Cultural centre director to artistic director
A cultural centre director already meets 54% of what the artistic director role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.
59/ 100
1 How much of what an artistic director is expected to do is already part of a cultural centre 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 22 of its required skills as things a cultural centre director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply strategic thinking
- approve reports for artistic project
- corporate social responsibility
- cultural projects
- develop professional network
- establish daily priorities
What stands in the way is 15 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 23 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 a cultural centre director background worth leading with.
- already held approve reports for artistic project information skills
- already held work with cultural venue specialists communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held organise cultural events management skills
- already held promote cultural venue events communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held cultural projects social sciences, journalism and information
- already held liaise with cultural partners communication, collaboration and creativity
All 23 carried skills, including the 22 the artistic director role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 5 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 define artistic approach required
- still to learn define artistic vision required
- still to learn describe artistic experience required
- still to learn develop an artistic framework required
- still to learn identify artistic niche required
- still to learn provide project information on exhibitions required
- still to learn represent artistic production 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 coordinate artistic production required
- still to learn determine context to present the work required
- still to learn direct an artistic team required
- optional, not held use intuition in booking projects optional
- optional, not held find a replacement for stage manager optional
- optional, not held plan resource allocation optional
- still to learn art history required
- still to learn art-historical values required
- still to learn monitor artistic activities required
- optional, not held museum databases optional
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 art history study this
- 02 art-historical values 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 23 skills that carry over
- already held apply strategic thinking skill
- already held approve reports for artistic project skill
- already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
- already held cultural projects knowledge
- already held develop professional network skill
- already held establish daily priorities skill
- already held follow company standards skill
- already held liaise with cultural partners skill
- already held liaise with local authorities skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held manage logistics skill
- already held manage staff skill
- already held manage supplies skill
- already held organise cultural events skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held promote cultural venue events skill
- already held promote inclusion skill
- already held represent the organisation skill
- already held set organisational policies skill
- already held strive for company growth skill
- already held supervise daily information operations skill
- already held work with cultural venue specialists skill
- already held plan health and safety procedures skill
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 find a replacement for stage manager 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 resource allocation optional
27 held skills the artistic director role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assemble health and safety resources in cultural venues skill
- not needed by the target role assess data collected to improve community arts programme skill
- not needed by the target role budgetary principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role build community relations skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate community arts activities skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate events skill
- not needed by the target role create cultural venue learning strategies skill
- not needed by the target role create cultural venue outreach policies skill
- not needed by the target role develop cultural activities skill
- not needed by the target role develop cultural policies skill
- not needed by the target role develop inclusive communication material skill
- not needed by the target role develop promotional tools skill
- not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate cultural venue programmes skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate cultural venue visitor needs skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate events skill
- not needed by the target role fix meetings skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with event sponsors skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relations with local representatives skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relationships with government agencies skill
- not needed by the target role manage cultural facility skill
- not needed by the target role manage fundraising activities skill
- not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role project management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role promote cultural venue in schools skill
- not needed by the target role supervise event staff skill
- not needed by the target role work within communities skill
3 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 art-historical values required
- optional, not held museum databases optional
Other moves recorded from cultural centre director
Common questions about this move
Can a cultural centre director become an artistic director?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A cultural centre director already covers 54% of what an artistic director is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 22 of which the artistic director role treats as required.
What skills does a cultural centre director need to become an artistic director?
15 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is art history.
How hard is the move from cultural centre director to artistic director?
Its learning distance is 59 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.