Festival Director

Who are we?

Deaf Action is a deaf-led charity, supporting and celebrating deaf people. We were established in 1835 and work with deaf people across Scotland and the South of England. Our work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.

You can find out more about us here.

Edinburgh Deaf Festival is Scotland’s leading festival celebrating deaf arts, culture and community. Since its launch in 2022, the festival has grown year on year, welcoming deaf artists, performers and audiences from across the UK and beyond. The programme showcases a diverse range of work including theatre, comedy, film, visual arts, workshops, tours and social events, delivered in an accessible environment.

Now an established part of Edinburgh’s cultural calendar, the festival continues to champion deaf talent, increase access to the arts, and create meaningful opportunities for deaf creatives and audiences alike. We are looking for a Festival Director to lead the next stage of its development, building on its success and shaping its future growth and impact.

You can find out more about Edinburgh Deaf Festival here.

About you

This role would suit someone with exceptional arts project management skills, strong financial and budgeting experience, an understanding of event programming and knowledge of the deaf arts sector. This is an opportunity to shape an evolving project celebrating deaf culture and artistry, within a fast-paced environment.

Proficiency in British Sign Language is essential and experience of working in the deaf arts community is preferred.

The ideal candidates will be fully committed to our values.

We have an exciting opportunity for a visionary and experienced leader to join us as Edinburgh Deaf Festival Director. You will bring senior-level experience within festivals, the arts, culture or event delivery, with the ability to lead complex projects from concept through to delivery.

You’ll be a confident strategic thinker with strong financial and decision-making capability, and a track record of managing teams to deliver high-quality outcomes. As the public face of the festival, you will be an excellent communicator, comfortable representing the festival with funders, partners, artists, media and stakeholders at local, national and international levels.

A strong commitment to deaf-led practice, accessibility and inclusion is essential.

The role

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Setting the overall vision, mission and strategic direction of the festival in partnership with the CEO
• Developing and overseeing the festival’s growth strategy, ensuring artistic quality, accessibility and sustainability 
• Providing oversight of festival planning and delivery across all functions
• Ensuring the festival is delivered on time, within scope and to a high standard 
• Identifying and managing risks, making final decisions where required
• Line managing and supporting the Festival Coordinator 
• Working closely with the Marketing team to develop a strong, cohesive marketing plan
• Developing and managing the festival budget, ensuring effective financial planning and control 
• Acting as the public face and senior representative of the festival 
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with funders, partners, sponsors and artists
• Overseeing governance, evaluation and end-of-festival reporting
• Building a strong legacy for future festivals, embedding learning and continuous improvement