Organization Overview

Adelaide Festival is one of the world's premier arts festivals, standing alongside Edinburgh and Avignon as a globally recognized cultural institution. For 65 years, the Festival has been Australia's preeminent arts event, presenting groundbreaking international dance, opera, theatre, and music, while including Australia's largest free literary festival – Adelaide Writers' Week.

Position Summary

We seek a visionary Artistic Director to lead Adelaide Festival through the 2026-2028 seasons. The successful candidate will shape the creative direction of this internationally acclaimed festival while honoring its legacy of artistic excellence and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

Develop and implement a bold artistic vision that maintains the Festival's international standing

Curate a contemporary, multi-arts festival program that showcases world-class international and national works

Commission and champion new works that continue the Festival's tradition of artistic innovation

Oversee the curation and delivery of Adelaide Writers' Week

Organizational Leadership

Report directly to the Board and work collaboratively with key stakeholders

Ensure both creative excellence and financial sustainability

Serve as the public face and primary spokesperson for the Festival

Build and maintain relationships with artists, companies, and cultural partners worldwide

Program Development & Management

Create balanced, diverse programming across all art forms

Negotiate with international and national artists and companies

Drive audience development and community engagement

Foster pride and cultural connection within South Australia

Required Qualifications

Extensive experience in arts leadership and curation at an international level

Proven track record of successful festival or major arts event programming

Deep understanding of multiple art forms including theatre, opera, music, dance, and literature

Strong international networks within the arts community

Demonstrated ability to manage substantial budgets and resources

Excellence in stakeholder management and public relations

Understanding of the Australian arts landscape

Desired Attributes

Vision for maintaining Adelaide Festival's position as a world-leading arts festival

Commitment to artistic innovation and excellence

Understanding of First Nations cultures and contemporary arts practices

Strong diplomatic and negotiation skills

Business acumen and commercial awareness

Ability to work effectively with government and cultural partners

Cultural Commitment

The Festival acknowledges it takes place on the traditional lands of the Kaurna Nation of the Adelaide Plains. The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to:

Cultural inclusivity and diversity

Sustainability in the arts

Community engagement and access

Supporting emerging artists and new works

First Nations perspectives and engagement

Term

Three-year appointment covering the 2026, 2027, and 2028 festivals

How to Apply

For detailed information about the Festival, role specifications, and application requirements, please contact:

Tony Grierson

AEGEUS Executive Search

E-mail: adelaidefestival@aegeus.asia

Adelaide Festival is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our operations and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

About Us

AEGEUS Executive Search has been established in response to a demonstrated need for high-level executive search and recruitment services on a global basis that are tailored to the specific requirements of our clients, the sectors that they operate in and the positions we are assisting them with.

Too often clients are only offered ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions by search and recruitment firms that are constructed around the processes, structures and existing frameworks of the search firm, not those of the client or the particular assignment.

The model we have adopted at AEGEUS is a tailored service built around the specific requirements and objectives of our client and in each assignment we carry out for them.

The thing we haven’t changed is our total commitment to a sector-leading professional service for both our clients and our candidates based on rigour, transparency, honesty, creativity and a desire to make every appointment a leading example of what is possible for an organisation if the right people are brought in for the right reasons at the right time.