This role offers you the chance to play a significant part in shaping the future of Southbank Centre, a national cultural institution, at an exciting but challenging time. You will join an organisation that has managed its way through the impact of the pandemic, with the support of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. This was a painful period which involved significant redundancies and disruption – with the effective closure of the site resulting in a dramatic and immediate fall of revenue.
One of the successes of the Southbank has been the development of commercial income from the site to support the artistic income and Arts Council grant. The pandemic saw a revenue drop of over 50% overnight. The financial position is now stable with reserves in a stronger position than pre pandemic and funds available for artistic innovation. But the remaining uncertainty surrounding Covid 19 and the capital demands of such a central, high profile and well visited site mean that alongside artistic ambition the Board need to champion and encourage new revenue and funding opportunities.
Arts Council England, Lambeth Council, the Mayor and GLA and the current government understand and support the contribution our arts and cultural activity makes to society and the local, regional and national economy, as well as the crucial part we play at the heart of the creative economy as a whole.
You will be helping to ensure that Southbank Centre delivers its artistic vision and ambition and strategic priorities – and will help shape the way forward and support the implantation of the plans.
By 2028 we will be:
- A cultural playground animated by commissioned public art installations, new formats, experiences and people.
- Offering traditional art delivered in new ways to new audiences.
- A hub for nurturing and presenting art of the future.
- A pioneering producer of new art, attracting support from artists and investors around the world.
- Connecting people to art, artists, learning experiences, others and themselves.
- The most diverse arts centre in the world.
While we are working towards these goals we will continue to:
- Deliver excellent, popular and ground-breaking art, performance and cultural experiences across our beautiful site.
- Be inclusive and accessible with diversity at our heart, in our programme, audiences and staff.
- Be a place of fun, exploration, learning and discovery, making full use of our iconic venues and outdoor spaces to deliver live events and interactive experiences.
- With the long legacy in providing a ‘Tonic to the Nation.’
You can play a role informing this strategy and will have a significant influence on Southbank Centre’s direction.