Job Description. Part IV- Artistic Director

So who is the artistic director of a company and what do they do? Most simply the Artistic Director is the vision behind an arts organization. Interestingly in dance the artistic directors are often former dancers who have acquired leadership and business administration skills. They navigate the territory of both art making and the means of making art. Together the Artistic and Executive director are the top level of the pyramid in the organization. There are a many dance companies however that combine these two jobs into one person or devise an organizational manager or artistic manager to perform particular duties of the one of the positions.

And just from my own observations of Artistic and Executive directors that I have known, both jobs are 24 hour per day jobs.

Here is some information From the Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations:

Artistic Director
Sample Job Description

Job Title: Artistic Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Supervises: Artistic and technical personnel

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

The Artistic Director:
- 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 Executive Director, 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
- Directs at least one production per season
- 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