Arts Administrator or Manager
What the work is
Plans, organises, directs, controls, coordinates and promotes artistic and cultural policies, programs, projects and services.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans and develops artistic and cultural policies and programs
- Organises artistic and cultural events and exhibitions
- Negotiates with artists and performers regarding contracts and agreements
- Collaborates with artists and cultural organisations
- Manages budgets, keeps financial records, and assists with taxation requirements
- Designs, writes and shares marketing materials such as newsletters, social media posts and advertisements
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional regional arts centre that runs a gallery, a theatre and an annual community festival. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Opening night, when a show you took a chance on fills the theatre
- A local artist sees their work on a gallery wall for the first time
- A school group arrives for a workshop and the building feels full of noise and possibility
Hard days
- A grant application deadline lands the same week as the festival
- A performer cancels the day before, and you have a sold-out house
- Saying no to an artist whose work you admire because the money is not there
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 149131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.