Imaginate is recruiting for a new Festival Director for the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival – a vital role in ensuring the ongoing success of the festival.

Salary: £46,000
Reporting to: Chief Executive
Location: Edinburgh. Hybrid working policy three days a week in the office (Mon, Wed, Thu)
Contract: Five-year tenure with a reviewed option to extend to ten years. Full time contract subject to six month probation period.

The primary purpose of the Festival Director is to programme and support the delivery of the internationally acclaimed annual Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, ensuring a high-quality programme of performing arts is available for children and young people throughout Scotland. The programme should be representative of the world around us, reflecting, resonating and expanding the world view of children in Scotland.

The Festival Director will be passionate about the importance of work for young audiences and bring their own vision for the Children’s Festival, with an understanding of how to deliver this vision. They will understand the depth of work for young audiences nationally and internationally and recognise that “children are first and foremost fully fledged people – with a corresponding emotional and mental world”.

Imaginate has a strong and vital international profile and the Festival Director will be comfortable representing Imaginate and the Children’s Festival internationally, nationally and locally from the council to the classroom. Imaginate is as strong as the people who work for us, and the Festival Director will be an excellent addition to the team collaborating and contributing to our core purpose, to enrich the lives of children in Scotland through theatre and dance performances.

They strive to be an organisation that is open and welcoming and where different voices can flourish.

They are particularly interested in recruiting a global majority candidate or someone who feels their voice is currently under-represented in the arts. As an organisation they also have a commitment to accessibility and equality. If there are any specific access requirements you need in order to apply for and in order to fulfil the position please let them know.

If you have any questions, are concerned about your experience in certain areas or want a confidential conversation before applying, please email CEO Belinda McElhinney on belinda@imaginate.org.uk.