Artistic Director

Company Overview

The Opportunity

Urban Ink is seeking an Artistic Director to lead the organization into its next chapter of artistic growth, cultural leadership, and organizational sustainability.

The Artistic Director will steward Urban Ink’s artistic vision and programming while continuing to deepen relationships with Indigenous and culturally diverse artists and communities. This role is both visionary and collaborative, balancing artistic ambition with strategic planning, community care, and organizational leadership. Working in partnership with the Managing Director within a co-leadership model, the Artistic Director will help shape Urban Ink’s future across live performance, film, digital creation, touring, festivals, artistic development, and community-engaged practice.

The Artistic Director will support Urban Ink’s strategic priorities, including:

      Finding and championing new Indigenous and diverse artists and stories

      Producing meaningful Canadian artistic work with increasing social impact

      Expanding audiences, partnerships, and national/international presence

      Supporting sustainable organizational growth and healthy workplace culture

Urban Ink is fiercely proud of its past work and programs. It is simultaneously open to new directions and ideas if they best fulfill the mission and goals of the company. 

Job Description

Reporting to the Urban Ink Board of Directors, the Artistic Director will be the organization’s guiding artistic visionary and will co-lead the organization alongside the Managing Director. Urban Ink operates within a collaborative co-leadership structure between the Artistic Director and a Managing Director (to be engaged after the Artistic Director is in place). The Artistic Director and Managing Director work collaboratively to support the organization's overall health, sustainability, and management, bringing distinct areas of expertise to the role.

The Artistic Director will be specifically responsible to:

Artistic Leadership & Programming

      Curate and oversee Urban Ink’s artistic programming, including productions, festivals, workshops, touring initiatives, digital works, and artistic development programs

      Lead artistic planning and season development in alignment with Urban Ink’s mission and strategic priorities

      Support artists through all stages of creation, from early development to full production and presentation

      Champion new Indigenous and culturally diverse voices and stories

      Maintain awareness of contemporary performance practices, artists, and developments in the Canadian and international arts ecology

      Foster artistic collaboration across theatre, film, music, digital storytelling, and multidisciplinary practice

Community Engagement & Cultural Leadership

      Build and sustain meaningful relationships with Indigenous and culturally diverse artists, communities, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and partner organizations

      Act as a public spokesperson and ambassador for Urban Ink through public speaking, media, fundraising, and sector engagement

      Support culturally grounded artistic practices, protocols, and reciprocal community relationships

      Strengthen Urban Ink’s role as a gathering place for artists, audiences, and communities

Organizational Leadership

      Collaborate closely with the Managing Director to align artistic vision with operational planning, financial sustainability, and organizational priorities

      Participate in strategic planning, policy development, and organizational growth initiatives

      Support and mentor staff, contractors, and emerging artists

      Foster a healthy, collaborative, inclusive, and respectful workplace culture

      Participate in Board meetings and provide regular reports on artistic activity and strategic opportunities

Fundraising & Partnerships

      Contribute to grant writing, reporting, fundraising initiatives, sponsorship development, and donor stewardship

      Cultivate partnerships with presenters, festivals, funders, producing organizations, and community collaborators

      Support national and international touring, co-productions, and artistic exchange opportunities

      Help advance Urban Ink’s long-term sustainability and visibility

Operations & Administration

      Collaborate on annual program budgets, staffing plans, production planning, and marketing initiatives

      Support organizational systems and processes that align with Urban Ink’s values and strategic goals

      Balance artistic vision with operational realities and organizational capacity

Candidate Profile

Urban Ink is seeking a collaborative, visionary, and community-minded artistic leader with a strong commitment to culturally diverse storytelling.

We recognize that leadership pathways are not always linear or equitable, and we welcome applicants with a range of lived experiences, artistic practices, and leadership backgrounds.

The ideal candidate is someone who:

      Leads with generosity, integrity, and cultural awareness

      Is passionate about artist development and community relationship-building

      Understands the realities of producing ambitious contemporary work within nonprofit arts structures

      Balances artistic excellence with collaboration, sustainability, and care

      Is excited to imagine new possibilities for Indigenous and culturally diverse storytelling across multiple platforms

Desired Skills & Experience

Artistic & Sector Experience

      Strong artistic vision and curatorial judgment

      Experience developing and producing new artistic work

      Experience in theatre, multidisciplinary performance, film, music, digital media, or related artistic practices

      Knowledge of the Canadian arts landscape and Indigenous and culturally diverse artistic communities

      Experience supporting artists at multiple stages of their careers

Leadership & Collaboration

      Collaborative leadership style rooted in communication, accountability, and relationship-building

      Experience working within team-based or co-leadership structures

      Ability to mentor artists, staff, and emerging cultural leaders

      Strong interpersonal and public communication skills

Strategic & Organizational Capacity

      Experience contributing to organizational planning and long-term visioning

      Ability to balance artistic ambition with financial and operational realities

      Experience participating in grant writing, reporting, fundraising, and partnership development

      Strong organizational and project management skills

Community & Cultural Leadership

      Deep respect for Indigenous cultural practices, protocols, and community relationships

      Commitment to equity, anti-racism, accessibility, and inclusion

      Understanding of reciprocal and community-engaged artistic practice

      Ability to build trust across diverse communities and artistic networks

Indigenous & Culturally Diverse Leadership Considerations

Urban Ink is committed to uplifting Indigenous and culturally diverse leadership at all levels of the organization. We recognize that lived experience, cultural knowledge, and community relationships are essential forms of leadership and expertise.

We strongly encourage applications from:

      First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists and cultural leaders

      Racialized and culturally diverse artists and administrators

      Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse leaders

      Artists and leaders from multidisciplinary and community-engaged practices 

Urban Ink values leaders who:

      Understand the importance of cultural safety and reciprocal relationships

      Lead with humility, listening, and care

      Embrace collaborative and non-hierarchical approaches to leadership

      Are committed to supporting future generations of artists and storytellers

      Believe in the transformative power of art to create dialogue, healing, empathy, and systemic change 

Urban Ink acknowledges that no candidate will possess every qualification listed above. If you believe you will thrive in this role and contribute meaningfully to Urban Ink’s future, we encourage you to apply.

Other Key Traits and Characteristics:

§  Creativity and Innovation - Creating innovative approaches, programming, processes, technologies, and/or systems to achieve the desired result.

§  Leadership - Organizing and influencing people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction.

§  Project Management - Identifying and overseeing all resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results.

§  Self-Starting, Time & Priority Management  - Demonstrating initiative and willingness to begin working. While prioritizing and completing tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.

§  Futuristic Thinking - Imagining, envisioning, projecting, and/or creating what has not yet been actualized while analyzing all situational aspects to make consistently sound and timely decisions.

§  Planning and Organizing - Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.

§  Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Cooperating with others to meet objectives and the ability to communicate effectively to build rapport while relating to many different people.

§  Decision Making & Problem Solving - Analyzing all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions with the ability to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution.

§  External Stakeholder Focus - Anticipating, meeting, and exceeding stakeholder needs and expectations.

§  Artist & Employee Development/Coaching - Facilitating, supporting, and contributing to the professional growth of others.

§  Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Being aware and sensitive to the gaps and opportunities with ED&I in the organization.