Artistic Director

The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of a theatre company. He or she typically reports to the chief administrative officer, although in some companies, the two positions are combined into one.

The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the organization, and for major decisions about the ongoing development of the aesthetic values and activities, after extensive consultation with the chief administrative officer.

Some typical responsibilities

• Hires, supervises and evaluates artistic personnel including directors, performers, designers, and stage managers
• Hires, supervises and evaluates key technical personnel, including Production Manager and Technical Director
• Develops, implements, and evaluates programs for the year
• With chief administrative officer, develops annual program budget
• Acts as a spokesperson for the organization's artistic purpose via speaking engagements, public and social appearances, and, as requested, at fundraising events and solicitations
• Fosters the development of good relations with other cultural organizations by participating in meetings and joint activities where appropriate
• Reports to the Board of Directors on a regular basis to give an update on artistic activity
• Supervises the maintenance of written procedures manual for technical and production staff
• Directs at least one production per season

Some companies combine the responsibilities of the Artistic Director with the Managing Director of Chief Executive Officer of the company.

• View a job description for a combined Artistic & Managing Director position.
• View a job description for an Executive Director position.

More Resources

• Sample Contracts.  A contract need not be complicated. It may be enough to list basic responsibilities, as can be seen in these downloadable contracts, provided in MS Word format by an AACT-member theatre. More contracts are available to AACT-member companies in our online Resource Library.
• Full job descriptions for many positions are available to companies who take part in AACTivity.
• Further Reading: What We Do - Working in the Theatre, by Bo Metzler
• Job Listings: AACT's list of current employment opportunities posted by theatres around the country. These typically include job descriptions, which can be helpful in better understanding the position's purpose and requirements.
• Click here for more on the benefits of AACT membership.