Artistic Director / Programmer

With support from the Performing Arts Fund and the City of Nijmegen for the period 2025–2028, the festival is on the cusp of a new phase. In the coming years, Music Meeting aims to invest more in its program and audience reach while reducing production costs. That is why the festival will move (back) to the city center in 2026.

Music Meeting is seeking anArtistic Director / Programmer, effective February 1, 2025, to oversee the festival’s programming and the transition to the city center.

Feb–Jun 2025 – 16 hours per week (336 hours over 21 weeks)

Starting in September 2025 – 20 hours per week (800 hours over 40 weeks)

freelancer/self-employed

Artistic vision

With “musical encounters” at its core and global music as its starting point, the festival will be expanding its horizons in the coming years to explore new perspectives in programming, intercultural exchange, and cultural education. Through a broader program, we aim to reach new and younger audiences and help them update and refine their understanding of genres that have been referred to as “world music” for several decades. Music Meeting aspires to reach a large and diverse audience and to be an inspiring meeting place for musicians, experts, professionals, amateurs, emerging talents, and enthusiasts.

Duties of the Artistic Director/Programmer

In a compact, professional team, each member works within their area of expertise. The Artistic Director and the Executive Director together form the leadership of Music Meeting. Together, you ensure effective coordination between the artistic and business aspects and manage and maintain the network of contacts. The artistic director is primarily responsible for the festival’s programming, the revamped festival format starting in 2026, a high-profile (side) program, and additional activities throughout the year. You contribute to the strategy for connecting this program to a broad audience. You’re not afraid to think outside the box, thereby putting Music Meeting on the map in the Netherlands and beyond.  

Profile and Job Requirements

You have proven experience as a program developer and in creating artistic (multi-year) plans. You are both an initiator and an implementer with an eye for people and detail. As the face of Music Meeting, you can enthusiastically convey our ambitions to a broad audience as well as to stakeholders, the press, and industry professionals. You work and make decisions independently, but seek timely coordination with the Executive Director. You work closely with guest programmers and with colleagues in marketing, production, and artist handling. We expect you to work regularly at the office in Nijmegen. You report to the Executive Director. Progress meetings are held with a board member and the Executive Director.

The job responsibilities generally include:

• Co-developing the festival format and strategy for Music Meeting in the city center starting in 2026, which will also mark the festival’s^40th anniversary.
• Responsibility for developing the national and international programming, which includes unique productions, partly in collaboration with guest programmers who change annually.
• Responsibility for the in-depth supporting program and activities in the areas of talent development and (cultural) education.
• Maintaining and establishing national and international collaborations and partnerships.
• Provide substantive input for grant applications and financial reporting, among other things.
• Providing collaborative and empathetic leadership to guest programmers, artist handlers, and interns.
• Provide input to and work closely with the production and marketing team.
• In collaboration with the CEO, implement the long-term strategy and translate it into achievable annual plans with clear objectives.

You also have:

• An artistic vision that you know how to translate into feasible plans and productions.
• An affinity with and vision for the objectives of Music Meeting.
• Experience with and vision for attracting a new audience.
• An international perspective that can be linked to the Nijmegen context.
• An eye for young creators and emerging talent.
• A relevant network that reflects this knowledge.
• Knowledge of the Fair Practice, Diversity and Inclusion, and Governance codes.

The following is offered

A challenging role at a leading international festival, with a commitment to continuous innovation and growth, and a dedicated team and board.

We are offering a freelance position starting at 16 hours per week from February to June 2025 (for 20 workweeks). Starting in September, the position will be expanded to 20 hours per week for 40 weeks. Initially, this is for the 2026 edition, but ideally, we would like to enter into a multi-year commitment thereafter. The compensation is fair and depends on your experience. We follow the guidelines of the Dutch Performing Arts Collective Labor Agreement (CAO Nederlandse podia).

Interested?

If you are interested in this position and meet the job requirements, please send your cover letter and resume to Managing Director Sophie Blussé at sophieblusse@musicmeeting.nl by December 14, 2024, with the subject line “Artistic Director Position.”

The selection process consists of two rounds of interviews. The first round of interviews will take place in Nijmegen on Friday, December 20, 2024. The second round of interviews will take place at a later date to be determined after the Christmas break.

If you have any questions, please call Managing Director Sophie Blussé (06 4154 8825) or Board Chair Pieter van Ree (06 5238 2333).