Opportunities

Glasgow International is recruiting a Festival Director to join the team on a full-time temporary contract. The postholder will provide a key leadership role in taking forward the delivery of Glasgow International, Scotland’s world-renowned biennial festival of contemporary art. They will collaborate with the contemporary art community, funders and partner organisations to realise the festival’s ambitions.

The postholder will lead on the artistic vision and organisational development of Glasgow International, ensuring the festival delivers agreed milestones on time and remains financially stable. The successful applicant will join at an exciting time for the festival, in its 20th anniversary year and with renewed support from core funders towards festivals in 2026 and 2028. Additionally, following a comprehensive review of Glasgow International, the festival's parent charity Glasgow Life will be working to develop a new governance structure for the festival, to best support its aims for the future.

This post is a temporary contract until 30 September 2028, spanning the delivery and evaluation phases of Glasgow International 2026 and the programming, development, delivery and evaluation phases of Glasgow International 2028.

Find more information and apply for this post here

The role
As Festival Director, you’ll play a central role in leading and developing the festival towards editions in 2026 and 2028. You will report to Glasgow Life senior leadership team and be part of the wider conversation with key stakeholders around the future governance structure of the festival.

The candidate
If you’re interested in joining us as Glasgow International Festival Director you will need:
• Leadership experience within the contemporary arts or closely related sector;
• Extensive knowledge of the contemporary art sector in Glasgow, Scotland and internationally;
• Proven track record of curating ambitious contemporary art projects;
• Good communication, listening and organisational skills, with proven track record of ability to collaborate with a wide range of partners;
• A proven track record in successfully raising funds from trusts, foundations, government agencies and individual donors;
• The ability to think strategically and to work with others, with knowledge of best practice in the governance of contemporary arts organisations;
• Lived experience of marginalisation within the cultural sector, as a result of racialised, gendered or ableist structures; or evidence of your commitment to increasing access to the cultural sector for marginalised individuals.

You can read the full person specification for this role here

Important Dates
Closing date 23 March 2025 with first-stage interviews provisionally scheduled for week beginning 7 April 2025

Working for Glasgow International
Glasgow International is Scotland's biennial festival of contemporary art. Every two years the festival presents an array of artists' projects across Glasgow by international artists and those based locally, amplifying the city's identity as a vibrant and distinctive centre for artistic production, presentation and cultural organising.

Glasgow International's office at Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow, G41 2PE, has great links to public transport and parking nearby.

Glasgow International is part of and managed by Glasgow Life. Glasgow Life is the charity which inspires people to lead richer, more active lives through culture and sport. As an ALEO to Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life is currently completing a Job Evaluation exercise and introducing a new pay and grading structure which may impact on current salaries quoted in job adverts, see: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/jobevaluation for more information.

Benefits at Glasgow Life
• 30 days holiday allowance plus 6.5 public holidays (for full-time roles). After 5 years completed service, the entitlement will increase to 35 days from the next annual leave year
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Discounted Glasgow Club membership and money off in our museum shops and online store
• Option to buy extra annual leave
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• And much more!

Diversity matters at Glasgow Life and Glasgow International
Glasgow International aims to prioritise equality and diversity within our team. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and in particular from people currently underrepresented in the Scottish and UK arts sector, such as those from Black and Global Majority backgrounds and candidates with a disability. We are committed to building a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities, and to creating a supportive working environment for all.

Glasgow International's Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Priorities can be read here.

For further information on Glasgow Life’s commitment to diversity, see here