Each January Sydney Festival shakes up our city with a summer festival of art, music, dance, theatre and immersive experiences. We are proud of our long history of commissioning ground-breaking new Australian art, and we're equally proud to be a great place to work, with many of the seasonal team members returning year after year.

The team, which swells to over 100 during festival season, is tight, and the environment supportive. The harbour views from our office are to die for and our coffee machine best in show. 

Sydney Festival is committed to equity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability and people from the LGBTQI+ community. Sydney Festival strives to make reasonable adjustments to provide a supportive and barrier-free workplace. If you require any adjustments before or during the selection process, please mention this with your application.

Creative Producer – First Nations

Sydney Festival seeks Creative Producer – First Nations to curate and produce Festival works that champion and platform First Nations artists across a variety of artistic genres.  

We are proud to announce this new designated First Nations role – a full-time, senior-level position which reaffirms our deep and ongoing commitment to First Nations programming, while ensuring the succession of a new creative lead. 

Reporting to the Festival Director and working with the Blak Out Curator and programming team, the role will be responsible for both curation and delivery of the Festival's annual First Nations programming, and for delivering the key strategic objectives outlined in our Reconciliation Action Plan and Strategic Plan. 

Essential skills and attributes: 

Applicants must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as being an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and accepted in the community.  

• Intimate knowledge of the key persons, companies, trends and opportunities in First Nations performance and the broader arts programming sector. 
• Experience in at least one of the Festival’s main presenting genres: theatre, dance, music, visual art, public art, community practice.  
• Experience in devising, organising and producing events with First Nations protocols, artists and communities.  
• Experience in event production, management and presentation.  
• Relationship and team management skills working with numerous stakeholder groups both internal and external, including experience of conflict resolution. 
• Experience in developing and managing budgets  
• Comfortable hosting artists across a range of hospitality requirements 
• Able to travel, on occasion, to attend showings and performances both nationally and internationally 
• Passion for the performing arts sector and its possibilities 

To apply: 

Download the full job description below, then send a CV and cover letter with subject line CREATIVE PRODUCER – FIRST NATIONS of no more than two pages addressed to Kris Nelson, Festival Director, c/o peopleandculture@sydneyfestival.org.au 

If you’d like to speak to us before making an application, we’re open. We’re happy to discuss salary range, answer questions about the role, artistic vision and anything else you might want to know before applying. Get in touch with Kris Nelson via execoffice@sydneyfestival.org.au  

Deadline: 17 April 2025 

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