Performance production manager to artistic director
A performance production manager already meets 47% of what the artistic director role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
64.7/ 100
1 How much of what an artistic director is expected to do is already part of a performance production manager’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 19 of its required skills as things a performance production manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- coordinate artistic production
- corporate social responsibility
- cultural projects
- establish daily priorities
- follow company standards
- liaise with cultural partners
What stands in the way is 18 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 20 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 performance production manager background worth leading with.
- 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 coordinate artistic production management skills
- already held cultural projects social sciences, journalism and information
- already held liaise with cultural partners communication, collaboration and creativity
All 20 carried skills, including the 19 the artistic director role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 29 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
- still to learn develop professional network 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 direct an artistic team required
- still to learn apply strategic thinking required
- still to learn perform project management 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 approve reports for artistic project 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 approve reports for artistic project practise this
- 02 art history study this
- 03 art-historical values study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 20 skills that carry over
- already held coordinate artistic production skill
- already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
- already held cultural projects knowledge
- 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 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
20 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 assemble an artistic team skill
- not needed by the target role assess production needs to plan a production schedule skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate pre-show checks skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate rehearsals skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate with creative departments skill
- not needed by the target role copyright legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
- not needed by the target role create production schedules skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic project budgets skill
- not needed by the target role develop cultural activities skill
- not needed by the target role document safety actions skill
- not needed by the target role draw up artistic production skill
- not needed by the target role ensure health and safety of visitors skill
- not needed by the target role estimate needs of artistic production skill
- not needed by the target role labour legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage artistic project skill
- not needed by the target role organise performance space skill
- not needed by the target role organise rehearsals skill
- not needed by the target role plan artistic production activities 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 performance production manager
Common questions about this move
Can a performance production manager become an artistic director?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A performance production manager already covers 47% of what an artistic director is expected to do: 20 skills carry over, 19 of which the artistic director role treats as required.
What skills does a performance production manager need to become an artistic director?
18 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 approve reports for artistic project.
How hard is the move from performance production manager to artistic director?
Its learning distance is 64.7 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.