The Programming Director, in collaboration with Business / Arts and the Canadian Arts Summit Steering Committee develops and implements the overall strategy and programming for the 2023 Canadian Arts Summit, tentatively scheduled for April 2023 in Toronto.

About the Canadian Arts Summit: 

The Canadian Arts Summit (CAS) is a virtual organization that was founded in 1998 by the (then) Council for Business and the Arts in Canada (now Business / Arts) and the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. The annual Summit is a unique national leadership forum, held annually in the Spring. The Summit brings together the chief executives, artistic directors, and board chairs of Canada’s largest not-for-profit arts and cultural institutions, including symphony orchestras, theatres, opera ballet companies, and heritage and art museums as well as other key stakeholders with a vested interest in nurturing and fostering a thriving arts ecosystem in Canada.

The Summit is founded on the core principle that it is a gathering of leaders, the outcome of which is shaped by the participants. For that reason, the Summit has become, over its 24-year history, not just a weekend event in the spring, but an ongoing network of arts leaders working together, throughout the year. The CAS relies on the volunteer efforts of individuals who join a Steering Committee to assist in the programming and oversight of an annual Arts Summit.

Candidates:

Business / Arts is committed to equity in our policies, practices, and programs. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from people who identify as belonging to an equity-seeking community including Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, living with a disability, a religious or language minority. Please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process. This position is a remote-work position so we are open to accepting applications from anywhere in Canada.

Key Responsibilities:

Work with Business / Arts and the Canadian Arts Summit Steering Committee to develop the strategic direction of the Summit, including:

• Review the vision and mandate of the Canadian Arts Summit
• Define goals and objectives for the 2023 Summit
• Design and implement strategies to achieve goals and objectives, aligned with vision and mandate
• Review key Canadian Arts Summit policies and guidelines such as Summit member eligibility, event attendance, role of the Advocacy Committee, translation policies, and others
• Support the President & CEO to integrate Canadian Arts Summit goals, including advocacy, into annual and long-range organizational planning

Work with Business / Arts staff, consultants and Canadian Arts Summit Co-Chairs and Steering Committee Members to develop the Summit programming including:

• Attend regular Steering Committee meetings and assist the Co-Chairs to lead the agenda and decision-making process with the Committee
• Communicate regularly with B/A senior management and the Steering Committee on programming for the Summit
• Seek advice and feedback from Steering Committee members, consultants and advisors on programming and logistics
• Consolidate their input to develop a comprehensive Summit agenda
• Develop the Arts Summit programming including themes, topics, format, speakers, networking and social events

Collaborate with the Business / Arts Team (including the President & CEO, Vice President and Communications Team) on the coordination and execution of the Canadian Arts Summit. Collaborative tasks include:

• Attending and gathering insights from quarterly peer-to-peer sessions for Canadian Arts Summit delegate groups (Chairs, Executive Directors, Artistic Directors)
• Ensuring seamless flow of information between programming, communications and event management
• Assisting the VP and CEO with the cultivation of partnerships for the Canadian Arts Summit
• Planning, promoting and executing registration of delegates for the Summit
• Support stewardship by B/A Team of CAS sponsors and supporters ensuring proper recognition and activation

Wrap-up and Evaluation:

• Evaluate Canadian Arts Summit outcomes against projected goals and objectives,making recommendations for future Summits
• Manage the production of a final report following the Canadian Arts Summit in spring 2023 for distribution to Steering Committee and Summit Members by May 31, 2023

Qualifications:

• A strong spokesperson and advocate for the arts with a deep understanding of issues of interest to leaders within the sector, particularly those at major institutions.
• Experience in content development and a commitment to providing thought-provoking and innovative programming that is relevant and responsive to the needs of a wide range of participants from arts, culture and heritage organizations in regions across Canada.
• Experience in building and facilitating collaborative relationships with stakeholders especially volunteer committee members as well as team members, and community partners.
• Strong interpersonal skills, brings sound judgment, tact and diplomacy in working with others.
• Demonstrated understanding of and proven commitment to the values of equity, inclusion, and diversity.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with keen attention to detail and an ability to multi-task and manage tasks within a remote working environment.
• Demonstrated project management skills and experience with scheduling and time-sensitive projects.
• Comfortable working independently as well as in a team setting, with strong skills in Google Workspace, MS Office, Zoom and web-based project management systems.
• Post-secondary education in a relevant field or equivalent knowledge and experience in the arts & culture or business sectors.
• Ability to speak in both official languages is a significant asset.

About Business / Arts: 

Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that shows the power of partnership between business and arts. Through initiatives like the Canadian Arts Summit, Business / Arts works in partnership with arts leaders, government and the business community to ensure a thriving arts and culture sector. We lead research and advocacy projects to help make the case for the arts and celebrate leading figures in the business and arts communities across Canada through our annual awards gala. Over the course of nearly 20 years, our flagship national mentorship training program ‘artsvest’ has created 5,966 partnerships between business and arts organizations, raising over $26.8M in new private sector investment. Combined with matching funds, this has led to an overall impact of $37.2M to Canada’s cultural sector.

During the pandemic, Business / Arts has been a life-line to the sector as we work tirelessly to provide support, training, valuable information and vital data.Thousands of arts organizations, ranging from major cultural institutions to small community-led arts groups, have turned to our organization to help them navigate the waves of closures, restrictions, digital pivots and now safe reopening and a path to recovery. Our monthly online Speaker Series has been one of the ways we have supported the sector during the pandemic. Since March 2020, Business / Arts has hosted over 40 online sessions attracting over 18,000 viewers, providing urgently needed information, skills, training and comfort to thousands of arts organizations nationwide.

What you can expect: 

This position has a monthly fee of $5400 a month with the length of term negotiable. This position is a remote-work position so we are open to accepting applications from anywhere in Canada.

Application Deadline:

Friday, September 9, 2022