Previous Opportunities

Horsecross Arts is an arts organisation of local, regional and national significance, established in Perth in 2004. With a £3.5M turnover, it operates Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre and delivers dynamic music, drama, dance and creative learning programmes to around 120,000 people each year. Audiences are 80% local, with huge potential to grow visits from beyond Perth and Kinross as the cultural offer in Tayside, including V&A Dundee, continues to flourish.

Horsecross Arts is core-funded by Perth and Kinross Council and is a Creative Scotland Regular Funded Organisation (RFO). As a major Tay Cities Deal partner, the Council has an ambitious vision for culture: transforming cultural participation through exciting, high quality and accessible public programmes. From 2021 following a £36M investment programme, Perth city will boast 4 major cultural venues: Perth Theatre, Perth Concert Hall, Perth Museum and Art Gallery and City Hall, a major new heritage attraction for the Tayside region.

Horsecross has faced challenges in the last 3 years. The re-opening of Perth Theatre in 2017 has required a complete transformation of the operating model for the organisation. At the heart of this is the Horsecross programme, which must innovate, inspire and above all connect with audiences old and new.

Horsecross now needs fresh vision and direction to build a sustainable business for the future, grow audiences, diversify and increase income, and make a major contribution to the unfolding cultural vision for Perth and Kinross and the Tay Cities Region.

This is a 6 month appointment initially which may be extended to 12 months. The Council is reviewing its current delivery models for culture which comprises 2 arms-length Trusts for museums, libraries, and heritage, performing and public arts: Horsecross Arts and Culture Perth and Kinross. The objective is to create a new model(s) which can deliver joined-up, ambitious cultural programmes, and manage major venues in ways which are seamless and accessible for audiences, and financially viable.

The Council has established a Joint Advisory Group with Horsecross Arts to oversee this period of change. You will be a key member of the JAG together with senior Council representatives and senior representatives of the Council are other Arms-Length Organisations, Culture Perth and Kinross and Live Active Leisure.

We are looking for an experienced interim leader who can:

• Provide stability, vision, motivation and direction for Horsecross staff
• Rapidly review the current cultural programmes and operational arrangements and achieve change and improvement, with support from the Advisory Group
• Work with the Programming Team to build performing arts programmes which respond to local audiences and build new and diverse audiences from across the region and beyond
• Ensure all strategic resources – people, money, buildings – are managed transparently efficiently and effectively to achieve organisational goals
• Prepare a robust Business Plan to steer the organisation through the next 24 months
• Ensure good governance and financial stewardship is maintained
• Advise the Horsecross Board on all governance and operational matters.

You will be a highly adaptable senior leader, practised and confident leading organisations through periods of major change. You will have a proven track record of delivering change in a significant public-facing organisation. You must have knowledge and experience of the cultural sector, but your motivational leadership, business acumen; resource planning and strategic skills are what will make you successful in this role. You may have gained these skills from a range of backgrounds, but you must have experience of overseeing the design and delivery of public programmes, events and activities and you will have tangible examples of how you have transformed public participation in publically-funded programmes and events. You must have experience of managing significant financial and other resources, and of working at Board level.

You will be a skilled communicator with excellent influencing and negotiating skills. You will be an innovator, practiced in introducing new ways of working which deliver results. And you will be a self-starter, with strong time and self-management skills to ensure multiple and sometimes conflicting priorities are delivered.

For further information www.aspenpeople.co.uk/horsex

For a confidential discussion about the role please contact Ken Dalgleish or Gayle Williamson on 0141 212 7555.

To apply, please complete the form below and attach your cover letter and CV. You should receive an automatic acknowledgement – if you do not receive this, please contact Donna Sweeny on 0141 212 7555.

Closing Date: Monday, 2nd September at 9am