1. Job title: Arts Advisor South Africa Department/location Johannesburg

Job type: (full time; part time etc) Fixed Term 24 month renewable Pay band 7

Line manager:  Director Cape Town Post-related allowances

Start date March 2012

Contact Lisa Phasha

Applications to Lisa.Phasha@britishcouncil.org

Deadline 13th February 2012

The British Council is looking to appoint a new arts manager. The post is a fulltime position initially on a two year contract. Deadline for applications is Thursday 16th February.

2. Job Title: Arts Advisor South Africa

Directorate or Region: SSA Department/Country South Africa

Location of post: Johannesburg Pay Band 7

Starting Salary: R23,419 per month plus benefits (neg)

Reports to Director Cape Town Duration of job Two years (in the first instance)

Purpose of job: To work with the BC senior team in South Africa to deliver programmes, audiences and partnerships which contribute to the British Council’s cultural relations programme through the arts and creative industries.

Context and environment: (e.g. dept description, region description, organogram). The British Council in South Africa works in three strategic business areas; Arts, English, Education and Society. The post will work directly to Director Cape Town who leads on our programmes work, including the arts. The Arts programme delivers in excess of 25% of our overall programme impact. The post will also work with Director Cape Town to develop close relations with BC Regional Arts Manager based in South Africa, Arts colleagues based in the British Council HQ in London and with key arts stakeholders in Johannesburg and more generally in South Africa.

Arts staff work to develop international opportunities in specific priority areas:

* Building creative partnerships and collaborations
* Showcasing the UK in South Africa and vice versa
* Developing skills and leadership in the creative sector
* Harnessing the power of arts in achieving international development goals

Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties: (including people management and finance).
Maintain and develop close understanding of and links with the sector in South Africa

* maintain and expand knowledge of the South African arts sector and to develop and sustain relationships with key practitioners and organisations, both established and emerging talent;
* represent our work in arts to external partners and stakeholders;
* Provide advice to UK organisations, artists and professional networks on the international development of their work.

Provide market intelligence and information

* provide content for BC online platforms on high quality new work and new content in South Africa;
* Provide content for communications materials for distribution in South Africa, the region and UK

Develop partnerships and project ideas

* develop creative partnerships with South African arts practitioners and organisations
* work with colleagues in South Africa to develop plans for projects, partnerships and audience development identified for delivery in our country planning;
* identify and pursue opportunities for arts input to projects in other sectors, such as education, where appropriate to British Council objectives;

Develop specific projects

* in consultation with senior management develop arts projects which reflect both the strategic aims of the British Council and the needs of external stakeholders while demonstrating cultural sensitivity;

Maintain and develop relationships with managers

* oversee progress against project plans;
* provide professional advice to colleagues in UK and South Africa on artists and the sector;
* provide input and support to regional and UK staff with an arts brief, in consultation with senior management.
* Ensure good internal communications to the senior team on activity, impact and results.

Manage people and finances

* manage agreed members of programme team to British Council standards
* manage agreed budgets to British Council standards

Key relationships:
Director Cape Town, Arts Project Team South Africa
South African programmers, producers, artists and performers in all art forms and the wider creative industries.
Arts colleagues in the SSA region and Headquarters
Key arts journalists in the arts and creative industries

Other important features or requirements of the job
Regular attendance at evening and weekend events are a normal part of the job.
Significant knowledge and experience in the South African (and UK) and wider African arts and creative industries sectors is essential.
Please indicate if any security or legal checks are required for this role. Applicants must have:

Right of Abode in South Africa
Right to work in South Africa

Person Specification

Essential Desirable
Assessment stage
Behaviours

1. CONNECTING WITH OTHERS

* find common ground and build relationships and connections to support British Council goals.
* do this by building trust with others, by paying attention to their
concerns and needs, and showing that
* understand their interests.
* achieve understanding and trust in a culturally sensitive way – whatever my role.
* At more demanding level: Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others

2. WORKING TOGETHER

* Knowing that we will achieve more with other people than we can do separately, by sharing goals and resources to add more value.
* work towards common goals with others.
* do this by agreeing effective and respectful ways of sharing success.
* generate mutual support, shared benefits and promote interdependence.
* At more demanding level: Ensuring that others benefit as well as me

3. BEING ACCOUNTABLE

* show accountability and commitment to the British Council and
* demonstrate resilience and determination. I hold myself and others responsible for delivering goals in line with the shared purpose of the British Council. I give and accept constructive feedback to maximise high performance and manage under-performance.
* At more demanding level: Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own
Interview
* Skills and Knowledge Specialist and up-to-date knowledge of - and a broad network of contacts in - the South African/African/UK arts and creative sectors.
* Evidence of an ability to make and articulate clear and insightful artistic judgements on new work.
* An understanding of the educational, developmental and creative industry opportunities of arts activity.
* An understanding of the opportunities for cultural relations through the arts within an international context.

Short listing & Interview
Experience: At least three years’ recent professional experience of working in a creative, producing, programming or management capacity in the Arts sector in South Africa, ideally with international links.

* Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree

Submitted by Lisa Phasha, 13th February 2012

Lisa Phasha | Director Arts SSA | Sub-Saharan Africa | British Council South Africa
T: +27 (0)11 5609321 | F:+27 (0)11 5609301 | BCTN: 8 480 9321 | E: lisa.phasha@britishcouncil.org
Creating opportunities worldwide
www.britishcouncil.org/africa