Join Our Team

The Basement Theatre Trust would like to announce to Aotearoa’s arts communities that they are looking for an exceptional leader to take up the role of Executive Director. Together with the wider Basement whānau, trustees are seeking a candidate to fill this position from mid April, 2024. This is a rare opportunity for the right person to bring their vision for the sector to Basement Theatre, and to continue our strong leadership legacy into the future.

The Executive Director role is the most senior role within Basement’s operations team. It is a demanding yet highly rewarding full time role set at 40 hours per week, at a rate of $90-$100K per annum. They are responsible for bringing cutting-edge vision and leadership to the organisation, supporting the operations team to deliver the complete programme of activities, and ensuring that the organisation’s strategic objectives are met within the parameters of the annual budget. In return, the Basement board offers a safe and supportive space to lead in a radical and well-being focused way.

The Executive Director reports to Basement’s governing body The Basement Theatre Trust, a practice that involves fortnightly meetings with the Chairperson and bi-monthly meetings with the board. They will of course work closely with Basement’s management team, the wider Basement operations whānau, and all of Basement’s key stakeholders including funders, partners, donors, sponsors and communities of independent artists and audiences. 

We are very interested to hear from both established leaders and promising emerging leaders who align with our values and who resonate with this callout. 

The candidate will:

• Be an experienced, respected and inspiring leader with mana and standing in their communities

• Have a developed Tangata Tiriti practise that they can articulate and embody in their leadership work

• Have broad and extensive sector relationships across a number of live performance artforms, and throughout the regions of Tāmaki Makaurau

• Have experience managing a venue, festival, theatre company or other arts organisation

• Have strong administration and financial management skills, and an understanding of the current arts funding landscape in Aotearoa 

• Have a deep passion for live performance and a desire to promote social and cultural equity in the performing arts

• Be well connected to critical conversations currently taking place within practitioner communities, as well as at a sector infrastructure level   

• Have experience and/or an authentic appetite to advocate for independent artists at local and national levels 

The candidate may also:

• Have strong relationships with mana whenua and the ability to facilitate and uphold tikanga Māori within a culturally diverse workplace

• Have a postgraduate qualification in the arts and/or related industry

• Have curatorial and/or programming experience in live performance or other artform
  

• Have a background in creative practice and/or first-hand experience as an artist or producer of live performance-making
  

• Have marketing and brand development experience within the arts
  

• Have experience managing hospitality operations such as a bar, restaurant or cafe
  

• Be a confident public speaker with the ability to represent Basement at key local and national arts hui and events 

In recent years, Basement Theatre has undergone deep reflective work around its history as a pākehā-led organisation, and its participation in prioritising colonial aesthetics and ideals. We are on a journey of exploring through doing our responsibilities to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and our position as a Tangata Tiriti organisation. We believe that due to our organisation's inherent barriers across cultural, economic, physical, political, and gender-based contexts, we must maintain a daily practice of resistance so that all people can access Basement with dignity and enjoyment. It is extremely important to the Basement whānau that our next Executive Director will have the tools and the desire to continue this practice with us into the future. 

Basement Theatre is a live performance venue in the central business district of Tāmaki Makaurau, established in 2008. We occupy the artistic underground and value the idea of pushing culture forward through brave, urgent and adventurous artistry. We are committed to platforming, developing and supporting emerging artists, and are a cornerstone organisation within the sector. We are known for being an important gateway into the industry for artists, as well as those interested in arts administration careers. We are a not-for-profit organisation, an investment client of Creative New Zealand, and are also funded by Foundation North and Auckland Council. 

If you would like to apply, please send your CV and a Cover Letter to the Board Chair, Dr Michelle Johansson michelle@maiacentre.org. You can also contact Michelle if you would like to hear more about what the role entails. Applications will close on Thursday 28th March, 5pm.

Equal Opportunities Workshops: As part of the recruitment process for this role, our current Executive Director Cat Ruka will be facilitating two “equal opportunities” workshops for emerging Māori and Pasifika wāhine leaders and for disabled leaders that are interested in applying. In these workshops Cat will provide an overview of the various aspects of the role, and her key leadership learnings throughout her time with us. These workshops will take place on Wednesday 6th March (time TBC). If you are interested in registering for either of these workshops please email Cat directly at cat@basementtheatre.co.nz

When seeking team members, Basement prioritises the engagement of those that have been historically marginalised from mainstream arts spaces. This includes Tangata Whenua as well as people belonging to our other ‘Vital Voice’ communities including POC, immigrant communities, queer communities, and disabled communities. 

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We are always looking for enthusiastic and friendly volunteers to usher shows all year round.

No experience is necessary, only a friendly attitude and a desire to see theatre and be involved at Basement Theatre. The pros of course are that you get to see shows for free! And get to experience the inner workings of Auckland’s most humming theatre. Our ushers also receive a free drink at the bar after they have completed their ushering shift.

Volunteers ushers simply sign up for shows that work around their schedule. 

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer usher at Basement Theatre, please email info@basementtheatre.co.nz for further information and to be added to our volunteer usher database.