POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

PROLOGUE TO THE PERFORMING ARTS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Toronto, Ontario

Prologue to the Performing Arts seeks a cultural administrator to provide leadership and oversight for this organization that has brought together artists and young people for 50 years.  

The Position:

Reporting to the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for the professional leadership, overall operations and day-to-day management of Prologue.   This includes budgeting, financial planning and reporting, fund-raising, grantsmanship, project management, policy development, liaison with government agencies and foundations, and the hiring and supervising of staff.

The annual budget is approximately $1.7 million.

Prologue to the Performing Arts:

Prologue is a not for profit charitable organization whose mission is to serve a vital role in connecting young people to work of artists in schools and public venues; to work with artists and educators to present a wide range of diverse and accessible programming; and to advocate for equal access to the arts for all young people as a fundamental part of their education.  As a resource for artists, educators, and community presenters, Prologue represents and promotes a select group of professional artists and companies to schools and communities.

For fifty years Prologue’s goal has been to deliver the performing arts to young imaginations.  It partners with passionate educators, presenters, librarians, school administrators, parents, and community leaders to provide arts access for all young people in Ontario. In honor of its arts advocates, it has launched the Prologue Arts Champion Awards to be given annually to an individual(s) who exemplifies its vision of bringing arts activities to all young people.

Prologue is proud of its history: since 1966, it has reached over 20 million young people, facilitated over 70,000 performances and workshops in a variety of venues in over 200 communities across Ontario, and supported 235 arts organizations and artists.

In 2016 Prologue offered more than 2,000 programs from 40 artistic companies in English and French to more than 500,000 students in Kindergarten to grade 12.

Prologue works with many Arts Education Partners and provides many cross-curricular performances, as well as study guides, teacher training workshops, and other outreach activities.

An energized, informed and articulate Board of Directors champions the vision and goals of Prologue. Its offices are located in Toronto’s Historic Distillery District. The current staff complement includes a Bookings and Administrative Coordinator, an Outreach and Market Development Coordinator, and a Strategic Initiatives and Project Manager.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be an established, experienced and committed arts manager with seven or more years of experience in the not for profit sector who has demonstrated full-time professional leadership of an arts organization. The role of Executive Director would include financial management and budgeting, staff supervision, grantsmanship, marketing, and being the “face” of the organization to its many stakeholders.  Experience with arts education, young audiences, touring networks, and contract negotiation and administration would be desirable.

An excellent listener, observer, communicator, and facilitator, the Executive Director must be capable of animating an idea, assisting implementation, and empowering individuals to realize goals effectively.    In a digital age, understanding the power of social media is essential, coupled with a strong interest in using technology to promote new services and delivery mechanisms for Prologue, such as on-line booking.

The Executive Director must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with artists, educational institutions, arts managers, community presenters, corporate and individual donors, and funders, and maintain a strong presence in the performing arts sector.  Competency in oral and written French would be an asset.

The Executive Director must be a strategic planner and thinker with fluid, flexible approaches to problem solving and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and at the same time detail-oriented, able to juggle the multiple facets of the organization. The Executive Director should have a passion for the valuable role of the professional artist in the education of young people and the ability to raise the awareness of Prologue and its activities as well as stewarding a successful and financially viable institution.

Salary commensurate with experience.

How to Apply:

Please send resume, cover letter, a list of references, and salary requirements to

Melvin Hurst
Chair, Board of Directors

Prologue to the Performing Arts
15 Case Goods Lane #413,
Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

Email: [email protected]