staff, and cares deeply about other artists and their work. As a proactive communicator, they will be skilled in advanced planning and delegating, collaborating effectively with individuals and teams from all backgrounds.
Other key competencies include:
- Leadership and Teamwork – The ability to organize and influence people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction.
- Personal Accountability and Interpersonal Skills – The capacity to be answerable for personal actions while effectively communicating, building rapport, and relating well to all kinds of people.
- Diplomacy and Resiliency – The dexterity to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while quickly recovering from adversity.
- Time and Priority Management – The acumen to prioritize and complete tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
Qualifications
The Artistic Director will have a significant body of work, either as a producer and/or director. They will have experience in fundraising and donor cultivation. They will demonstrate a deep knowledge of Shakespeare and other major classic and contemporary playwrights and have a network of existing relationships with national and international Shakespearean-based artists. Experience in creating and maintaining large budgets, ideally six figures or higher, is preferred. A commitment to championing and implementing equity, inclusion, diversity, accessibility, and anti-racism collaboration methodologies is critical. No specific number of years of experience or specific educational credentials are required.
Compensation and Benefits
TFANA offers a competitive and equitable compensation package in the range of $220,000 to $250,000. Benefits include paid time off and holidays; health insurance; long-term disability and life insurance; and a voluntary 403(b) retirement plan.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/theatre-for-a-new-audience-seeks-artistic-director/.
For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:
Adam Davis, Senior Vice President
Geoff Chang, Vice President
1040 First Avenue, Suite 352
New York, NY 10022-2991
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext.215 (Davis) Ext. 218 (Chang)
Email TFANA-AD@ArtsConsulting.com
TFANA honors the Lenape and Canarsie People on whose ancestral homeland PSC is built.
TFANA is committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining employees who reflect the cultural diversity of our community. We believe that every employee has the right to work in a respectful environment that is free from discrimination, consistent with our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect. This commitment extends to all aspects of the employment relationship.