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Arts administrator

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Arts administrators play an important part in the development of new projects, making arrangements for tours and events and taking on marketing and planning responsibilities

As an arts administrator, you'll provide and coordinate administrative, organisational and planning support across a range of arts-related activities and projects, helping artists and creative teams to deliver programmes and events.

The work is varied and will depend on the type and size of organisation you work for. Tasks may include:

  • budget management
  • customer care
  • education and outreach support
  • managing event logistics
  • front-of-house administration
  • programming
  • sponsorship and fundraising support.

Arts administrators work across the arts and cultural sector in organisations of varying size and focus, from small community projects to large national institutions.

Responsibilities

As an arts administrator, you'll typically need to:

  • plan and organise logistics for events, projects and artistic activity
  • arrange venues, scheduling, ticketing, travel and operational support for events
  • support the programming and booking of performances, exhibitions or tours
  • help secure funding for projects or venues and support fundraising activity
  • plan and manage budgets and monitor expenditure
  • promote events and activities through digital channels, marketing and media liaison
  • support the development of new projects by working with artists and key stakeholders such as local authorities, community groups, venue directors and arts centres
  • act as the first point of contact for enquiries
  • provide administrative support to artists, managers, directors or boards of trustees
  • maintain office, information and digital systems, including databases and records
  • ensure appropriate insurance, health and safety, and legal requirements are met.

In more senior roles, you may also be involved in strategic planning, staff management and organisational decision-making.

Salary

  • Arts administrators typically earn around £25,000, rising to in the region of £30,000 with experience.
  • Salaries for experienced arts administrators may rise to between £28,000 and £35,000.
  • Senior arts administrators or those in larger organisations may earn £40,000 or more, particularly in London or in management-focused roles.

Salaries vary depending on the type and size of organisation, location (salaries in and around London are likely to be higher), your experience and level of responsibility.

Salary scales are often related to local government administrators.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work around 37 to 40 hours a week in full-time positions. As arts administrator roles are closely tied to events, festivals, performances and exhibitions, you may be required to work some evenings and weekends, especially around key activity dates.

Smaller organisations may offer part-time roles or fixed-term contracts rather than full-time permanent posts, due to fluctuations in funding and project needs. There may be opportunities for hybrid working, depending on employer policy and the nature of the tasks.

What to expect

  • The working week may be divided between office-based work and visits to venues or partner organisations, sometimes involving local or national travel.
  • In large organisations, you may specialise in a particular area of arts administration, while in smaller organisations, you're more likely to work across a range of activities and take responsibility for day-to-day operations.
  • Jobs are available across the UK, with opportunities in both urban and rural locations.
  • The arts sector has a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and encourages applications from people from underrepresented groups. The Arts Council England, for example, has information on relevant schemes and reports including access to work initiatives and creating inclusive workplaces.
  • For some posts, occasional overnight stays away from home may be required, usually for festivals, tours or exhibitions. Overseas work is uncommon unless the organisation regularly works internationally.

Qualifications

Although it's not essential to have a degree, many arts administrators have some form of higher-level qualification. Useful subjects at foundation degree, HND and degree level include:

  • arts administration options within arts-related courses
  • art history
  • arts or cultural management
  • business administration
  • business-related studies, such as finance, logistics, marketing and human resources
  • English and English literature
  • events management
  • performing arts
  • visual arts and design.

Employers usually value relevant skills, experience and an interest in the arts as much as formal qualifications.

You could also enter the role through an apprenticeship in areas such as administration, business management or events. Apprenticeships are available at different levels and combine paid work with part-time study for a qualification. To see what's available, search Find an apprenticeship.

Another route is to start in a support or assistant administrator role and progress as you gain relevant experience. It may also be possible to move into arts administration from another area of administrative work, particularly if you have an interest in, or experience of, the arts.

A postgraduate qualification in arts or cultural administration or management is not essential, but some graduates choose to study at this level to develop their knowledge and improve their employability. Research courses carefully to ensure they meet your career aims.

Skills

You will need to have:

  • strong communication, interpersonal and customer service skills
  • excellent organisational skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks
  • an interest in the arts and an understanding of the cultural sector
  • awareness of local, regional or national arts activity relevant to the organisation
  • the ability to work independently and as part of a team, meeting deadlines and priorities
  • excellent administrative and numeracy skills, including working with budgets
  • confidence using IT and digital systems, such as spreadsheets, databases and social media
  • project management and problem-solving skills and the ability to use your initiative
  • a flexible and adaptable approach to work, with openness to new ideas
  • awareness of political, economic and funding issues affecting the arts sector.

Work experience

Jobs in the arts are competitive, so it's important to get pre-entry experience in administration, management or the arts through work experience, voluntary work or internships. This experience will help you develop practical skills and build a network of professional contacts.

It's a good idea to combine administrative experience with more specific experience in arts projects and events. Relevant experience could include volunteering in a local gallery, working front of house at a theatre, or taking on temporary or casual work at a community art event or arts festival. Try to gain experience across different activities and be prepared to demonstrate your interest in, and commitment to, the sector.

While at university, you could develop relevant skills by:

  • promoting a drama or arts society
  • helping to organise drama productions, concerts or exhibitions
  • writing reviews or creating content for arts events
  • staging an exhibition or performance
  • organising events and securing sponsorship.

You can search for volunteering opportunities on websites such as:

Arts magazines, websites and social media can also be useful sources of information about events, projects and organisations that you may wish to follow or become involved with. Relevant resources include:

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

You can be employed as an arts administrator in any organisation responsible for planning, organising and delivering artistic or cultural activity. These include:

  • arts centres
  • arts festivals
  • community and disability arts organisations
  • concert venues, theatres and touring companies
  • educational settings such as schools, colleges and universities with music or arts departments.
  • galleries and museums
  • local authorities, typically in leisure and recreation or planning and development departments
  • orchestras and dance companies
  • photography or media centres.

There are many government-funded initiatives and local partnerships that employ arts administrators on short- and longer-term contracts. Many of these projects focus on developing arts activity in urban and rural communities, supporting social inclusion and contributing to local economic development.

Other organisations that employ arts administrators include arts councils and bodies involved in grant aiding, such as:

It's likely that you'll need some experience in arts administration to get a job with these bodies. Many arts organisations rely on public funding, grants or sponsorship, which can affect staffing structures and the availability of job opportunities. As a result, vacancies may fluctuate depending on funding and project cycles.

Look for job vacancies at:

Vacancies are also advertised in the national press, for example Guardian Jobs, and on the websites of arts organisations, local authorities and funding bodies.

Networking and establishing contacts are a crucial part of developing your career and finding opportunities.

Professional development

You'll need to keep your skills and knowledge up to date throughout your career by undertaking continuing professional development (CPD).

Postgraduate study can form part of your ongoing professional development, particularly if you're looking to develop a deeper understanding of management, leadership, cultural policy or the wider creative and cultural sector.

Relevant postgraduate courses include arts and cultural management, festival management, creative industries management and cultural policy. Some courses offer placements or project work with arts organisations, which can help build experience and professional networks.

A range of organisations also offer relevant training opportunities in areas such as management, finance, marketing and HR. These include:

There are also groups and online communities on social media dedicated to arts administration, which can support knowledge sharing and professional networking.

Career prospects

Jobs and promotion within arts administration can be competitive. As a result, you may need to be flexible about location to progress your career.

As you gain experience and take on greater responsibility for projects or programmes, you may move into general manager or head of administration roles. With extensive experience, there may be opportunities to become a director or chief executive within an arts organisation or local authority arts service, although these roles are less common.

In large organisations, you may have the opportunity to specialise in a particular area of arts administration, such as education, marketing, communications, finance or events. In smaller organisations, you're more likely to work across a wide range of activities and take responsibility for day-to-day operations.

With significant experience and a strong professional network, some arts administrators choose to work on a freelance basis. You could also move into consultancy work, contributing to research, feasibility studies or the development of arts and cultural policy.

It may also be possible to move into related roles in the public, private or voluntary sectors, or into the media industry in positions such as arts agent or promoter.