Head of Development

Do you thrive at the sharp end of the arts world? Do you have the ability to help redefine it? Do you have the ambition and imagination to build new approaches and ideas, rather than being the custodian of what has already been created? Do you enjoy working with donors who love to invest in brave, bold projects, to see what might happen? We have just the job for you.

Wayne McGregor is a multi-award-winning choreographer and director who has forged a distinct path through the arts world, transcending genres and challenging preconceptions. His unique approach to physical communication and his experimentation with movement have seen him commissioned for projects around the world on screen, stage and beyond from movement direction for Harry Potter to Resident Choreographer at the Royal Opera House, and the making of Thom Yorke videos to creative learning residencies in Africa.

Studio Wayne McGregor, the company HQ, is a beautiful, innovative creative space in the heart of East London. It represents a catalyst for raw artistic expression, and is a safe, strings-free space for artists to explore their craft, and to create new and remarkable work.

What we do

At its core, the Studio stands for exploration without boundaries, for experimentation with art that can lead to new paths beyond traditionally defined genres. We seek to encourage artists to find their own voice, to be pioneers and visionaries.

Our work is varied, and just a few of the key strands that enable us to achieve this ambitious aim are:

• Wayne McGregor’s ability to redefine and transcend the dance world has led him into collaborative dialogue with an array of artistic forms, scientific disciplines, and technological interventions, allowing him to continue contributing cutting-edge ideas to the world.
• Our FreeSpace programme allows artists free access to our studio space so that they can explore their ideas in a safe and collaborative environment. The space is also frequently used by artists to showcase their work for potential funders and we have been mentioned as a gift-in-kind supporter on a record number of arts council funding applications.
• In order to access the FreeSpace, artists must commit to our BarterBack programme. This sees artists contributing their time to a wide array of community projects which seek to further our strategic aim of pulling down the barriers and boundaries to art and teaching people through movement the inspiration of individual creativity. Amongst others, this has led to a national project with Headway to use dance as a rehabilitation tool for people with head injuries.

What you’ll be doing

Wayne’s work reverberates all around the world, we are not short of engaged and passionate friends, this was never more obvious than during the £6 million-pound capital campaign to build our new home.

We are looking for someone who can activate these relationships and put in place the systems and processes needed to ensure a fluid and sustainable funding platform for many years to come. We have the resources, assets and passion needed to make it happen, we’re looking for someone with the imagination to bring it alive.

Fundraising isn’t a means to an end for the team at the studio, it is an integral part of how we engage with our community and how we deliver our creative vision. Studio Wayne McGregor believes in powerful partnerships, and our fund-raising is part of this process.

This role will be an integral part of the senior management team and contribute to strategic decisions far beyond the remit of fundraising.

If that sounds like it might be for you, we’d love to hear from you. We are being supported on this project by Bamboo Fundraising, please do contact them for a confidential conversation and to discuss your application.