Assistant stage director to artistic director
An assistant stage director already meets 15% of what the artistic director role asks for. The move turns on 31 required skills not yet in the profile.
87.5/ 100
1 How much of what an artistic director is expected to do is already part of an assistant stage director’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the artistic director role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An artistic director role treats 6 of its required skills as things an assistant stage director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- art-historical values
- coordinate artistic production
- define artistic approach
- define artistic vision
- develop an artistic framework
- direct an artistic team
What stands in the way is 31 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An artistic director role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an assistant stage director background worth leading with.
- already held find a replacement for stage manager management skills
- already held define artistic vision communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held direct an artistic team management skills
- already held art-historical values arts and humanities
- already held coordinate artistic production management skills
- already held develop an artistic framework communication, collaboration and creativity
All 7 carried skills, including the 6 the artistic director role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 42 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn contribute to the programmer's reflection process required
- still to learn cope with challenging demands required
- still to learn describe artistic experience required
- still to learn identify artistic niche required
- still to learn liaise with cultural partners required
- still to learn promote cultural venue events required
- still to learn provide project information on exhibitions required
- still to learn represent artistic production required
- still to learn work with cultural venue specialists required
- still to learn develop professional network required
- still to learn liaise with local authorities required
- still to learn represent the organisation required
- optional, not held advertise an art collection optional
- optional, not held develop drama production process optional
- optional, not held help the programmer define an artistic vision optional
- optional, not held organise an exhibition optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held represent company in exhibitions optional
- still to learn determine context to present the work required
- still to learn organise cultural events required
- still to learn apply strategic thinking required
- still to learn establish daily priorities required
- still to learn manage budgets required
- still to learn manage logistics required
- still to learn manage staff required
- still to learn manage supplies required
- still to learn perform project management required
- still to learn set organisational policies required
- still to learn strive for company growth required
- still to learn supervise daily information operations required
- optional, not held use intuition in booking projects optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- optional, not held plan resource allocation optional
- still to learn follow company standards required
- still to learn promote inclusion required
- still to learn approve reports for artistic project required
- still to learn monitor artistic activities required
- still to learn cultural projects required
- optional, not held museum databases optional
- still to learn art history required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an artistic director role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 approve reports for artistic project practise this
- 02 art history study this
- 03 contribute to the programmer's reflection process practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held art-historical values knowledge
- already held coordinate artistic production skill
- already held define artistic approach skill
- already held define artistic vision skill
- already held develop an artistic framework skill
- already held direct an artistic team skill
- already held find a replacement for stage manager skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held use intuition in booking projects optional
- optional, not held advertise an art collection optional
- optional, not held develop drama production process optional
- optional, not held help the programmer define an artistic vision optional
- optional, not held museum databases optional
- optional, not held organise an exhibition optional
- optional, not held participate in artistic mediation activities optional
- optional, not held present exhibition optional
- optional, not held represent company in exhibitions optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- optional, not held plan resource allocation optional
16 held skills the artistic director role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to artists' creative demands skill
- not needed by the target role analyse the artistic concept based on stage actions skill
- not needed by the target role assemble an artistic team skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate pre-show checks skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate with creative departments skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic project budgets skill
- not needed by the target role follow time cues skill
- not needed by the target role liaise between theatre direction and design team skill
- not needed by the target role maintain a production book skill
- not needed by the target role maintain blocking notes skill
- not needed by the target role manage prompt book skill
- not needed by the target role prompt performers skill
- not needed by the target role read scripts skill
- not needed by the target role supervise script preparation skill
- not needed by the target role understand artistic concepts skill
- not needed by the target role use communication techniques skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn art history required
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
- still to learn cultural projects required
- optional, not held museum databases optional
Other moves recorded from assistant stage director
Common questions about this move
Can an assistant stage director become an artistic director?
Yes, and it is a career change move. An assistant stage director already covers 15% of what an artistic director is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 6 of which the artistic director role treats as required.
What skills does an assistant stage director need to become an artistic director?
31 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is approve reports for artistic project.
How hard is the move from assistant stage director to artistic director?
Its learning distance is 87.5 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.