Artistic Director and Chief Executive

Belfast International Arts Festival is the largest international festival of contemporary arts in Ireland and one of the oldest across the UK and Ireland. The festival was established in 1962 as Belfast Festival at Queen’s, reconstituted in 2015 and rebranded as Belfast International Arts Festival. It takes places every year, in October and November, across Belfast, at various locations, both indoors and outdoors and large-scale and intimate. Our values reflect the importance we place upon global connections, contemporary and Inter-disciplinary arts practice, community, collaboration and partnership, access and diversity.

We are seeking an Artistic Director and Chief Executive to replace current Artistic Director & CEO Richard Wakely, who steps down at the end of 2025 after successfully leading the organisation and curating the programme over 13 editions. We want you to help us continue to lead, develop and grow this exciting annual celebration of contemporary performing arts from home and abroad to audiences from across the city and beyond.

BIAF is committed to being an inclusive employer and recruiting a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve. However you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, we welcome you to apply for this role.

A full candidate’s information pack with details on how to apply can be found at our website.

For an informal and confidential conversation with the current Artistic Director & CEO about the role, please contact recruitment@belfastinternationalartsfestival.com to arrange an appointment.