Artistic Director

The artistic director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of a theatre company.

The artistic director typically reports to the chief administrative officer, although in some companies, the two positions are combined into one.

The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the organization, and for major decisions about the ongoing development of the aesthetic values and activities, after extensive consultation with the chief administrative officer.

Some typical responsibilities

• Hires, supervises and evaluates artistic personnel including directors, performers, designers, and stage managers
• Hires, supervises and evaluates key technical personnel, including Production Manager and Technical Director
• Develops, implements, and evaluates programs for the year
• With chief administrative officer, develops annual program budget
• Acts as a spokesperson for the organization's artistic purpose via speaking engagements, public and social appearances, and, as requested, at fundraising events and solicitations
• Fosters the development of good relations with other cultural organizations by participating in meetings and joint activities where appropriate
• Reports to the Board of Directors on a regular basis to give an update on artistic activity
• Supervises the maintenance of written procedures manual for technical and production staff
• Directs at least one production per season

Downloadable Sample Job Descriptions/Duties

• Artistic Director:   MS Word (docx) Format   |   Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format
• Combined Managing Director/Artistic Director:   MS Word (docx) Format   |   Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format