Job Opportunity | PhotoAccess Director

PhotoAccess is the ACT and region’s centre for contemporary photography, film and video and media arts. Located at the Manuka Arts Centre in Canberra, ACT, we’re an established non-profit, member-based organisation fostering excellence in the photographic arts and developing understanding and appreciation of photographic culture.

Each year, our flagship Huw Davies Gallery presents a dynamic series of exhibitions featuring emerging and established photographers and photo-artists. We also curate and commission exhibitions with partner organisations and venues. PhotoAccess manages one of Australia’s very few publicly-accessible darkrooms – the only one in the ACT Region – and provides a digital imaging suite. We support the production of new work across photographic media through exhibition, residency and network-building opportunities. PhotoAccess is one of six organisations scheduled to move to new purpose-built facilities within Canberra’s new arts precinct in Kingston within the next 3 years. The Director of PhotoAccess sits on the Kingston Arts Precinct Steering Committee.

We are a member-based visual arts organisation presenting an ongoing program of exhibitions, courses, talks, publications and special projects including artist residencies and community digital-storytelling workshops. We are committed to presenting excellent, high-quality work with a focus on artistic experimentation and innovation. Our exhibitions and public programs encourage and extend the critical debate about contemporary photo-based art practice. Our courses are structured to meet a wide range of needs and experience levels, while our outreach and community engagement programs allow people to participate in the arts who might otherwise not have the opportunity.

PhotoAccess is an Incorporated Association supported by the ACT Government’s Arts Centre Investment Funding and managed by a volunteer Board. PhotoAccess currently manages the Manuka Arts Centre which has one long-term tenant. You can find out more at https://www.photoaccess.org.au/

PhotoAccess is seeking a creative, collaborative, and confident Director, who will be responsible for successfully managing PhotoAccess and the Manuka Arts Centre. The Director manages and leads the organisation’s operations, artistic direction and cultural leadership role as the ACT and region’s centre for contemporary photography, film and video and media arts.

Applications are welcomed from experienced directors as well as emerging arts leaders and people bringing transferable skills from outside the arts sector. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability and people from LGBTIQ+ communities. The role would suit someone with a background or interest in photography and the arts and a vision for photographic culture, and contemporary visual arts practice more broadly.

The Director’s duties include the following:

• creative leadership across the PhotoAccess program and working closely with the Board to develop and deliver the organisation’s strategic direction and business planning goals
• identifying suitable funding programs, leading applications for grant funding, liaising with ArtsACT and other funding bodies, negotiating high-level partnerships, and building donor and sponsor relationships
• being the public face of the organisation and its leading advocate, representing PhotoAccess to the media, membership, community and stakeholders locally, nationally, and internationally
• supervising a highly motivated and skilled team of between 4 and 6 part-time staff, the Director mentors, develops and inspires growth and builds team capability
• creating and managing budgets, financial and business management of day-to-day operations, marketing and communications, arts centre management, membership management, retail management, and business infrastructure of the organisation
• leading the maintenance and building of networks with other arts organisations to build effective and strategic relationships locally, nationally, and internationally
• working closely with the Board to ensure compliance with reporting and legal obligations
• reporting to meetings of the Board, committees and members, including Annual and General Meetings as required