1. Looking for a Career in Arts Administration?
Your CV
You need to show a passion for the Arts (or your Art in particular) through years of practice, formal
education or keen interests:
 Go to concerts, festivals, theatres
 Play in orchestras, sing in choirs
 Visit art galleries & places of cultural & historical interest
Get Involved
Seek out opportunities to administrate events before you leave school / College / University as first
jobs & internships are very competitive & potential employers need evidence:
 Volunteer to help a local ensemble
 Organise a charity concert
 Take your group on tour
 Design publicity for an event
 Write a blog or reviews
Be In Touch
Do not be afraid to contact members of staff at organisations you would love to work for & ask to
shadow them or ask about their career path & any advice they can offer. The arts admin world is very
small so make contacts & build a positive reputation.
Show Commitment
Be prepared to work for nothing or very little informally or as on an internship scheme for between 2
weeks & 6 months. Try not to be hung up on the long term future; a common ‘way in’ is the short-
term contract or maternity cover. Be a proactive intern / work experience placement and remember
very few arts administrators take lunch breaks.
Seek Opportunities
There is no standard career ladder or standard job; you have to look for the opportunities out there &
put yourself forward. Take jobs because you are interested in working for that organisation & the role
is interesting & challenging, not worried about where it might lead in the long run.
Think It Through
Consider carefully both the positive & negative aspects of working in the Arts:
+ Massive adrenalin rush ‘on the night’ - Limited social life working evenings & weekends
+ Enormous job satisfaction - Low pay & long hours
+ Enabling great artists to create & perform - Often regarded as inferior to the
+ Bringing artists & audiences together artists / performers / academics working on the
same projects